Spotlight on… Sarah Patten
Head of Marketing and Communications
- At the age of 16 where did you see yourself in 5 years?
I honestly thought I would be a Police Officer. In secondary school my work experience week in Year 10 was at the local Police Station, which was very interesting and helped me to make my decision that policing was for me. - And where were you at the age of 21?
I was managing a Bakery which involved payroll, ordering and working out costings for produce. I even knew how doughnuts were made… most important of course! I programmed the first till to total the sale of individual products which led to all the other bakeries in the chain doing the same thing. I went to other shops to train staff and programme tills. I soon realised I loved data and how powerful it was to help with planning, it took the guess work out of ordering and staffing and I was grateful for the automation of a cumbersome task. - How did you get into your current role?
After completing my PGCE in Secondary ICT and a year of teaching, I decided teaching was not for me! After almost 20 years in education and marketing the role came up and was a good fit. The role has grown with the needs of the school. - What’s the thing you love most about your job?
It always feels that there is something new around the corner. Marketing is a fast-paced environment and if you couple that with working in a school, it really is double trouble at times. The ethos of the school helps shape how we market and with pupils here from 9 months up to 18 years there is always a great story to tell. - If you could give one piece of career advice to aspiring marketers, what would it be?
Never apologise for asking questions, if you don’t understand something, keep going until you find an answer that you do understand. It’s a great career with many specialisms, you will never be bored. Share your ideas and keep sharing them, create your successes. - In another life, your career would have been…
A marine biologist, with a specialism in sharks! With 500 species there is so much to learn about these amazing fish. They need protecting now more than ever.
This or That?
- Tea or coffee? Coffee
- Twitter or Facebook? Facebook/Insta
- Netflix or Amazon Prime? Netflix
- Physical book or Kindle? Book
- Chocolate or crisps? Crisps
- Dog or cat? Ahhhhh… cat
- Beach or poolside? Beach
- Big party or dinner party? Depends on the guests but big party – love to dance
- Run or walk? Walk
- Pop or rock? Pop