I have had a long association with Abinger Common School, first as a parent, then as a Special Needs Assistant and finally as Class Teacher for the Owls Class. 

When the children first come into the Owls Class they have already settled into school life but much of their learning has been through play.  It is my job to introduce them gradually to a more structured curriculum and a more formal learning environment.  Being such a small friendly school, the children are familiar with all teachers and classrooms well before they move on, so the transition is achieved smoothly and with the minimum of fuss! Play is still an important learning tool and so we have a role play area in the classroom linked to a topic which the children use during our weekly ‘choose’ time. 

Children’s reading abilities develop rapidly in Year One and my teaching assistants and I have in place a well structured programme in order to maximise their reading potential.  This involves hearing them read once a week and assessing their progress regularly so that we can move them through the book bands which are linked to the National Curriculum levels.  Consequently, they enjoy great success!

When planning all areas of the curriculum, it is important to be creative not just in the arts but in the sciences too.  Children learn in different ways but a hands-on approach at this age is particularly beneficial for their understanding.  For example we plan and carry out investigations in Science and Maths such as deciding which light source would be best to help Small Bear go to sleep or comparing and choosing cups for the Three Bears at a party.

My special interests are History and Geography and as subject co-ordinator for these I have developed an exciting curriculum which takes advantage of the rich variety of local resources such as the oldest known dwelling site in Europe and a fine example of a Motte and Bailey castle.