Jonathan Crouch

Devon County Council, Pupil Referral Unit

Education

Jonathan received his BA Hons English from Aberystwyth University in 1997 and he finished his PGCE in 2002 so as to be able to work as a teacher. Subsequently he signed up for an MA in English at the University of Exeter. Today he works as a teacher in a pupil referral unit in Exeter where he is responsible for providing an outdoor programme.

Career Path

“The school initially took me on as a maths teacher, despite my expertise in English Literature. Initially that meant that I spent some time early in the mornings and after school attempting to stay two steps ahead of the brighter students.

By now I have got various qualifications in the outdoors to enable me to take groups out safely on Dartmoor and the water. Even though work at the PRU is demanding in that the children can be unpredictable, it is also highly rewarding when you make changes in a young person’s behaviour and hopefully give them a better chance in life.

The most exciting moment in my career was when I lead a group of highly motivated 16-18 year-olds in a source-to-sea descent of the river Spey.”

Why English and Creative Writing?

Jonathan deeply enjoys his job and the close interaction with young people in a non-mainstream school adds diversity to teaching. Studying English gave him the self-confidence to work in a flexible environment and be open for a number of avenues.