Portsmouth raises the flag for teachers as Love to Teach Week begins
A flag-raising ceremony was held outside the Civic Offices on Monday 6 October 2025 to mark the national opening of teacher training applications and launch Love to Teach Week in Portsmouth.
Organised by Teach Portsmouth, a Portsmouth City Council service dedicated to recruiting and retaining education professionals, the week celebrates the teaching profession and encourages people to consider a career in education.
The event saw the Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Abdul Kadir, raise a branded Teach Portsmouth flag in a symbolic gesture to honour teachers and promote the profession.
Early career teachers and school representatives attended to share their personal journeys into teaching, including Ashley Arnell from Penbridge School and Kayley Knight from Admiral Lord Nelson School.
Ashley began his career as a teaching assistant apprentice at Penbridge School in 2018. Reflecting on his journey, Ashley said:
“My story starts at Penbridge School when I was a pupil. I was always surrounded by positive role models and saw how teachers supported my learning. When an opportunity came up to return to the school as an apprentice teaching assistant, I jumped at the chance.
“After completing my apprenticeship, I was promoted to a higher-level teaching assistant where I taught classes. This reaffirmed my love for the profession. I attended the University of Chichester part-time for four years while working at the school, then completed a teacher degree apprenticeship to gain qualified teacher status.
“I’ll be completing my apprenticeship this October. The experience has been great, and I hope to remain at the school for years to come.”
The teacher degree apprenticeship route was developed to upskill existing school staff. For those not currently working in education, university or school-based routes into teaching are also available.
Kayley Knight, a teacher at Admiral Lord Nelson School, discovered her passion for English during her GCSEs. She said:
“My love for learning began during school when I was studying for my GCSEs. There was something about the English language that inspired me to consider teaching it.
“It wasn’t until after university that I started putting this into practice. I volunteered with young people on youth programmes and privately tutored those who needed support.
“This helped me build experience that strengthened my teacher training application. I applied to the University of Portsmouth and was successful, completing my PGCE. I’ve always loved working with young people and helping them succeed. Teaching gives me the chance to do that every day. It’s a career that challenges you but also gives so much in return.”
To help people explore their teacher training options, Teach Portsmouth is hosting a webinar on Wednesday 15 October 2025 from 5pm – 6pm on Zoom.
Love to Teach: Routes into Training, hosted by James Doherty, principal at UTC Portsmouth, will feature local training providers and early career teachers sharing insights into their routes into teaching.
Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions during the session. For more information and to sign up, visit: www.teachportsmouth.co.uk/webinar.
