Howzat for staff training?!

Karen Hussain of Essex Cricket visits Barking & Dagenham College for staff training session

Barking & Dagenham College was delighted to welcome Karen Hussain from Essex Cricket, who delivered a specialist cricket coaching session to staff in the College’s sports department.

Karen, who is the Teacher Training Co-ordinator at Essex Cricket, is married to former England cricket captain Nasser Hussain. Nasser enjoyed an outstanding international career, representing England between 1989 and 2004. When he was just eight years old, he was selected to play for the Essex Under-11s, and by 12 had become the youngest person to play for the Essex Under-15s. He went on to captain the England cricket team from 1999 to 2003, achieving a highest Test score of 207 against Australia in 1997 at Edgbaston. Many regard him as one of the most successful and influential England captains of all time.

Karen brought her own wealth of experience and knowledge to the College, delivering a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) cricket session for sports staff in the College’s sports hall. The session formed part of the College’s ongoing commitment to developing staff expertise and enhancing the quality of sports delivery across all programmes and enrichment activities.

During the interactive session, Karen guided the team through a range of practical cricket drills, demonstrating effective coaching techniques and offering constructive feedback. Her focus was on building confidence, developing game understanding, and creating engaging, inclusive sessions suitable for students of all abilities.

Dean Cutting, Curriculum Manager for Sports Academies and Employability, commented:

“We are honoured that Karen visited Barking & Dagenham College. This CPD opportunity allows our sports team to benefit directly from her expertise, and through that, to enhance our students’ and external partners’ cricketing skills and enthusiasm.”

Staff members who took part in the session expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to learn from a seasoned professional.

David Elliot, Sports Leisure Centre staff, said:

“It was invaluable to have someone of Karen’s experience guiding us — her drills and feedback will really help us raise the quality of coaching we deliver across college during our enrichment sessions.”

Ikram Chowdhury, Sports Tutor, added:

“I particularly appreciated how Karen broke down technical skills in ways that staff at all levels could understand and apply in our curriculum.”

The College plans to continue building partnerships with professional sports organisations like Essex Cricket to create further opportunities for both staff development and student engagement.