#IWD2022: Get to know...Shelley Brown our Director of Curriculum

“In the summer of 2020, I was given the incredible opportunity of being appointed as the Director of Curriculum for NSCG. As a senior manager, I work closely with managers, Assistant Directors and other members of the senior management team to contribute actively and flexibly to the overall strategic management and direction of the curriculum offer for the college group. Fundamentally, it is my role to ensure that the curriculum offer across all of the departments within both campuses are in line with a range of internal and external stakeholders needs, ultimately ensuring that the offer is effective, efficient and relevant.

“I joined the old Newcastle-under-Lyme College (NULC) in 2004 and it was my first ever job in Further Education (FE)! I joined as a full-time sports lecturer and quickly progressed into the role of Curriculum Leader and then Curriculum Manager for the Sport department. A few years later, I was promoted to Assistant Director of Vocational Studies and undertook this role until 2018, when I moved to a slightly different role of Assistant Director of Academic and Creative Studies, which gave me a real insight into a different type of exam based provision and creative based qualifications of study.

“Prior to all of this, I was born and bred in Talke, Stoke-on-Trent. I also spent some of my younger years living in Madeley and Kidsgrove. I still live within the local area to this day, so I’ve never ventured too far!

“I attended Sir John Offley CE (VC) Primary School in Madeley, before moving to Kinnersley Primary School in Kidsgrove, which is now a housing estate. After that, I went to Clough Hall High School, which is now Kidsgrove Academy, where I completed my GCSEs and A Levels. From there, I went on to study at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) where I studied a BSc in Sport & Exercise Science before completing a MSc in Sport & Exercise Science, followed by a teaching qualification which I completed in 2004.

“My first ever part-time job was when I was still at High School, at Chatwins Bakery. Back then, we had to serve our customers by just using mental calculation and at the age of 15, many customers often left with a smile on their face and more money in their back pocket after they’d been served by me! Working with cream cakes and fresh bread was also very dangerous – to this day, I still love a vanilla slice and a pork and apple pasty!

“Thinking about my current role and my FE career to-date, I’m really proud of my achievements and the amazing support I have received over the years from my colleagues. Everybody at NSCG works incredibly hard together and we have a ‘one team’ ethos that has led students leaving NSCG with the opportunities to set them up for success in their next steps. A positive culture is essential for me to feeling motivated and inspired at work and after 16 years here, I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else.

“Outside of work, I am a mum to three amazing children. They’re incredibly grounded and although they’re all very different (and all hard work!), they all have an incredibly strong work ethic which I believe is an essential foundation for achieving in live.

“Anyone that knows me would describe me as a ‘gym fanatic’! I am a regular member of a local gym where I balance my training around cardio, strength and power. I strongly believe that exercise and work productivity go hand in hand. For me, being productive and alert helps me get my job done faster and more effectively.”