Gill Fitzpatrick
Assistant Head at Beech Hill School
Bio:
In this episode, we follow Gill's journey from church school, where her dad was the local vicar and knew 'everyone', through to training as a structural engineer, a job that Gill loved and thought she would work in for the rest of her working life.
As a young graduate engineer with a degree in applied geology and engineering, Gill took the first tentative steps into the adult world, testing, monitoring and evaluating the structural integrity of concrete structures and piled foundations. This job took her around the world, and she was involved in many prestigious projects, including the Queen Elizabeth II bridge, Canary Wharf, Trinity College Dublin and, of not to be left out, Congleton sewage treatment works.
With parenthood, Gill realised she was no longer going to be able to travel with work and wanted to find a career that would allow her to settle and raise her family. Sadly, these were different times, and engineering was not seen as a viable option.
Engineerings loss was teachings gain as Gill trained into primary education, a journey that she initially found less than easy. After spending her first stint of teaching "pretending she knew what she was doing", she jumped out of the role of primary practitioner and into the shoes of a school sports coordinator, working not only in the primary sector but in secondary and tertiary as an advisor and event coordinator. Travel was once again back on the agenda, meeting famous sportspeople and working across schools.
Gill is now Assistant Head at Beech Hill School and, in this role spins many plates, one being the school's coordinator of STEM education. Gill has been a participant and regional leader on Manchester University's SEERHI and the Progressing and Evolving to be an engineer project for many years. Gill views STEM education and design and technology specifically as a way to energise and transform student expectations and self-worth.
Gill received national recognition from D&TA as Practitioner of the Year in 2021 and also won TES Subject Leader of the Year in 2022.
So sit back, relax and listen to Designed for Life, in conversation with award-winning Assistant Headteacher Gill Fitzpatrick.
The Design and Technology Association is indebted to the Edge Foundation for their continued sponsorship of the Designed for Life series of podcasts. Without their support, this venture simply would not be possible.