Eve Kirby

I'm deputy head teacher at Tyndale Primary School. I was in leadership originally in London, where I was the Assistant Headteacher in Islington. I then relocated to start my own family and took a step back but was then really keen, after a few years, to get back into leadership, but found that really hard to do because there was a limited number of leadership roles. A colleague told me about this secondment opportunity which was available at Robinswood for two terms which I thought would kind of get my foot back in the door, and I'd give it a go. I didn't really know much about Greenshaw at that stage, and so I applied for that and was successful. 
I did that for two terms and then, as that was kind of coming to an end, I reached out to Liz and said I would like to sort of continue my leadership journey. She told me about a couple of roles that were coming up within the trust. I went and visited Tyndale Primary School, which was a bit further from home than I wanted, but I decided to give it a go. I met the head teacher, Luke, who's just such a lovely guy and who had some great ideas for the school going forward. And I just thought, okay, I'm going to have to apply for this job because the school was at a really exciting stage in its journey. So I decided to apply for it, and I was successful, and I've been here since, which has been very fulfilling. 
You've got to find somewhere you work where you like the people, where you feel like you're being developed, so you feel really fulfilled. It's got to be worth it, and it is worth it. And I've made it work. I still get the holidays, and it's about working with people who also understand you and care about you and about the fact that you need to have a balanced life. And I've found that balance.
Being part of GLT, you get a lot of support, which is really valuable for me, who's relatively new to deputy headship. If I need support, or I don't know what to do, I know that there's always someone I can approach for help. I know that there are people I can go to. I've always found that in the local authority schools I've worked at too, but the landscape is changing, and it's very clear within Greenshaw where the support is, which is really helpful when you're leading.
The most enjoyable part of my role is the people : the staff and the children. For me, it's about the relationships you build. That's what gets me out of bed in the morning! As those relationships grow, my working life becomes more joyful too.