Rachel Hyatt swaps her old classroom seat for the teacher’s chair, fifteen years into her career

YORK, UK — Carr Junior School in Acomb has a new teacher this term, and for Rachel Hyatt, the corridors could not feel more familiar. Rachel, who has fifteen years of teaching experience, has joined the staff team at the very school where she herself once sat as a pupil.

Rachel’s connection to Carr runs deeper than most. She attended Carr Infants before moving up to Carr Junior School, following in the footsteps of her father and siblings, who were also pupils there. Now, years later, she has returned through the staffroom door rather than the school gate.

“When the job opportunity at Carr came up, I couldn’t say no. It feels like I’ve come full circle,” Hyatt said. “I’ve such fond memories of my time here as a pupil, and it’s so nice coming back. I want to give back to the school that gave me so much and inspire the next generation. My daughter is a pupil at Woodthorpe Primary School, also part of the Excel Learning Trust, so it’s lovely to be working within the same family of schools.”

Carr Junior School, part of Excel Learning Trust, has built its reputation on being a close-knit, community-minded school where pupils are encouraged to aim high and shine bright. Rachel’s appointment is a reminder of just how long that community’s roots run, with former pupils now returning to shape the next generation in the same classrooms where they once learned.

“There is something rather special about welcoming Rachel back to Carr, not as a pupil this time but as a colleague,” said Laura Winston, Head of School at Carr Junior School. “She brings fifteen years of teaching experience and a real understanding of what makes this school the place it is, because she grew up here herself. Our staff and children are delighted to have her as part of the Carr family.”

Rachel has already settled into her new classroom and is looking forward to a first full year back at the school that shaped her own education.