Time flies by when you are working in a challenging but rewarding environment. The atmosphere in the academy is filled with excitement, resilience and ambition: the students are getting closer and closer to the GCSE exams. I am currently in the sixth month of my placement and I cannot believe that I have only six months left. I still feel like I have so much to learn about the job! Within this period, I have grown so much as both a professional and an individual and I can only thank The White Rose Academies Trust for believing in me and giving me the chance to spread my wings.
I am very lucky to have such a diverse role across both Leeds West Academy and Leeds East Academy. Besides supporting the Admin Team with exams, duties, phone calls, I am also able to get involved in exciting projects, some of which I am currently leading. At the moment I am overseeing the lettings at both Leeds West Academy and Leeds East Academy. Some of the responsibilities include: keeping track of the customers, managing the lettings calendar, communicating with the customers, giving tours of the facilities and communicating with both the Site Team and the Finance Assistant to ensure that everything runs smoothly. This project is particularly rewarding for me because it was one of my first responsibilities as a new employee. With the guidance and trust of my manager I was able to generate more lettings and therefore, bring in more income.
During the first month of my placement I developed a lot of skills which are continuing to grow. Being in charge of such a big project definitely shaped my leadership, teamwork and communication skills. I learnt how to maintain a relationship with our customers and how to approach people in difficult situations as well as how to work in a team efficiently. I have also gained time-management skills by organizing meetings with the customers as well as booking our facilities under their name.
As part of my role I am also involved in a variety of projects that have a big impact on the wellbeing of the students. I was asked to run the Student Leadership Group at Leeds West Academy which allowed me to interact with pupils and discuss current global issues like climate change and pollution. Last month we attended the ‘Youth Voice Summit on Climate Change’ and ‘The Merrion Centre Challenge’. These events did not only strengthen the relationship between students and staff but also provided our students with the opportunity to develop new skills. Another exciting project that I helped with was the Community Christmas Dinner that was held at Leeds East Academy. During this project I focused on resourcing donations from small businesses around Seacroft area. Talking to business owners and negotiating with them improved my negotiation and rapport building skills.
These experiences made me recognize how difficult it is to manage a school. I feel proud to be part of a business that serves the community and I am appreciative of what I have achieved so far during my placement. I am looking forward to getting involved in more challenging but rewarding projects.
