What is your role at Blackheath High School? 

I am a Physical Education teacher and Head of PSHE and wellbeing.  

How long have you been teaching for?  

I’ve been teaching for nine years, five of them at Blackheath High. My first role was in Hertfordshire, where, at just 22, I found myself teaching Sixth Formers - only a few years younger than me, which was both challenging and exciting! After stints in China and New Zealand, I returned to the UK during the pandemic and then joined Blackheath High. 

Where did you study and what did you study?   

I’ve always known I wanted to be a PE teacher, so I chose a four-year degree at Bedfordshire University, which combined an honours degree with QTS. I've recently finished my Master's degree at Buckinghamshire New University. I’m excited to receive my final grade before Christmas and then I’ll graduate in February 2026.  

How did you know that teaching was the profession for you?  

It was when I was at school and realised I couldn’t imagine a life where I wasn’t doing PE every day. In fact, my Headteacher wrote in my school report “Michaela will be a really good PE teacher one day.” So, I think that stuck with me from a young age. 

Why Blackheath High School? What sets the school apart from other schools? 

As soon as I came to Blackheath High, I knew I wanted to be here. I love how everyone - staff, students, families - can just be themselves. Everyone is encouraged to be an individual and that's what makes us all get on so well.  

From a career perspective, I know I can think of a new initiative and the response will be ‘how’  rather than ‘if’. It won’t be ‘no’, it will be ‘let’s try it’. For both my career and my passion for wellbeing, it's the perfect place to be.  

What kind of leader are you?  

As Head of PSHE, I oversee wellbeing across the school and harnessing the skills of an experienced team around me. As part of my Master's degree, I really gravitated towards the idea of ‘servant leadership’, a method where you put others before yourself, focusing on building the team and putting their wellbeing, morale and motivation first. I like helping others to achieve. 

Who are your role models? 

I love to read or hear about people who overcome challenges or set themselves a target or a goal. These are just a few people who really inspire me: 

• Scott Jurek: American ultramarathoner, author, and public speaker. Widely regarded as one of the most dominant ultramarathon runners in the world, Jurek has set numerous records and inspired countless athletes with his endurance and determination 

• María Lorena Ramírez: an ultra-marathon runner who runs in sandals! She will walk a marathon distance to get to the start of the race and then run the marathon in her sandals and walk back home 

• Nemonte Nenquimo: author of ‘We Will Not Be Saved by’ with her American partner Mitch Anderson. Nemonte’s story traces her journey from a childhood in a remote Waorani village in the heart of the Ecuadorian rainforest to her rise as a globally recognised environmental activist, honoured in 2020 as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. It is a truly inspirational story of an empowered female activist, fighting for her village and to save their indigenous culture 

But also my family. My mum and my stepdad have always encouraged me, driving me to lots of fixtures and athletics when I was younger. And my amazing sister, a mum of four who just has so much strength and resilience. 

Can you give us some fun facts about yourself? 

I once camped overnight on the Great Wall of China. We hiked up in the day and then everyone just set their tents up for the night. I only had a sleeping bag and my tent though, I forgot the roll mat, so I was freezing! 

I am also a qualified yoga teacher – I trained in New Zealand and I have a qualification in cacao ceremony. Organic cacao is full of nutrients and it's really good for your body physically - some people believe it is a heart medicine and that it can release negative energy and make you feel grounded, so the whole ceremony is quite spiritual.