Daniel Holmes

Daniel Holmes

School: Balfour Junior School
Area of work: primary education
Local authority: Brighton & Hove
Qualifications: BA theology and religious studies, University of Cambridge (1993); PGCE primary, University of Brighton (2003)

After I had my first child I decided that I wanted to do something more worthwhile than working in the commercial world, which I no longer found satisfying. Primary teaching appealed to me because of the pastoral element that would come with looking after the same group of children over the course of a year. 

Developing a career as a primary school teacher

I teach the whole curriculum (except for music) to pupils in Years 3 and 5. Because of my degree background my specialty is in religious education but I am also the assistant to our numeracy co-ordinator. Every week I have around 20–22 hours’ contact time with the children, although on average I work 50 hours a week. When the time comes to write yearly reports I could work up to 65 hours a week. During the year I will undertake around 10 hours of training. This is tailored to meet my needs as a developing teacher as well as those of the school and individual pupils. For example, at the moment I have a pupil with some hearing difficulties so I will be attending special training to check that I am communicating appropriately. With a view to a longer term career in school leadership I am working on implementing system changes at my school in the communication between teachers and teaching assistants and the performance management of teaching assistants. 

Pastoral care in primary education

At primary level the pastoral element is as important as the academic side of the job. Part of my task is to be a consistent role model with a clear moral framework. Teaching is a responsible job and you learn a lot about the children in your care. It’s inspiring and exciting to see positive changes in a child’s behaviour and academic improvement, knowing that you have helped them make those changes.

Personal qualities needed for primary teaching

The most important qualities for a primary teacher are patience, humour, clear communication, motivation and commitment. You must believe teaching is worthwhile and have a good sense of why you want to do it. It’s not an easy option, so be prepared to work very hard and have great humility about learning from more experienced teachers. Although you may not always feel in the mood, you need to be able to energise yourself to be excited and positive about what you’re teaching, as this will be reflected  in your pupils’ learning and behaviour.