Staff stories: Joel

Joel Kenyon, Head of Science, Dixons Croxteth Academy

We know our mission is ambitious and we know that to achieve it, we need the right people on our team.  

We actively seek out prospective members of Team Dixons who share our passion and dedication for challenging educational and social disadvantage in the North, and who have something additional to add to our pre-existing culture.  

In a recent interview, Joel Kenyon, Head of Science at Dixons Croxteth Academy, shared his extremely positive experience of being part of Team Dixons. “I would recommend working at Dixons to anyone. The purpose of education, in my opinion, is that everyone, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to succeed in whatever they wish. Be that going to university, or a real alternative. 

Here at Dixons, that is our aligning mission as a trust and when you have that at the heart of everything you do it means you know whatever decision is being made, is being made to ensure the absolute best outcomes for the students.” 

We recognise that teaching is as hard as it has ever been, and we know that retaining teachers remains a huge challenge across our sector. We want to retain and attract incredible, value aligned teachers, and our hard data shows us that our teachers can lead softer lives.  

At Dixons, we have been focusing on prioritising flexibility and the wellbeing of our teachers to support greater work life harmony. As a result, we launched our new flexible working plan which we are set to roll out in the upcoming academic year (24 / 25). Our plan includes working towards a nine-day fortnight for our teachers.  

We want to be bold in our approach. Our ambition is for teachers to be afforded the same flexibility that’s available in many other sectors, and now even expected in the post pandemic world. Given the nature of teaching, we know that the scale of this flexibility will not always match what others offer outside the sector, but making these changes will go a long way in making a difference.  

Joel spoke to us about the impact he believes our flexible working plans will have on him and his teaching colleagues. “Dixons are not afraid to implement changes to improve teacher’s workload, the retention of teachers and student outcomes.  

This academic year, Dixons launched a nine in ten fortnight across many of our academies.  

We are given a genuine day off in the fortnight to focus on ourselves. This is a large scale, creative and innovative idea from Dixons that is looking to ease the current and growing teacher recruitment and retention crisis.  

Personally, I believe that this will have a significant impact on my wellbeing and the wellbeing of my colleagues but will also ensure that teachers suffer less from burn out and increased stress. It also makes us feel valued as a member of Team Dixons.” 

In line with our deep commitment to self-determination, we want to give our teachers more agency over their roles by offering a flexible working plan that will give them time back. Find out more about how we’re making flexible working a reality for our teachers here. 

Our approach instils strong learning habits ultimately helping students become better qualified, more successful and happier. We have high expectations for our students, and they are supported to achieve these. We work hard to ensure that our academies maintain a highly professional environment. 

We asked Joel how he would describe the culture at Dixons, and he said, “The culture at Dixons is something that you can just feel. It’s not just words on a website, it’s part of who we are. We are highly professional. Conversations around the school are always focused on the needs of the students.” 

By fostering a culture of mutual respect and responsibility, focusing on learning and encouraging our students to have pride in their work and their professional conduct, we cultivate an environment where both teachers and students thrive. 

Joel shared his thoughts on what he believes can be some of the misconceptions about Dixons, and the way we run our academies. “A big misconception about working at Dixons is that we don’t always care about the students. There are often discussions about our high standards, and the way in which we implement them.  

But that’s not what it’s about, it is about creating a warm strict environment where the young people in our care can thrive. It’s true that we have rules and high expectations in place, but they are ultimately what enable students to succeed at university or a real alternative.” 

There is nothing more important to us than developing future leaders and value creators who make a difference to the lives of the young people in our care. We practice professional growth coaching, focused on personal and professional development as opposed to appraisals. We invest heavily into our talent and afford our people the training and opportunities to expand their skills. 

Joel spoke to us about the training and development opportunities available to him in his role, and he said, “as I am new to my role as a middle leader, I have been taking part in middle leader training programme. 

The programme has helped me with managing my time, my team and how best to work with them and advocate for them whilst ensuring we always maintain our high standards.” 

As we continue to champion change and progress within the education sector, we invite passionate and dedicated individuals to join us on our mission. If you’d like to find out more about what it’s like to be a part of Team Dixons, take a look at our interview with Joel, and view our current opportunities here.