Ben Hobbis

Primary Education with Qualified Teacher Status BA (Hons)

Ben was already working when someone told him he would make a good teacher. They were right. Ben is now a curriculum leader and founder of the Step Up Network, which supports teachers to become leaders in education. The network has been named in the Social Enterprises Top 100 list . 

“I’d always had an avid interest in education, but after completing my A-Levels, I think I felt quite burnt out from the amount of studying and extracurricular activity I had completed. I was working part-time in a local supermarket and ended up becoming full time and being promoted several times.

In one of the stores I was in, I worked alongside someone who was training to be a primary school teacher. She noticed the skill I had for explaining and the patience I had with others and suggested I go into teaching. From there, I did some work experience and fell in love with it. As they say, the rest is history.

At secondary school, I got a D in GCSE science. It was always something that held me back. So, I enrolled on an Access to Higher Education course, re-sat my science GCSE, and completed an equivalency test. I also arranged some more work experience – which ended up being the school I would later work in – before I started at university.

It was very clear for me; I wanted to go to a local university, so as a teacher I could work in local schools. I went on open days to several universities in and around Birmingham. What struck me at BCU was that while it is a huge university, I didn't feel like a number, even at an open day. This is one of the reasons I decided BCU was the place for me.

Another reason was the course structure. We had the opportunity to experience every primary subject, every year and had a subject specialism option for all subjects. This was often not the case for many other universities – and something that set BCU apart.

I also loved the variety of the sessions, formats, and topics. It made me really reflect on my practice and ethos of education.

Each year, we completed a placement. In the first year of university, we were in school from November to May. Many other universities offering the three-year BA model for Primary Education would not send you out on placement until the summer term. Ultimately, I was doing the course to go on to work in a primary school, so the earlier placement was a bonus for me.

In my first year, I had a placement at a city centre school in Coventry teaching Year 3, which was then followed by two placements in the same school in a Warwickshire village, teaching Year 2 and then Year 5 in my final year.

I had always said that I wanted three separate school placements. However, when I was on my second placement the pandemic hit and it had to be cut short. I wanted to go back to the school as I felt like I hadn’t finished my work there.

Despite the impact of the pandemic, I loved the placements I had in that school. The support from the staff, particularly the headteacher, Michele, and their team, made it a fantastic experience. We still keep in touch today, which is amazing!

Now in my fourth year of teaching, I’m in my second school. Both schools I have taught in are BCU partner schools – previously a small primary school in Erdington, North Birmingham, and currently a large school in Solihull with nearly 700 children. I have led various aspects of the school since early on, including personal development, humanities and safeguarding.

I’m the curriculum leader – supporting 15 subject leaders with their personal development and that of their subject. I work with our senior leadership team to respond to national priorities including in response to our recent Ofsted inspection. I also oversee coaching and our Skills Builder accreditation.

I feel so privileged to have such a key position so early in my career. I’ve had the pleasure of mentoring two BCU associate teachers and have given a talk at the university for third-year students.

I usually get into school around 7.30am. I log-on and make sure that I have all the resources ready for the day, before the children arrive at 8. 40am.Usually, the morning will consist of maths, reading, English, and assembly, followed by science and the foundation subjects in the afternoon. I love the variety that you get to teach. The children leave at 3.10pm. That leaves me time to ensure all marking is up to date and resources are ready for the next day.

Other things that happen in a school include PPA (planning, preparation and assessment) time, staff meetings, leadership roles, and break duty.

Alongside this, I’m also the Founder and Chair of the Step Up Network, a community interest company and social enterprise supporting educators with their leadership development. I manage the organisation's strategy and our team to provide the very best for our community and for the profession. I enjoy travelling every couple of months to a different city in England to deliver a Step Up event.

Teaching is very hard work and there have been times where I've thought I can't do it. Training at BCU really tests your resilience and I think this is something that I take forward. I used to get stressed over how many sales of baked beans we'd made in the store. Now I’m dealing with the lives of children. That’s much more important.

My advice to anyone considering studying at BCU is do it. Explore the university on an open day, speak to the lecturers, and apply!

I always knew I wanted to give back to the university and the wider profession. That’s why I founded Step Up and volunteer to mentor BCU students. I’m also very ambitious and hope to move into a senior leadership position in the next two years.

When Step Up was named in the top 100 social enterprises in NatWest's and the Pioneer Post's SE100 2024 list, this was an incredibly proud moment for me. I've learnt a lot from Step Up that I take into my job.

It is interesting how your views change. When I joined education, I was adamant I wanted to be a headteacher. I still do, but not as much. There are so many other fantastic paths you can take across your career. I’m particularly interested in professional development and supporting teachers and school leaders to be the best they can be. I'd love to be able to combine my passions for education, learning and development, and travel together one day!

My advice to fellow BCU students is to take time for you. Those three years at university go so quickly. At all points in your life, ensure that you are prioritising you and the things that bring you joy.

To me, ‘I AM BCU’ means being proud of the education I have received, the city as a whole, and the service of giving back to the Brummie community.”