Deputy Theatre Manager Review

I deputize as Theatre Manager at Blue Coat Church of England School and Music College, Coventry (part of Inspire Education Trust). My day-to-day tasks include; the management of the venue for both internal and external events, managing the school lettings programme bringing in additional income, management of the school website as well as face-to-face student support in performing arts lessons.

Completing this apprenticeship has allowed me to learn new skills particularly around finance. I have also been able to develop existing skills and adopt new ways of working that will not only streamline my practice but will allow for more efficient decision making moving forward. Topics learnt have already had direct positive impact in the running of the department that benefits both school and students.

Really enjoyed completing this apprenticeship. Initially it can be quite overwhelming taking on an apprenticeship alongside your day-to-day work however my tutor was really supportive putting me at ease instantly. I'm glad I pushed myself to completing the apprenticeship and my tutor pushed me to get the best results. Parts of the apprenticeship standard such as finance and HR were areas I didn't think I was going to enjoy however have become the areas I enjoyed the most.

The programme was well structured and organised. It was also helpful that my tutor understood the time constraints of the education sector meaning adjustments to the programme could be made. By having this element of flexibility it allowed me to put all my focus on both work and apprenticeship when it was needed. My recommendation would be for Smart Assessor to have an overhaul to meet the demands of 2023 technology - particularly to be able to use with phones would be handy.

I received a good balance of support from my employer throughout the programme. There was an element of allowing me to get on with it, regular check-ins and a 'doors open' policy. My employer was particularly handy in signposting me to the relevant colleagues who could assist with information and further training regarding the different standards.

Cannot fault the support I received from LMP in particular my Tutor. Always friendly and approachable (even if it was the simplest of questions) and I really appreciated the honesty around what I needed to do in order to achieve the best results. As mentioned previously my tutor recognised the work constraints in education and made adjustments to the programme for me so that it didn't become overwhelming.

I have been able to use my learning to better understanding the workings of the education system. This allows me to have a well-informed approach to my work and decision making that positively impacts the school, students and wider community. This qualification has also meant I can streamline some practices allowing me more time to focus on bigger projects.

There are a wide range of extra-curricular activities for staff to get involved in organised through our wellbeing champion network. Our wellbeing champions network is comprised of both teaching and support staff. Events include; couch to 5k, variety of sports fixtures, school staff quiz, MAT staff quiz, end of term social events ect.

Yes

Not only is it about the qualification at the end but I think for me it was around the flexibility of being able to complete this alongside my normal work with the understanding from both my tutor and employer. Without this flexibility I think this would be difficult to complete the programme within your normal day-to-day hours.

My main advice would be to talk to anyone in your organisation that has already done or has started an apprenticeship. It can be overwhelming at first but very quickly you get into a rhythm and before you know it 12 months has passed and you have a qualification with many transferable skills. Don't be afraid to ask your tutor questions - its highly likely you know the answer you just needed to be guided in the right direction.