Inspiring Stories

I adored creative writing as a child – this was the 1980s, when fronted adverbials and modal verbs were the stuff of mystery to your average ten-year-old. We were encouraged to pile on the adjectives – though I doubt we knew they were ‘adjectives’. I remember writing about The Iron Man and can still picture gazing at the striking front cover while Mr Hetherington read aloud the unforgettable opening.

Teachers are creative individuals who know how to entertain a crowd, so it’s no surprise that a number of prominent musicians have spent time in the classroom. Shaping and influencing young minds is also part and parcel of being a music star. Here, we reveal our top eight rockstars and soul singers who were also […]

Teaching online opened my eyes to a new way of working—one without the traditional workforce constraints. No commute, no rigid hours, and no geographic limits. Suddenly, I realised that this kind of work wasn’t a stopgap or a fallback; it was a gateway to a new lifestyle. 

I’d like to share my story as it may resonate with others coming up to retirement. My name is Kathleen Lucey and I am a City of Westminster tour guide. In early 2022 I was nervous about upcoming retirement.  I’d worked all my adult life, half of it overseas, and while I played tennis and […]

Rhythm Time, the UK’s leading provider of music classes for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, is delighted to mark its 30th BIRTHDAY – a major milestone in its mission to support early childhood development through the power of music. Since 1995, Rhythm Time has been enriching the lives of hundreds of thousands of children across the […]

As I reflect on my career as a Headteacher, I am filled with gratitude for the countless experiences and relationships that shaped my professional journey. After dedicating many fulfilling years to education, I made the bold decision to unofficially retire on my 55th birthday and embark on a new adventure that combines my passions for […]

It took Laura 9 months to make the decision to join St. James’ Place, we talk about what she did during that period around her due diligence to feel comfortable and calm enough to move across into the Academy and of course into a brand new career we also talk about her first 12 months which she describes as phenomenal

My route into teaching started with teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) which I did for several years in Colombia and Spain with a few bouts of travelling squeezed in – these were my nomadic years! When I felt I was ready to settle back in the UK, I decided I would train as a primary school teacher. my final year in teaching was spent teaching in a SEN school.

Fast forward 3 years, I had given birth to my second child and life had massively changed for our family. I was Head of Humanities in a secondary school for 14 years and, while I loved my job, it really didn’t work for our family anymore. I wanted a change, so I revisited the idea of running my own baby and toddler classes.

For teachers a career as a financial adviser is both rewarding and promising. From high earning potential & job security to the satisfaction of making a tangible difference in clients’ lives, the benefits are substantial. Hear from 2 teachers who have made that journey.

We are the only UK STEM franchise run exclusively by teachers and for teachers. As a premium education-focused brand, we consider the skills that teachers bring to be absolutely crucial in educating children. Learn more about Laura’s journey from teaching to setting up her own business.

There are so many important skills that I developed during my years of teaching which have gone on to support me with building my franchise business. I find myself meeting people, visiting new settings and communicating with a variety of age groups. It’s such a wonderful part of the job and I believe the communication skills developed from teaching have really supported me with this.

Making the jump from a guaranteed wage in teaching to working for yourself is scary and you do need to have a bit of a financial safety net to help you through the first months of building your business up but teaching has prepared you with so many skills. 

I’ve always wanted to own my own business and being part of a franchise, literally buying a business in a box provided me with the support from head office to succeed. I’ve only been in the franchise for 12 months and already I can see the potential growth my business financially and be able to work around my family working half my teaching hours!

Lisa made a decision to leave teaching and start her own business. Read about her journey from the classroom here. Lisa kindly offers tips and advice for any teacher wanting to follow the path to become a Virtual Assistant.

Lucy Martin knows all about what makes a great franchisee. The former high school French teacher is one of the highest earners at Language for Fun, having taken the leap to self-employment six years ago.

Embrace failure – the first time I started the business it failed. It turned out it was the best thing that could have happened. Don’t be afraid to fail – just learn from your mistakes and go again. 

I feel I have all the good bits of being a teacher e.g. interactions with children, sharing knowledge – and the excitement of discovering/learning something new – but I don’t have the constraints of the national curriculum, and the external pressures that teachers are under. 

Moving into the world of tech, I was apprehensive about my lack of technical skills and having no relevant qualifications in this specific field, but I was surprised by how much I was able to learn on the job and how much the experiences I had in teaching were helpful to my new role.

Teachers possess a multitude of superpowers that extend beyond the classroom. I genuinely believe they are the true rock stars, and I have immense admiration for everything they do. I am incredibly proud of being part of the education industry, and I will always be thankful that teaching paved the way for my career in the EdTech industry.

I still do supply teaching 2 days a week while I am growing the business. I am now able to take and pick up my children from school regularly and have the flexibility to use the time as I choose.

I really liked the idea of working for myself however having spent my entire life in education, the prospect of starting up a business was very daunting. Becoming a franchisee has provided me with what feels like a ‘hybrid’ solution.

Something I always ask myself when thinking about the future; if not now, when? Where do I see myself in 1 year’s time? 5 years time? Sometimes taking the leap is scary but the reward is so so worth it in the end.

I think teachers come with a lot of skills which help when setting up a business. In a way, we’re ‘selling’ all day; standing in front of students introducing them to new concepts and constantly summarising quite complex information!
Teachers juggling lots of things at once, which comes in handy when you need to do everything yourself when starting out.