It is an enormous privilege to be Principal of a school. I am driven to work here every day by the desire to ensure that students at Nova get the best possible chance of success.

I think drive is hugely important, nothing great was ever achieved without hard work.

My job is interesting as I get to spend each and every day with a fantastic bunch of staff and students.

Prior to joining Nova Hreod, I was working as a Vice Principal at a secondary school in South Gloucestershire where I had the opportunity to join the first cohort of West 100, a leadership programme focused on creating 100 leaders in the West of England over the next 5 years who are committed to eradicating educational disadvantage.

As Senior Vice Principal leading on Culture, I believe that all students whatever their background can achieve beyond what they think is possible. At Nova, we want students to thrive and achieve so they leave secondary school with the qualifications, experiences and character they need to have a happy and successful future.

I became a leader at Nova as I passionate about supporting staff to be the best they can be in order to give your people the best chance of success as they move from Nova into the wider world.

I think to have drive is exceptionally important. Drive is what takes scholars from being passive receivers of information to committing to know how to use and understand the information to be successful in their educational journey.

My job is interesting as I get to visit lessons across lots of different subjects. I get not only to see how different teachers engage and instil a passion for learning in our scholars but I also get to learn lots of interesting new facts across a wide range of subjects every day.

I am a big fan of the DISC values. They stand for a lot and cover every aspect of education in schools whether on the field, in the studio, treading the boards, in the dining room or in the classroom. These values make sense. Drive, for me, exemplifies what might most naturally lead to success in each of these scenarios, but it makes more sense in combination with the other values to bring happiness and balance along with it!

The ability to speak another language has opened up doors to different cultures and experiences in ways I could never have imagined as 15 year old revising for my GCSE speaking exam. Offering the potential of those opportunities to other young people through education is very exciting.

Dr Clapp

I was placed at Nova for my teacher training in 2014 and feel incredibly lucky to have found such a great school to work at. I am very proud of the work we do to show Nova students how inspiring science is; it is a pleasure to see students find science as interesting as I did when I was at school. What makes my job interesting is that there is always something different to do, a new group of students to work with, a new trip to plan, a new experiment to try out and lots more besides so there is no time to get bored. What makes my subject interesting is that science is in action all around us all the time and by understanding science we can begin to understand the World around us a little better.

I think all of our DISC values are important but perhaps the most important one for me is drive. I believe that if we are ambitious, work hard and endeavour to always do our best (not only in school but in our lives in general) then we will be able to achieve whatever we want.

The values at Nova embody my belief about schools and education. I am privileged to work with young people in my role with Year 11 and this really allows me to support and inspire the next generation to achieve their best and to aid in creating exciting opportunities for their future. I have a very keen interest in educational research and the science of learning exploring the most effective ways to teach students in the classroom.

I strongly believe in high expectations and that there is no ceiling on anyone's potential. To be ambitious is to strive to be the very best version of our ourselves and to drive on through challenges and obstacles.

I love that every day is different in school and seeing the 'lightbulb' moment in students when they really understand something you have spent time teaching them.

I think scholarship is very important. Teachers can always learn and improve just like scholars.

The world needs geographers...To tackle the impacts of climate change, to understand the risks posed by earthquakes, to create town centres that are vibrant and have a strong sense of community and much more! I find the topical nature of geography very interesting!

I was attracted to working at Nova because of the emphasis they place on ensuring that each student gets to fulfil their potential both in and out of the classroom.

Each student at Nova is given the opportunity to lead and contribute and these qualities are invaluable in preparing students for life after Nova.

The most interesting part of my job is getting to see students thrive in a variety of environments, not just in the classroom.

I am lucky enough to be head of the Mathematics, Computing and Business faculty at Nova. This is an amazing role as I get to shape how the entire school learn mathematics and how this links in with the GCSEs we offer. Maths is a subject all about problem solving, which is an invaluable skill regardless of what path you take in life. There are so many reasons why my job is interesting - the three main ones are: the fascinating subject matter, the exceptional team of teachers I work with and the incredible students we teach.

All of our DISC values are incredibly important, but I think perhaps the most important is integrity. Communities thrive when they are full of people who have a strong sense of integrity - people who can be trusted and who do things not just because they have to, or because they want to impress others, but because it is who they are.

The role of SENCo is as equally challenging as it is rewarding. What is most interesting is I never know what to expect. I like the fact that even the predictable is unpredictable. I get to work with some exceptional people in teaching such a diverse population of students.

For me, all of our DISC principles are important. However, without a sense of drive and the determination to succeed, the possibility of falling short is high. This I feel is a principle that got me to where I am today. Having faced a number of challenges along the way, I was able to surpass expectation with the drive to do better.  

The most important thing to me is the feeling of being part of an organisation that really makes a difference to our students' lives, so although my areas of responsibility are not all student facing they need to be the best that they can be to drive the Academy forward. All of the DISC principles are important to as one without the others doesn't make the whole Nova vision or the best that I as an individual can strive to be.With my role you honestly never know what you will be involved in from one day to the next and I love the excitement and challenge that brings.