Sarah Catchpole, head of leadership recruitment at Hourglass, shares her best insider advice for senior leadership candidates. First things first: Spend some time dusting off your CV and tweaking it for the particular roles you’re interested in. You can afford to go to three or four pages as you make sure it’s 100% up to date, with laser-sharp focus on leadership roles. Bear in mind that the first half page is what is going to hook your reader in. It’s useful to begin with a profile – your ‘elev...

There’s a rumour that Cambridgeshire can get a bit nippy in the winter months. It’s said that there’s nothing to stop the wind blowing in from Siberia. Whether that’s true or not, Cambridgeshire definitely has its wild side. When the Romans were roaming the fens, it was a remote and inaccessible region. The tufts of solid ground rising above shallow water provided a mysterious habitat well suited to willo-the-wisps with their dancing lights and the dead hand which would emerge from the water and...

Sarah Catchpole is Head of Leadership Recruitment at Hourglass – it’s a role which utilises a skill set she has been developing throughout her career in education recruitment and as a search consultant. Enticed into recruitment by way of the maritime industry and being surrounded by a family made up of education leaders, it comes as no surprise that Sarah is heading up this important area for Hourglass. Sarah - what does this role mean to you? Hourglass Leadership came about as the result of co...

It’s World Mental Health Awareness week, and this year’s theme is anxiety. Lots of things can lead to feelings of anxiety, including pressures in work and personal life and the whole range of life events. The rising cost of living has also added to daily stress as people worry about not being able to meet their basic needs. It’s easy to feel powerless when anxiety starts to take hold, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are three really simple things you can do to reduce stress: First, at t...

It seems like no time at all since we launched the first edition of Chapters, and we’re delighted to be back with edition two. For people who spend so much of their time talking to teachers and deep-diving into the issues of the day, it’s exciting to be able to ‘put pen to paper’ and to share our ideas about freshening up with you.  We hope you find it useful.

We're always interested in how we can help ECTs, trainee teachers and their specific requirements. We've put together a set of resources with ECTs in mind. Use the links below to find out more: Success in 2023 Writing the perfect CV Finding the right ECT school Climbing the ECT framework ECT wellbeing Your finances Managing behaviour Whether you're a trainee teacher, someone with more experience, or a school with vacancies to fill, contact Hourglass to see how we can hel...

It’s no secret that we’re living through strange times. The pandemic rampaged through life as we knew it and even though we’re trying our hardest to ‘get back to normal’ it seems like some things may never be the same. As education recruiters, we’ve watched from the side-lines as teachers carried a particularly heavy load. They’ve been holding schools together, trying to give everyone the best outcomes possible – whether in the classroom, remotely, or a combination of the two. It has been no eas...

We are proud of the relationships we build with the education professionals we work with – whether candidates or clients. Our aim is to take a proactive approach in partnership with schools, and a long term view of our candidates’ careers. Fundamentally, we’re a tight-knit team, committed to doing a good job and enjoying the time we spend at work. Our relationship with Pertemps means that we offer an abundance of benefits and a great salary. Our employees also benefit from an award-winning incen...

London has to be a foodie’s dream! Being the capital of England there is so much food to try that there’s bound to be something for everyone. Savour delicious traditional dishes, from a simple Tesco’s £3 meal deal for to a classic ‘Fish & Chips’ on a Friday evening, and not forgetting to save room for a classic roast dinner in a traditional English pub on a Sunday. Food markets in London are a must. There are so many, and you can literally find food from all over the world. Start in Camden f...