Toni Thomason

I have worked at Spring Brook since I was a newly qualified teacher and am now the Head of School at the primary site. My time here has included 18 months at our secondary school supporting our older pupils.

I was a late arrival to teaching and prior to going back to university at 36 years of age, my background was in finance having worked for Barclaycard for 17 years. This included a number of roles – customer service, training and development, personnel and processing staff mortgages, handling travel liquidation claims and, towards the end of my time there, managing the call centre in Manchester. My ambition, though, was always to teach and I got there eventually once my own children were a little older!

During my time at university I took part in the Erasmus Overseas Exchange programme and along with two boys, spent 6 months living and studying in Finland along with a group of international students. Seeing how things could be done differently had a big impact on me, as did experiencing how all children, regardless of their difficulties, could be included and valued within their classroom setting.

I am a firm believer that all children can learn; it is our role to find a way for them to do that. Children start their journey at Spring Brook with shattered self-esteem and little belief in themselves. Families too have often suffered during the journey to find the right school for them. I feel fortunate that as a Trust, we are able to offer a truly holistic package to support children with both their academic and personal development, which also has a positive impact on their family life.