incredibly bright future ahead

We have been thrilled to welcome back former student Vicky this year on training placement with our Geography department; her training reached successful completion this week, and she is pictured delivering one of her final lessons with us to Year 7 on the topic of urbanisation and land use.

Vicky was a student at UGS for 7 years, and always demonstrated a passion for geography, opting to study it at A level, along with biology and chemistry, and then choosing to pursue a degree in it at MMU.

Graduating in 2022, Vicky then enriched her love of physical geography with a Gap Year spent travelling South East Asia and the Greek Islands, before enrolling for the PGCE at the University of Manchester.

Undertaking training with SCITT (School Centred Initial Teacher Training) and provider Alliance for Learning, Vicky enjoyed placements at Flixton Girl's School prior to UGS, and she has been supported here by the department and by subject mentor and Head of Geography Ms Bramwell, and by professional mentor Mrs Dooley.

During her placement with us, Vicky taught the subject to all year groups, including KS5, in addition to accompanying the recent Year 10 residential field trip to North Wales.

Vicky is passionate about all areas of geography, but if she had to pick one favourite topic from the curriculum, it would be the study of tectonics, volcanoes, earthquakes, and natural disasters, and she has greatly enjoyed teaching this to our Year 8s, and was hugely impressed by the fact-files that they researched and created!

Her love of Geography is as clearly demonstrable now as when she studied with us, as Ms Bramwell shares:

It has been especially rewarding for me to have Vicky at UGS as a trainee, because I taught her as a student from Year 9 right through to completion of her A Levels.

She has been as good a teacher as she was a student! 

Conscientious, enthusiastic and highly organised. I feel privileged to be part of her transition from student to teacher, and both my classes and I will miss her immensely. 

Fellow teacher of Geography and Assistant Head of Sixth Form Mr Neale adds his praise:

It has been an absolute delight having Vicky in the Geography department. She has become a full member of #TeamGeog, developing new resources for students, delivering engaging lessons, and working and supporting students.

I know my classes will miss Miss Scragg very much. She has an incredibly bright future ahead of her in the profession! 

And Head of Sixth Form and teacher of Geography Miss Lingwood succinctly speaks for us all:

One word... SUPERSTAR!

Vicky has hugely enjoyed returning to UGS as a teacher trainee, commenting that the lovely vibe and community feel in school is as strong as ever.

She is greatly appreciative of all the support that she has received during training, not only from her subject and professional mentors and the Geography department, but from all in the UGS community.

Though we are incredibly sad that this is Vicky's last week at UGS, we are delighted that she has already successfully secured a teaching position at FGS, and we wish her the very best of luck in this, and for the future.