Casey Bailey
"Bring back Bailey" - How a former rebel became a leader in education.
Casey Bailey’s story is one of transformation. Today, he’s an Assistant Head Teacher and an acclaimed poet, but his own school days weren’t straightforward.
“I often say that I haven’t worked at a school that wouldn’t have kicked me out as a student,” said Casey, who admits his behaviour wasn’t perfect, and in a different setting, things could have turned out very differently.
“Lots of kids I went to school with ended up getting permanently excluded, and I was saved by the fact that while my behaviour wasn’t great, there were other people whose behaviour was worse,” he said.
For a teacher making such an impact on the world of education, it’s hard to imagine Casey wasn’t an A-grade pupil from the start. But it was the difficulty he had with some of his own educators that spurred him into the classroom.
“Me wanting to be a teacher was born out of really good teachers, and really bad ones,” he said. “There were some I loved, but there were some who just quit on me and failed me.”
One of the toughest moments for Casey during his school days came in Year 10, when a breakdown in a teacher relationship changed everything.
“My English teacher really didn’t like me,” said Casey. “I loved reading. I enjoyed writing music, mainly lyrics, but I enjoyed writing anything. It was never about the lesson, only ever about the teacher.”
He went on: “I got banned from English, so I wasn’t allowed to have an English lesson in year 11.”
That experience stayed with him and now drives his approach in the classroom.
“Teachers make and break people, and you can choose which one you want to be.”
University was where everything changed. Casey arrived at Worcester to study Physical Education with no clear plan, but soon discovered a passion that would define his future.
“I came to Worcester not really knowing what I’d do after university,” said Casey. “It was at Worcester that I really got this passion for what you can do in that learning environment.”
Once he embraced the challenge, he threw himself into every opportunity to lead and inspire.
“I coached the ladies football team; I came home every weekend and coached an under-12 football team up until they were under-19s.”
Looking back, Casey credits Worcester with sparking his love for education and leadership.
“It was at the University of Worcester that I developed a real love for the power of just leading in that way. Educating, teaching, being responsible for shaping some of the thoughts and understanding of other people. I’m forever indebted to Worcester for it.”
From those beginnings, Casey’s rise through the teaching profession was nothing short of meteoric.
“After leaving university I took a job which was maternity cover. As we got to the end of that year, the students started a petition they called ‘Bring Back Bailey’, and there were more than 100 signatures of kids begging the school not to let me go.”
“The head called me in and said that he was very impressed this had happened. Some of the students who had signed the petition certainly weren’t the students who’d usually go out of their way to say they like their teacher!”
That moment marked the start of a journey into pastoral care and leadership.
“They kept me on as a positive behaviour co-ordinator, and that led to be becoming an assistant pastoral leader, then assistant head of Year 11 and I became an assistant head at 27 years old.”
Ask Casey what underpins his success, and his answer is simple: “For me, it’s all about relationships, I always try my best to find out what makes students tick and to deal with them on a level as humans.”
It’s the human connection that makes the job priceless for him: “I love what I do, and I love teaching. You can’t put a monetary value on the email you get from a parent saying ‘my kid has struggled in school for five years and nobody has understood them, but you seem to know how to make it work for them’”
Alongside his work in education, Casey has built a reputation as one of the UK’s most compelling spoken word poets, including holding the post of Poet Laureate for Birmingham. But despite his success and the opportunities that come with his writing, teaching remains his anchor.
“I’ll stay in teaching for as long as I possibly can, and I’ll keep on writing my poetry.”
Casey’s relationship with schools has gone from teachers wanting him gone, to pupils demanding he stay. Today, he’s found the perfect middle ground, where he gets to be himself while inspiring and motivating the next generation.
To read more about Casey Bailey, visit his website.
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