A Headteacher praises the Professional Practice course
22.09.2021
Reena Patel, a Headteacher at Kitchener Primary School in Cardiff has praised the team at the Wales Academy for Professional Practice and Applied Research (WAPPAR) for their support in helping her achieve her MA in Professional Practice.
When she started her studies with The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) Reena was a Deputy Headteacher at Fairwater Primary School and could identify that having an MA qualification would help in her career progression and give her the opportunity to develop her leadership skills and gain recognition for the learning she had acquired whilst working.
Reena said: “By reflecting on my professional practice, I have identified how I have developed my ability to improve teaching standards and manage change through demonstrating effective leadership skills. Recognising my achievements and the learning I have acquired along the way has most certainly helped me progress to my current Headteacher role. I wanted to ensure I was still learning and gaining new skills to best impact on all children within school.”
Reena has continued to develop her research skills which have had an integral impact on her professional practice, and she intends to use what she has learned in order to improve her workplace professional environment as well as continuing to progress her career at the same time.
Lowri Harris, Senior Lecturer from WAPPAR said, “Reena is clearly a passionate leader and wanted to acquire additional leadership skills which she could build on and share with the many professionals that she works with on how to work in an effective and collaborative learning organisation; self-reflection was an integral part of this process.”
Reena added: “Self-reflection is something that we do throughout our teacher training and all of a sudden leave it at the school gate once qualifying! I believe it is the most important area of learning for a teacher and through reflection, teachers can look clearly at their successes and struggles and consider options for change that greatly impact on a child’s learning; it is an integral step to improving practice.
“Meeting and discussing with my tutor, Sarah Loxdale, having the allocated time to review my work-based learning allowed me to grow in confidence and confirm why I felt so strongly about having professional learning organisations within the education profession. It not only captured the last few years of learning, but it made me believe in my role and my abilities even further.”
Lowri Harris also said, “Reena undertook a work-based learning project on the impact of Professional Learning on Teaching and Learning in a Primary School in South Wales enabling her to have real influence on her organisation.”
Further Information
Lowri Thomas, Principal Communications and PR Officer
07449 998476
