Perseverance Pays Off for PC Craig Sadler
When Craig Sadler came to Northease Manor School at the start of year 10 of his schooling, he was not a happy person.
Craig, through no fault of his own, was forced to leave Pilgrims School in Seaford when the school closed down. He was not just dyslexic, but also suffered severely from eczema (a chronic skin condition) and asthma.
He was very reluctant to leave previous friends and the familiar environment of his previous school, although he had not had much support for his dyslexia there.
In the early days at Northease, Craig would be the first to admit that he was stubborn, and would frequently be unwilling to try unfamiliar tasks - especially if it meant using computers!
However, despite all his difficulties, and the many forms of medication that were part of his daily intake, Craig had a dream - he desperately wanted to be a policeman.
As time went by, he settled in well at Northease, and as he entered year 11 his attitude had completely changed. He now showed great determination and persevered with things that he once would have thought of as impossible to achieve. Teachers were impressed by his attitude and progress.
Craig left Northease after his GCSE exams in June 1999. At his careers interview, prior to leaving, he had been advised to have a back-up plan, because it was considered very unlikely that he would be able to get into the Police Force.
Nevertheless, the dream lived on! First, Craig got a part-time job at Tesco and soon joined a Further Education course - BTec 1st Diploma in Public Services. He passed this course with a Merit in summer 2000.
When Craig Sadler came to Northease Manor School at the start of year 10 of his schooling, he was not a happy person.
Craig, through no fault of his own, was forced to leave Pilgrims School in Seaford when the school closed down. He was not just dyslexic, but also suffered severely from eczema (a chronic skin condition) and asthma.
He was very reluctant to leave previous friends and the familiar environment of his previous school, although he had not had much support for his dyslexia there.
In the early days at Northease, Craig would be the first to admit that he was stubborn, and would frequently be unwilling to try unfamiliar tasks -
However, despite all his difficulties, and the many forms of medication that were part of his daily intake, Craig had a dream -
As time went by, he settled in well at Northease, and as he entered year 11 his attitude had completely changed. He now showed great determination and persevered with things that he once would have thought of as impossible to achieve. Teachers were impressed by his attitude and progress.
Craig left Northease after his GCSE exams in June 1999. At his careers interview, prior to leaving, he had been advised to have a back-
Nevertheless, the dream lived on! First, Craig got a part-
At this stage he still belonged to the Police Cadets, and he returned to Tesco to take up a post as a Security Officer. He also did a GNVQ 1st Diploma -
Just one year after completing his college course in June 2001, Craig succeeded in convincing a panel of three -
For Craig, this was his ultimate goal. He joined the four-
At the age of 19, Craig now earns a very impressive salary, and has achieved his main ambition in being able to pursue his first choice of career. "It is even better than I dreamed of," he said.
Life has taken a turn very much for the better. He now has his own flat in Enfield, and is a PC in Kingston. Craig is engaged to be married and looks forward to a happy future.
Recently, Craig came back to Northease to share with staff and pupils how his life had changed since leaving. His story was a great inspiration for all those who were privileged to hear it.
Craig Sadler
