It鈥檚 a dream come true for any teacher to have a pupil go on to make a powerful impact on the world. For Zahida Hammond, that pupil 鈥 who sat in the front row of her Spanish classes 鈥渁bsorbing everything offered to her鈥 鈥 is likely to become education secretary after Labour鈥檚 election win today. Hammond reads from a handwritten school report (shared with her by Phillipson), she wrote 25-odd years ago about that 鈥渟hy鈥 teenager with long plaits, Bridget Phillipson. It described her as mature, hard-working and well organised. But 鈥渟he should take more opportunities to speak in class鈥. Hammond (who Phillipson refers to by her maiden name, Haq) was then a 鈥渧ery enthusiastic鈥 young teacher fresh out of training. She has since carved out a career turning around challenging schools. The pair share similarities. Both were raised in council houses in Washington, Sunderland, by single mums on stretched budgets. Hammond sees Phillipson鈥檚 success now as her 鈥済reatest accomplishment鈥. It gives her 鈥渉ope for the future of the profession鈥. Zahida Hammond Policy shaping Phillipson recently praised Hammond for showing her there was 鈥渘o ceiling鈥 on what she could achieve. A tearjerker video, in which Phillipson discusses her 鈥渂rilliant鈥 teacher who then makes a surprise appearance on the settee next to her, has featured in Labour campaigning and in , too. The pair met before that in 2021, shortly after Phillipson had taken on the shadow education secretary role. Phillipson sat for several hours with Hammond, drinking coffee in a drab motorway services pub and picking her brains over what needed to change in schools. Hammond advised her to focus on early years to narrow the disadvantage gap. Boost 鈥済ood quality鈥 careers guidance, and 鈥渂roaden the curriculum鈥. Provide 鈥渟upport for developing high-quality school leaders鈥. And reform an assessment system no longer fit for purpose. Whether by coincidence or design, those ideas appear to form the foundations of Labour鈥檚 education policies. Zahida Hammond and Bridget Phillipson in Labours video Headship 鈥榥ot compatible with family life鈥 Hammond 鈥渉opes鈥 she played a part. She understands all too well the pressures on headteachers鈥 shoulders right now. Hammond moved from headship in January into an executive school improvement lead role. She feels being a head is 鈥渘ot compatible with family life鈥. As a single mum with 18-year-old twins and a severely autistic son, 20, she regrets that for much of her career they鈥檝e 鈥渘ot had a present mum as much, for me to be the headteacher鈥. Working part-time gives her 鈥渕ore balance鈥 so she can 鈥渟tep back after many years being that maternal figure for schools, and be a mum at home鈥. She believes that headship is 鈥渙ne of the most pressured jobs out there鈥. But there 鈥渋sn’t enough onus being placed on trust leaders to provide that mental wellbeing support for heads, and to ensure there’s work-life balance鈥. Hammond鈥檚 mum, a nurse, was also compelled to work long hours when she was growing up 鈥 sometimes putting in 鈥100-hour weeks鈥. Hammond was born in London where her Pakistani father was studying, but when her parents split up, her mum (who had converted to Islam) moved them back to Washington. Their council estate was 鈥渃hallenging鈥. Hammond was forbidden from playing on the streets. As they had no car, her mum struck a deal with neighbour to teach Hammond the piano, in exchange for them using their garage. Hammond took A-levels at the same catholic school, St Robert of Newminster, where she later taught Phillipson. She went on to study languages at the University of Wolverhampton after a school exchange visit to Germany opened up a 鈥渢hirst for adventure鈥. She then worried her mum by spending her first year鈥檚 student loan on a flight to Pakistan to see her dad, who she鈥檇 met 鈥渁 handful of times鈥. Zahida Hammond in 1983 in her primary school netball team Boundless enthusiasm Hammond started playing rugby at university, much to her family鈥檚 disapproval. Her ex-coal miner grandfather believed sport was 鈥渇or people who hadn鈥檛 worked hard enough during the week鈥. But upon graduating and starting as a language teacher at St Robert of Newminster, she enthused her female pupils, including Phillipson, with her love of rugby. Phillipson joined the new team she formed. The politician recently recalled how playing rugby enabled her to 鈥渢ravel around the region鈥 and boosted her confidence. She continued playing while studying at Oxford. Hammond was a 鈥渧ery enthusiastic鈥 young teacher, seeking 鈥渢o change the world by getting everybody to travel and play sports and music. I believed if you had those things, you’d have had a well-rounded education and be able to manage your well-being鈥濃. Their school building was 鈥渟plit down the middle and falling over two or three ways鈥, so Hammond taught Phillipson in a temporary classroom at the back of a muddy field, with a small heater. But