Assistant Headteacher Melissa Jackson says she's proud to be on ASCL Council. Here, she shares her passion for Council, school leadership and escape rooms!

The Great Escape

Tell us about your role 

I’m Assistant Headteacher responsible for Personal Development and Inclusion at Bishop’s Hatfield Girls’ School. Our school is a high-achieving all-girls secondary academy with a very distinctive ethos. We are a fully comprehensive school and have a diverse pupil population. We have 949 pupils on roll and are part of a consortium for our growing sixth form. 

Why did you decide to become an ASCL Council member? 

I was encouraged and inspired to stand for ASCL Council by my school’s previous Headteacher, Theodora Nickson, who had been on Council for a number of years. I was absolutely delighted (if not slightly terrified) to be elected and since being on Council, I’ve realised that assistant headteachers, deputy headteachers, and business leaders are not only more than welcome but greatly appreciated and encouraged by ASCL. 

At my first Council meeting, I feared I’d have nothing of interest to contribute, but I realised that not only was my contribution greatly valued, but actually a really important addition to the conversation and dialogue. In a recent Assistant and Deputy meeting at Council, we discussed the role of the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and how it was evolving. I’m also a member of Council’s Ethics, Inclusion and Equalities Committee and we recently heard from Tom Rees, Trust CEO and Chair of the DfE's Expert Advisory Group for Inclusion, where we discussed SEND provision, attendance, and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. 

Why did you decide to get into teaching/leadership? 

My journey into education was not a traditional one. I was rather naughty at school (my mother preferred to say I was spirited) and I think a number of my teachers would be surprised at the career path I have embarked on. However, when studying for my master’s, I wrote my dissertation on the importance of Citizenship Education, with a focus on Jean-Jacques Rousseau’, The Social Contract, which inspired me to apply to study my PGCE in citizenship at Middlesex University. I remember thinking that teaching would be an interesting thing to do while I decided what I really wanted to do with my life. But the first time I entered the classroom, it was like a lightbulb had been switched on, and I can honestly say that I still find my job as enjoyable now as I did on that first day. 

How do you like to unwind? 

I love going to escape rooms with my best friends from university. We try to meet a couple of times a year and tackle an escape room. We are surprisingly quite good at them.

I’m a wife and mother of three children, a daughter who is seven and twin boys who are three, so unwinding time is slightly limited, but we enjoy camping, and we are looking forward to exploring France and Spain this summer. My wider family lives in Cornwall and I try to visit during the school holidays. I’m always happiest by the sea. 

I’ve had a lifelong love of Shakespeare that I’m slowly trying to introduce to my – so far reluctant – children. I also try to run and attend the gym as much as I can. 

Tell us an interesting fact about you 

Before attending university, I wanted to be an actress. I appeared on a TV pilot for a BBC 3 comedy show and a short film starring Nick Moran (best known for his role in the film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels). I now scratch that acting itch by teaching drama, which I absolutely love. 

What’s your favourite book and film of all time and why? 

BOOK Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder. I read it during sixth form and it inspired me to go on to study philosophy at university. 

FILM Love Actually. I watch it every year as I sit wrapping my presents by the Christmas tree. 

What advice would you give to someone new to leadership? 

Remember that school should be fun. We have so many external pressures on our roles today that it can be easy to forget that. When the days are difficult and the external pressures get overwhelming, close your inbox and go for a walk around your school or college, talk to the children and remind yourself why you chose this career. 

ASCL Council 

For more details on how you can become a Council member, please email ASCL Senior Director Julie McCulloch at Julie.mcculloch@ascl.org.uk

• For further information, see www.ascl.org.uk/council

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