Director of Studies and Programme Director for Oxbridge & Medical School Preparation – Inga Morrissey
Inga read TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and Educational Psychology at Belarus State Pedagogical University before completing CELTA, and DELTA qualifications in the UK. She also holds a Master’s in International Leadership and Cultures from Anglia Ruskin University. Inga joined the college as Director of Studies in 2014.
Before joining MPW (Mander Portman Woodward)
Before MPW, I worked as a product manager at CIE (Cambridge Assessment International Education), working on a project for Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS) and GCSE language qualifications. I have also worked at CATS Cambridge as Head of Modern Foreign Languages, also teaching Russian and English as a second language.
What is your role at MPW?
As a Director of Studies, I have several responsibilities, including being Head of Department for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and a Personal Tutor.
I am also a Programme Director for Oxbridge and Medical School Preparation where I look after our provision for these two competitive progression routes. I am incredibly happy with the progress we have made at school so far, and it is great to see our student numbers for the Medical and Oxbridge programmes grow. It is always a privilege to work with friendly, talented, and academically driven students! I have also set up Oxbridge Summer School to support more students around the world with their ambitious plans; our programme will start this August and be fully online.
In addition, I oversee our enrichment provision at school, and I feel there is always so much to develop. We have evolved nicely over the last few years now offering over ten various extra-curricular and academic enrichment activities ranging from Model United Nations to creative writing; I am sure we will not stop there! The best thing about enrichment is that I can be as creative as I wish. We are lucky to have energetic and inspiring members of staff who help deliver a variety of enrichment activities at school.
I always enjoy setting up and supporting my international colleagues with different MPW events and webinars, where I get a chance to talk about MPW Cambridge to prospective students and parents. I have also organised several summer programmes, including English preparation courses and subject-specific or bespoke programmes for our international agents.
Why teaching and why MPW?
It is the energy and buzz that I get from students (and teachers!). I enjoy working with students making sure that each gets the most out of the lesson – I love seeing how students improve throughout the year and take away something positive and useful when they leave the class.
I really like the diversity of my role, teaching English and improving the department, discussing academic progress with individual tutees, planning enrichment, and running various co-curricular projects.
I like being in a classroom tutoring brilliant students and then meeting with tutees to support them with both academic progress and general well-being, making sure that they stay positive and motivated and find a unique approach for each student. I get to see what a difference I make to the life of each student and how they grow… then they get their results in August and it is the best feeling in the world.
Tell us about you
My number one job outside of MPW is being a mum. On a good week, you will find me on the tennis courts two to three times a week, preparing for some local doubles competitions. I am also a keen gardener, and there is always so much inspiration in Cambridge Botanical Gardens which I enjoy visiting.
Any tips for international students looking to study in the UK
The advice I would give is to believe in yourself – everything is achievable if you are ready to work for it.
When you come to MPW Cambridge, we will help you to develop and grow, and if you do have the drive to achieve certain goals then we will support you in every way we can because this is what we do. There are students who might have been told that they cannot do something or that they lack abilities hence it is impossible to achieve more. Some, for example, might have been told that investing their future in art-related fields would not bring them any success. My advice to such students is to trust yourself that you can do things and start with that. Also, if you make a mistake, it is okay, you need to learn to accept consequences and move on. It is all about having the right attitude to your studies and to your life!