Name: Andy Whent
Job title: Teacher of PE and School Sports
Co-ordinator
Employer: Hertfordshire County Council |
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What course did you study and when did you graduate?
I graduated in 2008 with a BSc (Hons) in Sports Science |
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I get to work with children and young adults and this means no two days are ever the same. Even when I am having a challenging day, the pupils always manage to put a smile on my face. Knowing that I have made a difference to a child’s learning is what makes me want to come into work every day.
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How did you get to your current position?
I started off as a PE teacher in Nottinghamshire and worked hard to put myself in different situations across the whole school. Through this I developed respect from management and gained experience in positions of responsibility. I then secured a promotion in my role as PE teacher and School Sports Co-ordinator in a school based in London. |
What are your main responsibilities?
As well as teaching PE to Years 9-13, I am responsible for raising the profile of sport in the local community. I am now responsible for developing sport in 8 of our feeder schools, along with my own. I am also Director of football which means I have responsibility for coaching and developing football within our school to improve the progress in district and county tournaments. |
What did you do after graduating?
When I finished at Portsmouth I got a place at Loughborough University to do my teacher training (PGCE). I spent my spare time getting extra coaching qualifications in sports that I was not as competent in. I used the credits that I earned during my PGCE to continue on to the MSc in Education that Loughborough were offering. I am doing my Masters over 3 years distance learning, whilst I am teaching. |
How did the University of Portsmouth help prepare you for work, and how did it help get you to where you are today?
The University of Portsmouth were pivotal in getting me where I am today. My goal was always to become a teacher but I liked the option of doing a Sports Science degree as it gave me an in depth knowledge of my subject area. I was lucky enough to have excellent lecturers at the University who were both supportive and encouraging and inspired me to aim for the best that I could be. I achieved this by getting a first class degree and a place at the best sports University in the country.
Whilst I was at the University there were so many opportunities for me to develop myself as a person, from becoming an ambassador and working on University open days to the University paying for me to do some coaching qualifications. These all helped me develop my confidence and personality which would eventually be invaluable to me as a teacher. |
What are your best memories of University?
My best memories of the University are sitting on Southsea common during the summertime with all of my course mates and having a BBQ and playing Frisbee. |
What do you love about the city of Portsmouth?
I love the fact that Portsmouth is a city by the sea and there is so much packed into a small space. The seafront and Gunwharf are beautiful any time of the year but especially in the summer. Everyone in Portsmouth is so passionate about their city and I think this provides a unique atmosphere that I have never experienced anywhere else. |