Paul Jones — Newham Sixth Form College

Curriculum Manager for Creative Media, Art & Design and Performing Arts

On work-life:

“Before joining NewVIc, I was a primary school teacher and spent some time as a freelance creative producer, organising and running live music and film awards events, art exhibitions and workshops. I still organise exhibitions with local artists and live music events with local bands as well as performing myself. I have also released my own original music.
Before becoming a Curriculum Manager at NewVIc, I taught as a full time teacher on all the Media courses helping develop the curriculum. Now, I mainly teach Level 3 Media, specialising in moving images. I am passionate about planning and facilitating projects that help students to learn and develop transferable skills that will prepare them for working life - from combining hard and soft skills, such as the practical art of filmmaking, using equipment and software effectively to creating high-level productions, to critical thinking, collaboration and problem solving. I have always found it amazing that all these skills and many more can be developed through moving image projects.
My work involves teaching and facilitating projects such as analysing, planning and creating TV adverts, TV dramas, music videos, documentaries, short films and scene re-creations. With the scene-recreation project, I use a range of some of my favourite award winning directors’ films as examples to motivate and inspire students. Students then analyse specific scenes I have hand-picked from their films, detailing the narrative, camerawork techniques and mise en scène elements of each scene, before choosing which scene to recreate with their group, as accurately as possible. I challenge students to plan and organise themselves, take on different roles and responsibilities and work as a team to achieve their goal.
At the end of the project there is a screening of each of the scenes and students vote for the most accurate and professional scene, and the winning group is awarded a prize. It is great to see them taking pride in, enjoying their learning, and growing in confidence as they present their work to their peers.
The opportunity to engage with outside organisations and professional arts and media companies is also an exciting part of my role. Bringing in industry professionals as guest speakers to deliver workshops at NewVIc helps enrich our curriculum, it motivates students and gives them a chance to develop specific industry skills.
A huge highlight for me whilst working at NewVIc was attending the premiere of the BT Sports Takeover project last year at Here East. I watched a TV show that our students had produced and edited as part of a 12-week work experience project I helped organise. The show was very professional and aired nationally. It was a very proud teacher moment for me, celebrating our students’ hard work and achievements together with their families and friends.”

“Bringing in industry professionals to deliver workshops at NewVIc helps enrich our curriculum. It inspires and motivates students and enables them to develop specific industry skills.”

On the most inspiring person you have met:

“The most inspiring person for me would have to be my grandad. Sadly, he is not with us anymore but his work ethic and attitude towards fairness and equality has been very motivating and inspiring throughout my life. He was always very encouraging and supportive with my sporting and creative endeavours. He was a hardworking, positive, kind and resilient man and well respected in his community. I try to take a leaf out of his book and make sure I’m making a positive change within my community.”

On your teaching career:

“Before working at NewVIc, I studied Fine Art at Liverpool John Moores University. I went onto work for Liverpool City Council delivering art workshops and as a teaching assistant in a primary school, before moving to London and obtaining a PGCE at University of East London University.
I taught at primary schools for a few years as a KS2 class teacher, progressing to Arts Coordinator, before becoming an art, music and media specialist. During this time I began to develop and facilitate successful cross-curricular arts projects with students. One project in particular took my students and me to the BBC to be congratulated on national TV by Sir Lenny Henry for raising money for charity through selling artwork and performing songs at art markets around London!
After teaching at primary schools, I set up a community organisation, Flat50 Arts and London Youth Film Awards where I spent a few years as a freelance creative producer organising and hosting live music events, art exhibitions and educational film awards events around London. I delivered art workshops and life drawing classes for adults in various venues across London.”

Paul performing at one of many events around London with Flat50 Arts.

When did you start working at NewVIc?

“I first started working at NewVIc as a freelance filmmaker supporting business students with creating promotional videos for their business ideas using a green screen. This led me to deliver another project at NewVIc, as I was the junior captain of my golf club and played for Wales when I was younger, I ended up teaching golf to some of the business students at NewVIc, leading up to students playing a full round and creating a short documentary about their progress. The success of these projects led to a member of NewVIc staff recommending I apply for the full time media teacher role that was being advertised at the time. I applied and was successful in my application. After three years of being a full time teacher I was promoted to Curriculum Team Leader for consistently delivering at a high level, supporting students achieve and receiving outstanding lesson observation feedback and appraisals. The following year I was then appointed to my current role of Curriculum Manager for Media, Art & Design and Performing Arts.
The Creative Arts departments are all amazing and I feel very privileged to be a part of this team. We have some amazing, specialist teachers with industry experience who are a joy to work with. Newham and the students are very diverse; there can be a different challenge every day which I really enjoy as no day is ever the same. The students are also passionate about their subject, which always helps!
I have enjoyed my five years at NewVIc so far and look forward to meeting more great students over the next few years and supporting them to achieve their goals!”

On the benefits of the Creative Arts:

“Creative Arts brings out a lot in people, obviously it can help with your health both mentally and physically. It can also help with confidence, teamwork, social skills and communication. Students experience and develop creative skills that they may never have had a chance to and as a department, we like to encourage and take students out of their comfort zones. This helps not just with lessons and life at the college but makes students more comfortable in their day-to-day lives.
Many of our students are successful in their progression onto their next steps, and achieve well, as well as developing invaluable skills for the creative industries and life. I am proud of the consistent high pass rates in the creative areas. Our students successfully secure university placements and apprenticeships and some of our students are offered work placements based on the work experience they undertake through the various creative companies and organisations we work with such as the BBC and BT Sports.”