My name is Patrick Cummings. Currently I have the privilege of being Headteacher of Dayspring Academy in Kitwe, Zambia.

I have worked for most of my adult life in education after graduating from Manchester University in the mid-1980s, with an Honours degree in French and Spanish.

I started teaching in Greater Manchester, then in 1997 (with my wife, Michelle) I crossed the Pennines for promotion in a school near Sheffield.

I worked in three schools near Sheffield, receiving promotion in each and finally working for a period of 11 years as Headteacher in two of these schools.

Along the way I picked up a number of further qualifications, including a Post-Graduate Certficate in Education (PGCE), a Certificate in Management, a Masters Degree in Linguistics and French (from Salford University) and the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH).

My present voluntary role in Zambia poses new (and unexpected) challenges on a regular basis. However, without exaggeration I can confirm that the rewards are immense.