In today's 'A Conversation With...', we chatted with Mrs Linsey Armstrong-Smith - our Examinations Officer. Mrs Armstrong-Smith has been working at the College since the end of April and in this feature, we find out about more about her role - especially in a busy exam season - as well her time working abroad in Abu Dhabi!
What is your role at Shiplake and how long have you been working here?
I'm the Examinations Officer here at Shiplake College and I have only been working here since the end of April - straight into exam season!
What were you doing before working at the College?
I've been working in education for over 20 years. Most of those years have been in exams, but my last role before coming to Shiplake was working with the pastoral and boarding team at a school in Ascot - I thought I wanted to move away from exams, but they have a strange way of drawing you back in! I missed the structure of an Exams Department and so I was really delighted to be offered the job here at Shiplake.
What inspired you to pursue a career/role in education?
I was looking for a part-time job when my daughter was about 11 and I started in the Admissions Department at her school. I moved full-time to exams to help out while the Exams Officer was sick and, when she gave up working a few months later, took over the role. The rest, as they say, is history!
What is a day in the life like for Ms Armstrong-Smith?
Very busy at the moment! We (the Exams Department) set up the rooms, sort out the papers, make sure everyone gets to the right room on time, start the exams, finish them, package the papers up, send them off, repeat all of that for afternoon exams, and then get ready to start all over again the following day! It sounds simplistic but things can, and sometimes do, go wrong (although hopefully not that often!). I always use the analogy that running exams is a bit like running a marathon - not many people see the months of work that go into preparing for an exam series - they just see the end product!
Outside of the summer term exams, there are ad hoc papers, mocks, and a huge amount of prep for the next year. I love routine, so it's the perfect job for me!
You've previously worked abroad in Abu Dhabi - what were you doing and how did you find the experience of living and working abroad?
I was the Exams Officer at a British School there for over five years. It was a fabulous place to work – the is city so diverse with different nationalities and cultures. It also helped that we had sunny weather for 360 days a year (although the days are way too hot in the summer when it gets to almost 50 degrees Celsius!). It was great to be able to experience life there as a worker/expat - it's very different to the tourist's perspective! My daughter is a teacher there now, so I get to go back at least once a year and catch up with friends.
What does the future hold for you?
Oh goodness at the moment I can't think further than which exams are happening the next day! But I do hope to have many more exam seasons at Shiplake - it's a lovely place to work and I feel like I've been here for much longer than just five weeks!
What do you do outside of work?
I'm a qualified personal trainer so exercise is a huge part of my life - I run, cycle, and swim -but only when the water is warm - and do as many body pump, spin and bounce classes as I can fit in. I'm also a massive F1 fan and, for my sins (especially the last couple of years), follow Chelsea FC. I also enjoy pottering around my garden when the sun finally comes out in the UK.