Welcome to the second instalment of Meet the Educator, our series introducing the inspiring individuals shaping tomorrow’s minds.

In this edition, we sat down with Sara Jackson, passionate Head of Media Studies at Ferndown Upper School. Sara shared her journey into teaching—deeply influenced by her English teacher—and her drive to help others. She also revealed why this blog’s author remains “literally the best pupil” she’s ever taught, embodying the spirit she champions in her classroom.

Read on for Sara’s thoughts on curriculum development, classroom technology, and empowering the next generation.

A teacher’s inspiration

Our interview began with a trip down memory lane to where it all started for Sara, as she fondly recalled the pivotal role her own teacher played in her journey:

“My English teacher was literally the most amazing person in the world, Mrs. Hayfield. I always loved reading, but she truly inspired me to love English. The way she taught was so inspiring that I realised that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to inspire others that way.”

And she certainly did.

Stepping into the story as the omniscient narrator and a former pupil of Sara’s, I can attest that she inspired me in exactly that way. As a young person disenchanted with school and its rigmarole, I made an effort to show up for Sara’s lessons—not just physically, but with genuine contributions too. The support, recognition, and understanding I received from Sara genuinely made the biggest difference to my academic journey. I can wholeheartedly say it’s what spurred me on to go to university and ultimately end up where I am today.

Keeping the curriculum relevant

Fast forward to 2025, and in her current role at Ferndown Upper School, Sara’s goal of wanting the best for her pupils continues, with one of her key objectives being to ensure her curriculum remains as relevant and engaging as possible.

“My goal is just making sure my curriculum’s right for the class that I’m teaching.”

“During lessons, we talk about AI and how that’s impacting the film industry, for example. We’ve explored how some actors are now including AI clauses in their contracts. So, essentially, a big goal is to always make sure that the curriculum is engaging and current.”

This is especially important at a time when schools across the UK are striving to maintain attainment levels.

Embracing technology and tackling challenges

Sara is realistic about the journey ahead; when asked what challenges she wants to tackle, she said:

“I mean, just challenging the current state of the world! There’s lots going on at the moment that’s going to impact the students, so trying to teach them more about that sort of stuff is really important.”

In exploring the challenging state of the world today, Sara teaches media both physically and digitally. She makes use of physical technology like DSLR cameras, microphones, and other production components, and then employs a variety of digital software to bring it all together.

“We’re mainly using the Adobe suite in school. So, Premiere Pro and Photoshop are our two biggest ones, and then Dreamweaver for web creation.”

“I’m constantly demonstrating how to use the tech to them because I use it all the time.”

“In recent years, AI tools and ChatGPT have proven to be highly effective for fostering inspiration. Exam boards now permit students to use AI for research purposes, provided they cite it properly and acknowledge its use on coursework forms. This acknowledgement that AI is available and will be used is paving the way for a more realistic and responsible approach to its integration into the future of education…”

And it’s this acknowledgement that AI is there, is available and will be used that is paving the way for a more realistic and responsible approach to its integration into the future of education.

Continuing down the theme of the future of education, when asked about what it holds, Sara came prepared.

“I wrote down one word… I just put tough!”

While acknowledging that education has always presented its difficulties, Sara elaborated on the multifaceted nature of these challenges. “You’re dealing with young people, and you’ve got this whole myriad of personal lives in front of you every hour, with different hopes and dreams and things that are going on at home and things that are not going on at home,” she explained.

“So I just think it’s always tough in terms of juggling the day-to-day life components.”

Beyond the individual student dynamics, Sara also highlighted broader systemic hurdles. “In terms of political elements, I think there are lots of changes happening in education because of a new government,” she noted. “I think the changes to the Ofsted criteria are going to bring with it a lot more difficulties. But then, will it be more difficult than the last one? I think Ofsted is always hard.”

The future of edtech: a hopeful outlook

Despite the acknowledged precarity of education’s future, Sara remains optimistic about its evolution, particularly in the realm of edtech over the next five years.

When asked where she sees the role of EdTech evolving, Sara expressed a desire for more supportive and affordable platforms.

 “I hope there’ll be more platforms to support teaching. There’ve been a few that have come out recently which have been really good,” she explained. “There’s something called Pupil Progress, which was developed by a couple of teachers, which has been awesome. It’s basically a data input platform that calculates grades but also shows you what questions students did best on their exams.” 

She highlighted the efficiency these tools bring: “We used to do that manually—someone good at Excel would sit there and make a spreadsheet, and now it does it all for you. So I’m hoping more tools and platforms like that to  support teaching that are affordable as well, would be really good!.”

As the author of this blog, I always thought Sara was a little magic, so to wrap up our time together I asked the million dollar question… 

If Sara could wave a magic wand…

Sara’s answer was immediate and unequivocal: funding. Her response highlighted the direct impact of inadequate funding on both teachers and students.

“Funding is dire,” she stated, explaining that even a recent, welcome pay rise wasn’t fully funded by the government. “That comes out of the school’s pot, and that means one less member of staff, which means more lessons on my timetable and less free time.”

Sara powerfully articulated how this lack of free time stifles creativity and engagement. “It’s the free time where you get to do the most creative and engaging stuff to engage the students, which then gets them into school. But, if you don’t have enough free time to do the engaging stuff, you’re then just constantly running underwater.”

She dreams of a simple yet profound change: “I would love just an extra hour a week which I could dedicate to ‘jazz up some lessons,’ or ‘make this really cool resource,’ or ‘get in contact with this person and get them to speak to my class.’ 

“Just an extra hour would make such a difference.” 

Sara Jackson’s dedication shines through every challenge she faces. Her candid insights reveal the resilience and passion driving educators today—adapting to new technologies, navigating limited funding, and meeting growing demands. Yet despite the tough realities, her unwavering commitment to her students and belief in supportive EdTech paint an inspiringly hopeful picture.

It’s clear that with educators like Sara at the helm, the future of learning, though challenging, remains incredibly bright and full of potential. We are incredibly grateful for teachers like Sara, who tirelessly shape the minds of tomorrow.

 If you know of any inspiring educators like Sara, please get in touch—we’d love to feature them in our series!