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Dixons Academies Trust

Staff profile: Aroosa Mustafa, Dixons Trinity Academy

Posted 14th October 2024

At Dixons Academies Trust, we believe culture eats strategy for breakfast and we believe the best organisations are those that are values driven with a clear vision.

We are proud of our strong culture, and the sense of belonging we work hard to create and maintain for our staff teams and our students. Our workforce is made up of individuals each with their own identity, and we want to create a culture where there is a sense of belonging and togetherness and where everyone can be their authentic selves at work. At Dixons, everyone has the right to the same sense of belonging and human connection, no matter their background. 

In a recent interview, Aroosa Mustafa, Head of Computing and IT, Dixons Trinity Academy, shared her extremely positive experience of being part of team Dixons. “I absolutely love working at Dixons. It’s such a warm environment, and staff and students have so much respect for each other. Dixons has such a positive culture with a real family feel.”

Our academies are highly professional environments, and our approach instils strong learning habits into our students which ultimately help them to become better qualified, more successful and happier. By fostering a culture of mutual respect and responsibility, focusing on learning and encouraging our students to have pride in their work and their professional conduct, we cultivate an environment where both teachers and students thrive.

We asked Aroosa what she loved most about her role, and she said, “I love being part of the team at Dixons and working with children and staff from other academies across our trust. I like sharing expertise and building knowledge through speaking and liaising with other staff members, and I’m part of the culture team which I really enjoy as its enabled me to develop strong relationships with students.”

Aroosa also spoke to us about her hybrid role, and how she feels that there are lots of opportunities for flexibility and progression at Dixons. “There are lots of professional and personal development opportunities and we take part in regular coaching sessions with our line managers, which help us develop our practice. There is a great support network here, and we share education-based content through our Dixons OpenSource channel, which can help individuals develop and progress with their career.”

There is nothing more important to us than developing future leaders and value creators who make a difference to the lives of the young people in our care. We practice professional growth coaching, focused on personal and professional development as opposed to appraisals. We invest heavily into our talent and afford our people the training and opportunities to expand their skills. We know that culture is one of the things employees value most in a workplace; that's why we place huge emphasis on cultivating a culture that is inclusive and fair. 

Aroosa talked to us about her experience as an Asian woman and how she feels she is a role model within her community. “I am very proud to be from Bradford, and to teach the students here at Dixons Trinity Academy in Bradford. I would say I am a role model within the Asian community and for female students. I encourage them to feel that they can explore a career in computing and IT.” 

Across our trust, we have an incredibly diverse workforce and student population, with over 2/3 of students and 1/3 of staff coming from black and Asian ethnic minority backgrounds. Research shows that having teachers from a range of diverse background leads to better student outcomes. It is pivotal that students can see themselves represented in the education system. 

Since our interview with Aroosa, we have launched our innovative flexible working campaign which aims to give all teachers at Dixons a nine-day fortnight, starting in the new academic year. We want to retain and attract passionate, committed and like-minded teaching professionals, and we acknowledge that change is needed within the education sector as it is essential that we have a well skilled and well looked after workforce. We understand that attracting and retaining talented educators is paramount to our success. 

In line with our deep commitment to self-determination, we want to give our teachers more agency over their roles by offering a flexible working plan that will give them time back. Find out more about how we’re making flexible working a reality for our teachers here.

As we continue to champion change and progress within the education sector, we invite passionate and dedicated individuals to join us on our mission. If you’d like to find out more about what it’s like to be a part of Team Dixons, take a look at our interview with Aroosa, and view our current opportunities here.