Zoey Harris

Firefighter

Hagley works for me because I’m a volunteer firefighter, and there are times when I’m late or miss class for Fire Service duties. The teachers are always understanding and take it into account. At other schools there are no excuses for being late. If you’re late, you’re late. I often come to school tired too – when the alarm goes off during the night! – and the teachers work with that, and check in on me.

I struggled with Maths at my previous school but got pushed to the side because I wasn’t at the same level. Teaching there was more class-based, whereas here it’s more individual; the teachers care more about individual achievement, which helps me because I’m not good at asking for help when I get stuck. The teachers seem to genuinely care and notice when you’re not thriving and don’t give up on you – they dig deeper and push to see where you’re really at.