Hammond recalls fondly how in summer they made the most of the field setting, by playing games and singing in Spanish. After two years, she took a sabbatical to travel around countries including South Africa and Bangladesh. Meeting children who 鈥渨ould never learn to read and write鈥 honed her appreciation for England鈥檚 free education system. She then worked at St Edmund Campion (now Cardinal Hume) school in Gateshead, a 鈥渃haotic environment鈥 where 鈥渂ouncers鈥 were required for parents鈥 evenings 鈥渢o stop fights between families鈥. She became an advanced skills teacher, supporting others, and was appointed to help develop the primary languages curriculum as part of a government drive to promote languages. It was a time of 鈥渃reative thinking鈥 and 鈥渄iversification鈥 of curriculum and qualifications, which Hammond says 鈥渧anished overnight鈥 when the Conservatives came into power. In came a 鈥渙ne-size-fits-all agenda under a moral high ground of trying to push everyone through EBacc鈥, she added. Zahida Hammond n 2001 as a young yeacher 鈥楢ll pale and male鈥 In 2012, Hammond got a place on the Future Leaders programme, a national initiative developing leaders for challenging schools. Participants were sent to Chicago to observe 鈥渉igh performing鈥 charter schools, and 鈥減eople from all over the world were brought over to speak to us鈥. She concluded that some attitudes within the North East鈥檚 education system were 鈥渜uite insular鈥. She believed there was a need for people to be more aspirational for children. The programme鈥檚 cohorts were a 鈥渄iverse set鈥, while current multi-academy trust CEOs are, Hammond believes, 鈥渜uite alarmingly pale and male鈥. One of Phillipson鈥檚 education pledges is to introduce a new 鈥楨xcellence in Leadership鈥 programme to improve schools. Hammond undertook deputy head placements across the North East, then in 2016 became head of a 鈥渧ery disadvantaged鈥 Catholic school entering special measures, St Peter鈥檚 in Redcar, near Middlesbrough. Over three years, she invested heavily in music, the arts, sports and 鈥渉igh-quality careers advice鈥 as well as the core subjects. Hammond appointed a careers advisor whose reach extended to helping get excluded pupils back on track by focusing on their future ambitions. St Peter鈥檚 went from having 鈥渕aths results in the bottom 10% in the country to almost in line with national averages within one year鈥. It also became one of only a few schools scoring 100 per cent in all eight Gatsby career advice benchmarks. Before she left in 2019, St Peter鈥檚 moved to 鈥榬equires improvement鈥 with 鈥榞ood鈥 leadership. As a head, Hammond prioritised giving children 鈥渢he best literacy and oracy鈥 training, because 鈥渃hildren need to learn to speak the language that鈥檚 going to help them pass exams and get in at top tables鈥. 鈥淭hat parlance has to be taught in the way I taught Spanish.鈥 When drawing up school student councils, Hammond made sure those from disadvantaged families were supported and encouraged to apply. Once appointed, she brought in a public speaking expert to support them as 鈥渢hey鈥檇 be absolutely terrified about getting up on the stage鈥. Zahida Hammond in 1993 feeding pigeons while studying in Barcelona 鈥楽tick to your values鈥 Hammond moved onto a trust director of languages role and an interim headship, but became increasingly disillusioned with the standards agenda. Having an autistic son made her feel she might have more affinity with the special needs sector. In 2021 she became principal of Cambian Dilston College, an independent further education college and care home for those with complex autism, just as it was rated 鈥榠nadequate鈥. In her current position at the Laidlaw Schools Trust, she gets to harness her headship experience to support schools with complex challenges. Hammond says it鈥檚 鈥渘ever been harder鈥 to turn around such schools. But she said: 鈥淚t’s about schools having the right resources and being allowed to deliver the agenda they know is right for their communities, rather than feeling they鈥檝e got to try and fit a square peg into a round hole.鈥 Phillipson recently penned an op-ed warning that her former teacher鈥檚 equivalents today are leaving the classroom 鈥渋n droves鈥. Would Hammond be tempted to quit the profession now, if she were a languages teacher today? There鈥檚 a long pause. 鈥淚t’s really difficult鈥 if I were working in certain trusts with certain leaders, I鈥檇 be absolutely thriving. But I can understand why some teachers are beaten down quickly.鈥 She thinks some trusts have 鈥測oung leaders who skipped too quickly up to headship鈥 before serving their time in the classroom.. She adds: 鈥淭hey don’t then have empathy for teachers, and get burnt out quickly without that foundation of understanding.鈥 Her message to Phillipson is to 鈥渟tick with your values鈥. And, mindful of the short shelf life of most recent education secretaries, to 鈥渞emain in the job for long enough to have an impact鈥.