Gail Beaumont, hospital teacher at Sheffield Children’s Hospital
*Gail with one of her patients, Florence
Q: Tell us about your career so far?
A: I came to work at Sheffield Children’s Hospital 30 years ago, to be the teacher on the oncology and haematology ward. I’ve been here ever since and have never wanted to work anywhere else. I’m part of a wider and fantastic team at Becton School, part of Nexus Multi-Academy Trust. We’re a hospital school with three separate provisions, one of which is Sheffield Children’s Hospital. It’s a privilege to work with the amazing young people and families that I’m lucky enough to meet in my job. They teach me so much about resilience and courage, and I think I have the best job in the world!
Q: Tell us about your role in supporting young people with cancer and their families?
A: My primary role is to help young people continue with their education, and to support them in transitioning back into school when that time comes. It’s very important that school is delivered in a way that’s fun and accessible, so I try to make lessons as imaginative and interactive as I can. The teaching support that our students receive is bespoke to their needs and usually one-to-one, so I can target specific areas that a student needs extra help with.
I think it’s very important to listen to the children and their families about what it is they want and need in terms of education. My job’s to support them in whichever way removes any worries or anxiety they might have around school and education. This could be by following a formal educational pathway, or it might be by offering enrichment activities, or sometimes, it might simply be the opportunity to talk.
Q: What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
A: Every day is rewarding! It’s a rare thing, I think, to have a job where every day you can maybe make someone’s day a little bit better. The most rewarding times are those small moments where you see pride in a piece of work completed, or excitement from a young person that it’s time for school. It’s always wonderful when you hear from students a few years on from treatment and see they’re out there in the world doing ‘their thing’, having known the courageous journey that got them there.
My job is to support them in whichever way removes any worries or anxiety that they might have around school and education.
*The Becton School teaching team dressed up for World Book Day
Q: What does your job mean to you?
A: After all the years I’ve worked with our oncology and haematology patients at Sheffield Children’s Hospital I’ve never lost sight of how privileged I am to do the work I do. I’m overwhelmed every day by the bravery and resilience of our young people and their families, and it’s humbling to be allowed into their lives at what is such a difficult time.
Q: Do you have a message for children with cancer and their families?
A: There are no rules about what you should or shouldn’t do or feel. You should do whatever works for you to help you through – don’t put any pressures or expectations on yourself. It’s okay to feel however you feel, and it’s important to tell people how you really feel. Reach out for all the support and love that is around you. Remember that people really want to help – accept and embrace the strength that you can draw from other people.
From Contact magazine issue 103 | Summer 2024
