Genevieve McSorley

Malvern PS

www.malvernprimary.org.uk

Subject or Primary School Year: Principal

Place of Birth: Belfast

Where you studied: QUB and University of East London 

What was your first job? Sales assistant in a record shop

What did your first job teach you? It taught me the importance of building relationships in the workplace and that leadership is different from being the ‘boss’.

Family/Status: Married with one nineteen-year-old daughter.

Best advice you would give to someone thinking of a teaching career: Be absolutely sure you are aware of the commitment involved. Be ready to be flexible, creative and most of all, non-judgemental at all times.

Genevieve has been principal of Malvern Primary School for nearly seven years having previously worked with the Education Authority. While with the EA she advised and supported schools with newcomer pupils on language acquisition before moving to the Traveller Education team where she worked alongside both families and schools. 
She spent the first ten years of her teaching career in East London after completing my PGCE there. She worked across most age groups and coordinated Literacy at two schools. The extensive cultural and language diversity was a joy and a privilege to experience. 

Since returning to Northern Ireland she also taught in the integrated sector and as an EAL peripatetic teacher across Belfast. Throughout her career the same three key principles have always remained at the top of her priority list: The need to be non-judgemental, to have the highest expectations and to respect each child’s uniqueness. 
It’s exciting to have the opportunity as a principal to help shape the direction of travel for a school while developing and nurturing skills and talents, she says. Best of all is to see the pupils flourish and grow into positive contributors to their community.