Growing Together NPQ Spotlight - Martyn Millard

In this blog series, we shine a spotlight on the NPQ courses we have on offer in partnership with Teach First, including showcasing some of our fantastic programme members. 

Today’s post is a spotlight on… Martyn Millard from Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Lead Practitioner and Curriculum Area Leader for Government & Politics and History.  

Here at Growing Together, we work with hundreds of fantastic NPQ participants who are growing their career with us.  A particular highlight for us is when a participant loves their first course so much, they come back for another! 

That was the case for today’s participant in the spotlight. Martyn is a Lead practitioner and Curriculum Area Leader. He developed and consolidated his leadership skills during his NPQLT and is now aspiring to senior leadership. With the support of his school, he has moved onto an NPQSL, looking towards progressing and that next step. 

What drew you to work in the education profession?  
Like many it was born through a love of my subject and academia. You get the opportunity to impart your knowledge and potentially better the lives of others via a medium you are already extremely passionate about. 

Why did you want to complete an NPQ? 
I saw this as an opportunity to further develop my craft and take my career into my own hands. It also forced me to revisit aspects of my teaching and review teaching theory. This was something that just due to time and routine I had not really done myself since I was a first year NQT. How has your NPQ impacted on your work in school?  This has had a direct impact on my practice both in terms of teaching and learning but in particular staff CPD. I was able to take the theory imparted but also emulate the session structure and ideas to act as a model for my own whole school conferences.

What are you hoping to do next with what you have learnt from the course?
To add value to the school in terms of how it trains and develops its staff. One of the best things we can do for students is properly invest time, effort and support to teachers whatever their level of experience or career aspiration.

What are the main reasons someone should consider completing an Aldridge Education/ Teach First NPQ?

This is an investment in yourself. Working in the education sector can become almost survivalist, where you are just trying to get through the extremely busy days. If you are not careful time will pass, and you'll find yourself stagnating. This is set time for you to set aside for yourself to develop, any school with the right ethos should support you in this. 

Martyn successfully passed his NPQLT (Leading Teaching) and is now completing his NPQSL (Senior Leadership). We are privileged to be part of his leadership journey! 

Does this sound like the next step in your career? Or could there be a different leadership course for you? Find out more information about our courses and how to apply here: https://aldridgeeducation.org/myNPQ/ or get in touch with a member of the Growing Together team at GrowingTogether@aldridgeeducation.org.

By joining one of our NPQ courses, educators can unlock their leadership potential and make a significant impact on education, empowering students and shaping the future of learning. We offer a range of NPQ courses, including NPQLT (Leading Teaching), NPQLL (Leading Literacy), NPQLTD (Leading Teacher Development), NPQLBC (Leading Behaviour and Culture), NPQ for SENCOs (NPQSEN), NPQSL (Senior Leadership), and NPQH (Headship).  

No matter where you are in your career, we have a course that's right for you.