Marwood Church of England Infant School has an outstanding reputation, offering a caring, nurturing environment for its pupils. This, coupled with the fact that the local authority supports and develops its teachers, makes it a privilege to apply for this post. My initial priority when working with a class is to establish a positive learning environment. Tasks that I have devised range from a farm role play area to den building. All have been planned to build relationships, create a ‘can do’ culture of experimentation, resilience and peer support. Through these, I encourage enquiry and collaboration, where successes and mistakes aid progress and achievement. To initiate new themes, I develop engaging introductory activities. For example, to support poetry based on the picture book ‘Commotion in the Ocean’, I created an activity where children could interact in a ‘touch and feel’ area with real fish to develop …show more content…
I have developed individualised sensory programmes to make learning accessible. This means the tasks I devise may be very visual for EAL children, or kinaesthetic for those with sensory needs. Visual timetables are essential for children with attention deficit or in need of structure. My planning has allowed higher ability children to investigate topics in greater depth and with increased independence. I believe children should have control over their learning and I have worked with pupils to express their own views. For instance, I produced a film with SEN children to allow them to share their own interests: they dressed up as their favourite character and performed their own scene. This was then followed up with a very moving ‘Oscar’ awards ceremony. I have created flexible, fun but purposeful activities. For example, hot seating from ‘The Tiger who came to Tea’ and ‘crime scenes’ in a simulated burglary mystery. These provided rich opportunities for writing and speaking and