Nancy Ngei

 

Who are you?

My name is Nancy Ngei, a 32-year-old Kenyan educator who has been in the teaching service as a qualified teacher for over a decade.

I work as the Deputy Headteacher in charge of Administration and External Examinations at the High School section in Braeside Lavington School in Nairobi; serving over 1000 students and is part of the Braeburn Group of international schools with 11 campuses across East Africa. 

I owe this career growth to Best Practice Network (BPN) for equipping me with the knowledge, skills and mentorship to serve in this role as a young woman. I am a teacher of English and Literature with a passion for learning and talent development.

Why did you choose the NPQSL?

When Braeburn Schools announced the opening of applications for NPQs with BPN, it felt like an answered prayer.

The NPQ, an enriching qualification offered by BPN, presented limited but valuable opportunities. Determined to succeed, I committed myself to crafting an excellent application to secure admission.

"I knew NPQSL would provide the best platform. Of course, the name also sounded sweetly sophisticated!"

As an international educator and a member of the Braeburn Group, we interact with a diverse range of stakeholders spanning different backgrounds, cultures, races, abilities, and religions without discrimination with equality; and internationalism being key in our school ethos. At a leadership level, the responsibility is greater and appropriate expectations must be modelled for highest educational standards and outcomes. This inspired my desire to learn more about the intersection between creating a conducive school culture, and providing strategic direction in senior leadership.

I wanted to understand the nuances of building an inclusive institutional culture of trust where everyone feels valued and respected, and BPN made this learning so practical and accessible through their model of "learn how(knowledge)" & "learn how to" (skills) framework. This approach taught me key leadership behaviours and principles of public life, all in a bid to optimise student outcomes and to uphold the duty of care.

How did you find the learning experience?

The NPQSL course was very engaging; the VLE platform is accessible and user friendly and learning materials are interactive and of very high quality.

I particularly found the blended learning format very convenient for my schedule. The course engagement is very flexible and considers the fact that you are an employee hence its easy to juggle between studies and the demands of work as an international educator. The 18-month course never felt strenuous at any point, as it engages you with in-built breaks which are suitable for our busy schedules.

In fact, I took a parental leave for 3 months but continued with the course uninterrupted. My Leadership Development Coach, Sharon Hennam-Dale, was very supportive and offered coaching sessions which made the learning very friendly and accessible. I particularly enjoyed the Face-to-Face group coaching sessions and Face-to-Face individual coaching sessions with my Leadership Development Coach.

"As BPN provides a safe space through regular expert coaching, it was easy to be vulnerable and discuss with Sharon the challenges I was going through as a new middle leader. As a budding senior leader, she talked me through possible solutions to the dilemmas I was facing, which I implemented and can unequivocally say improved teaching, learning and behaviour standards in my school.

It was great to have lots of peer interaction in the course, the peer support greatly contributed to everyone’s success. We would collaborate ideas yet still independently develop individual reflections through the CATs, LDRs and SAT. We formed some close knit communities, connections and support groups, resulting in lasting friendships. These relationships have continued to enhance my journey, underscoring the importance of social capital in education"

Would you recommend Best Practice Network?

I would definitely recommend that educators consider NPQs because of the value it adds in one's approach to education and leadership.

The learning is fun, interactive and engaging and you stay updated with educational trends. I had go-to peers and supportive coaches who make you look forward to going to work and putting your learning into practice. I believe all leaders need to undertake the NPQSL course because there is so much reflection to be done for anyone who hasn’t, fostering metacognition and developing a growth mindset. I strongly recommend Best Practice Network for unmatched quality in their provision of NPQs!

I have recently been appointed a senior leader as deputy headteacher in my school but even if I did not get there, the knowledge and leadership experience NPQSL provides is far reaching beyond just the title. The knowledge and leadership experience gained from the NPQSL are invaluable and far-reaching. As a result, I am so grateful to my employer, Braeburn Schools, my Leadership Development Coach from BPN, my in house sponsor, my peer colleagues and Best Practice Network.

International Courses

If you would like to learn more about our international courses, see below for more details: