A one woman show
Lynne Rawlings is the only technician at St Aldhelms Academy in Poole so she has her work cut out for her. She does not have a team of technicians with which to share skills and knowledge and along with the five science teachers is under pressure to improve student achievement as part of the Academy’s drive to raise its position in the league tables. In this situation, training for staff is vital even if getting out of school proves challenging. Lynne explains: “Even though it is only me I can still get out to courses, all it means is that I have to spend three days setting up the equipment needed in my absence and then a further three days sorting everything out when I return. I have trained the members of the department very well, to make sure that no-one takes anything off a trolley I have set up for a specific practical!”
Lynne has always been committed to training. Long before becoming a technician she was a county swimmer so learnt then the importance of both training and passing on your knowledge to others. This approach continued as she worked at Sainsburys and was promoted to training all the evening workers on the tills and on health and safety. In her first job as a technician she was the only technician so found herself acting as senior technician even though only at a junior level. Lynne explains what she did in that job: “I learnt a lot quickly from books and from the support of a previous head of science. As a result I now work hard to make sure I support other technicians in local schools and keep up my own professional development.”
The senior leadership team at St Aldhelms Academy have been very supportive of Lynne’s training: “When I went for this job I was already booked on to some training so had to raise this in my interview but the department knew about the ENTHUSE Award, which means the schools gets some money for me attending at course, so they were instantly supportive!” The ENTHUSE Awards are funded by the ENTHUSE Charitable Trust to help science practitioners undertake continuing professional development (CPD) at the Science Learning Centres. The Award can contribute towards course fees, travel, supply cover, accommodation and follow-up activities at school; it is paid directly to the school on completion of the course and the participant’s action plan.
Lynne makes sure that the professional development she undertakes has a positive impact on her department: “Thanks to my development we do more exciting science in class. I show the teachers a new practical I have learnt and they embed it into schemes of work as they are excited by new ideas and demonstrations. This means that the students respond really positively, they will come up to you saying ‘that was a really good practical’.”
As she has to work hard to access training, Lynne is keen to encourage other technicians to undertake professional development: “If you are the only technician in school you need to be creative and determined in developing your skills. The lab equipment reps can be really useful, in my area they will recommend other technicians contact me as they know I have certain equipment, so this creates an informal support network. Every technician should go to York! The National Science Learning Centre has excellent dedicated courses for technicians and everyone is entitled to CPD so technicians need to get out there and fight for it. It is not only the actual course that is vital but the chance to meet other technicians and share ideas.”