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Tag: DfE

Utilise what you have to help others: a Masterclass with Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary for DfE

Posted on by Patchwork Foundation

I was fortunate enough to take part in a Masterclass taught by Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Education, in April of 2022. Our Masterclass afforded us the opportunity to spend time with one of the most senior figures in the British Civil Service and absorb some words of wisdom from her.   

Here are the three key messages I took from the Permanent Secretary’s Masterclass:

  1. The importance of not getting too comfortable

The Permanent Secretary told us stories about her various career changes. She detailed her experiences of taking on roles in areas or sectors in which  she had not built a reputation yet, and how difficult it was to start afresh in new roles.  I admire her willingness to look for the positives in a demanding situation. She was entering a completely unfamiliar environment, where she had to prove herself, but she also embraced the uncertainty. In her talk, she explained how we cannot truly learn if we do not face any obstacles or trials. She also, however, emphasized the importance of striking a balance between enjoyability and being uncomfortable. If we feel too uncomfortable, we will not feel that we have the breathing room to make the mistakes we need to learn from or ask questions that may benefit our knowledge. This message really stuck with me because I am in the initial stages of my journey to becoming a lawyer. As I do not come from what is deemed a ‘traditional’ legal background I will have to forge my own path and get comfortable with being uncomfortable to ensure that I take steps toward positive growth.  

  1. You cannot get the job if you do not apply for it

This message really spoke to me. In the past, I have limited myself in thinking that I was not good enough for certain positions or schemes due to a lack of confidence. The Masterclass with the Permanent Secretary has given me the insight that if I do not apply for these roles that I think I do not deserve, I will rob myself of the opportunity for growth and in turn limit my potential. 

  1. Utilise what you have to help others

The Permanent Secretary’s determination to carve her own independent career path in the Civil Service and to also use her privilege to help others was what stood out to me. Hearing the Permanent Secretary describe the policy reports she published on social issues such as social exclusion, diversity and inclusion, and the attainment gaps in higher education, I was very inspired. She told us that true leaders contribute when they can, regardless of how much or how little they have. I have aspirations of serving as a Member of Parliament in the future. In light of this message, I have been thinking about what kind of leader I should strive to be, similar to the Permanent Secretary who serves others before serving herself. I have already taken steps to implement positive change by creating a society for black women on my university campus in hopes of inspiring unity and community.  I will use my privilege, as someone who is comfortable with public speaking, to be a leader that speaks up for the issues in my community and that of others.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Masterclass with the Permanent Secretary. The words of wisdom she offered are greatly appreciated. I will not only take them with me, but I will use them well.  

 

Written by Tessy Idemudia, 2022 Masterclass Programme Participant

Reflections on Work Experience at the Department for Education

Posted on by Patchwork Foundation

Before starting my first year at university, I set myself a few goals. One of which was to complete work experience at the Department of Education. Fast forward to a few months later and this goal was achieved through my involvement in the Patchwork Masterclass programme. This summer I was fortunate enough to spend two weeks at the Department for Education in Westminster. My time in Westminster was a great opportunity for me to gain an insight into the interdependent nature of the Civil Service as well as learn about the different career paths taken to join the Government.

I had the privilege of spending time with a wide variety of friendly and accommodating teams. Such teams included the Teacher Recruitment, Retention & Strategy team, Social Mobility Commission, International and Comparative Education, Emran Mian’s EU-Exit team, the Correspondence and the Opportunity Areas Team. The Opportunity Areas team was a team set up through policy introduced by the Ex-Secretary of State for Education, Justine Greening’s passion for social mobility and ensuring that educational opportunities are distributed fairly across the country. I have previously been fortunate to meet Justine Greening back in 2016 through taking part in a political discussion group organised by the Social Mobility Foundation when I was 17.

With my interest in the intersection between geography and educational inequality, I particularly enjoyed my trip to see the important groundwork that the department carries out in Stoke-On-Trent as part of the Opportunity Areas Project. This trip taught me how vital teamwork and excellent communication skills are when working in a sector that requires the effective management of relationships with people from a variety of backgrounds, with different aims and interests amidst an overarching goal.

Through shadowing the Private Office for the Permanent Secretary of Education Jonathan Slater and Children’s’ Minister Kemi Badenoch I gained a deeper understanding of the significance of the daily work that Civil Servants carry out. I really appreciated the time and care that each person I met with were willing to invest in me during my time at the department.  I was fortunate enough to speak with Kemi very briefly and speak about the Patchwork Programme with her as well as the advice she would give to her 20 year-old self. She spoke about the importance of self-belief and staying focused on my own ambitions and not that of others. This reminded me of one of many quotes that I live my life by ‘comparison is the thief of joy’ and highlighted how having a positive mindset and utilising the resources around me, however big or small can help me in achieving my goals.

The diverse range of people that I met at the Department for Education all spoke very honestly, openly and genuinely about their experiences in a way that has enabled me to learn about the realities of being a Civil Servant and the joys of working with like-minded people on projects that will make a huge impact on society. With the lessons learned during my work experience, I now have a clearer vision of how to develop my wider interests in social mobility and educational inequality further. I am very thankful to Elaine Wilson and Civil Service Fast Streamer, Henry Phipps and others within the department for making my time at Westminster such an insightful experience.

Written by Victoria Ayodeji, a current Patchwork Masterclass Programme Participant.

Are we helping them? Masterclass with Jonathan Slater, Permanent Secretary of DfE

Posted on by Patchwork Foundation

We were fortunate enough to have a Masterclass with Jonathan Slater, the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Education. I was curious to meet this Permanent Secretary, because of the important role that education has on young people.

As an accountant a lot of my clients are academies and colleges. So, I was also interested in the Permanent Secretary’s views on funding for schools. Especially, with the spending review to be announced later in the year.

This was my first masterclass as the chair. Chairing involved introducing the speaker to the other members and allowing for follow up questions. The session was hosted by EY’s office in London bridge. To reduce our nerves, we had a briefing and practised the questions that we would ask the Permanent Secretary.

During the Masterclass the Permanent Secretary spoke about his career. Starting in local government he rose the ranks to become the director of Education, before moving to Number 10. One piece of advice he gave was to avoid being a generalist, and to find one skill or policy area to focus on. His career reflected this advice, seeing as he had held senior roles in the MoD, MoJ and the Home Office but, always focusing on operational effectiveness.

One of the main reasons for the Permanent Secretary’s passion for education was his background. In an interview with Civil Service World he revealed that his father was a teacher and mother a social worker. This caused him to ask the question “are we helping them”, and to challenge civil servants to ensure that they were helping those on the frontline do their jobs.

Written by Daniel Oso