A quickfire staff meeting kickstarts a typical Tuesday: listening to the programme of trips and tournaments, debates and D of E expeditions, I’m amazed as ever at how much we cram into a single week. I’ve been so impressed since I joined the school by how naturally and effectively the pastoral care is managed – the girls really are known and dealt with personally.

Then it’s on to the business of the day, catching up with my tutor group in Sixth Form assembly, sharing the excitement of the first university offers already coming in, and arranging to meet over lunch to help polish the final personal statements of this year’s batch.

First lesson is Journey’s End with my Year 10s. We’re lucky enough to have small classes at GCSE – with all the coursework involved in teaching English, it makes a huge difference having eighteen rather than twenty-six in a group, and they get the benefits of our extra attention and support. They’re loving this text, and it’s great to see their enthusiasm - we’ve been discussing propaganda, and several of them have brought in newspaper accounts of current conflicts to show how events are manipulated through language. Upper Sixth next – tackling Jacobean melodrama with relish - and they’re keen to tell me how their Modern Novel essays are progressing. They’ve chosen their own texts, and I love seeing their confidence grow as they research and plan independently, university-style.

A welcome free period means I can check my emails – I’m corresponding with several GDST colleagues about Oxbridge applications, sharing advice and information across the network. It’s a real bonus – if I don’t know the answer to a query I can easily find someone who does!

Taking advantage of the colour photocopier to produce some bright worksheets for my Year 6 taster lesson this afternoon, I chat with Sally who’s busy with programmes for the House Plays. Sally and I worked together on our new prospectuses, creating text and images to reflect the vibrant atmosphere of Portsmouth High School. What a thrill to see the finished product and especially to hear from colleagues and parents that the brochures capture the warmth of the school.

Before lunch, I see my Year 8 English support class, helping them plan and develop ideas for this week’s task, on Animal Farm. There’s a sense of genuine satisfaction in helping this group of just seven girls get to grips with the project.

If it’s lunchtime in October, it must be UCAS…. Our Sixth Formers really appreciate the one-to-one support we provide. Often, it’s just a case of being a sounding-board for their ideas or encouraging them to be bold. They know they’re heading for excellent results, so top universities are keen to take them on, and we make sure that early applications give everyone the best possible chance of success.

With their name labels on and after some reassuring smiles, my group of Year 6s, visiting us from other schools, is ready for a taste of English at PHS. They tell me that they’ve had a wonderful day, loved doing Drama in a proper studio and trying out new ICT techniques. After a little gentle coaxing, they produce some dazzling descriptions and rejoin their parents full of their experiences. I leave them to their flapjacks and their chatter, collect my marking file and head for home. But the school day’s not over for some – as I leave, I watch Sixth Form house captains shepherding groups of younger pupils, armed with all manner of props and scenery: House Plays are tomorrow, and final rehearsals are in hand. It’s a familiar scene, full of the energy and enthusiasm which make our school so special – and such a great place to work.

Jan Cresswell
Portsmouth High School