Cranford - Train To Teach - December 2017

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Bradley King Bradley is a Science Teacher, specialising in Biology, who joined Cranford Community College as a trainee in September 2016. Bradley has family who live locally and had heard of its reputation as an OFSTED Outstanding school and teacher training centre from several sources – this was evidence enough for him to change careers and move into teaching at Cranford. “Working at Cranford places you at the heart of a vibrant, diverse community. Cranford is a school which places the local community at the centre of everything it does, ensuring that all of its students are catered for and given every tool and opportunity they could possibly need to succeed in life. The experience I am gaining from working in such a forward-thinking and inclusive school has been extremely inspiring. Both the expertise of my colleagues at Cranford and their willingness to go the extra mile to support me in my training has been exemplary. Staff have been consistently friendly, approachable and motivating - traits which are crucial in developing and upholding the open and collective culture Cranford nurtures. As with any school, it is its students upon which it rests - and this could not be truer than at Cranford. All students are aware of the special role they play in the school community; a role which they live up to tremendously. Working with students at Cranford is as inspiring as it is rewarding - their work ethic and hunger to learn really rubs off on you. Training and development opportunities at Cranford are second to none. All staff at Cranford have access to three CPD sessions a week run by other staff members on a wide-ranging variety of topics. As a trainee, I am observed at least once a week by one of the extremely knowledgeable Teaching & Learning team, while also gaining useful insights into my teaching from weekly meetings with my mentor. The open culture and inspirational students at Cranford have given me the opportunity to feel confident and unrestrained in my training year at Cranford - they would definitely do the same for you too. It really is the ideal environment to train at, apply now”. Jade Weir Reid Jade joined us in September 2016 as a DT trainee teacher at Khalsa Secondary Academy under the Cranford School Alliance. Jade has already got involved in a wide range of events at the school including filming, editing and photographing Guru Nanak Gurpurab celebration and has brought her expertise and experience to the school. “I am really enjoying working at Khalsa. I feel like I have settled in very well, and I would wholeheartedly recommend working here. The fact that Khalsa is a new and small school makes settling in very easy. The staff are lovely, extremely supportive and are always willing to help. The students’ behaviour and attitude towards Seema Mehmi Seema is a Science Teacher who joined Cranford as a School Direct Trainee in September 2015. She was a former student at the school and was interested in undertaking her teacher training at the school. “I was interested in undertaking my teacher training at Cranford because I grew up in the local community and wanted to give back to that same community. I was aware of the supportive nature of the school from when I was a student, so I knew this would be no different during my time as a teacher. So far my experience has been very positive as my subject mentor has been exceptional in providing advice and guidance that will help aid my practice. I have had a pleasant experience working at Cranford due to the strong ethos of the school. The school is rich with culture and diversity, amongst both staff and students, and they support all their students regardless of their educational or cultural background. The school also has strong links with the community, where they are able to support the local community and provide opportunities for students to support their personal development. Alongside helping student development, the school offers in house CPD training to staff to help their professional development. learning is exemplary. They are always well mannered and a pleasure to teach. I am currently on my second six week placement at Cranford Community College until February half term. I have also settled in very well here and, as a large and busy school, it is providing a good contrast to Khalsa, allowing me to gain experience of a range of school environments. I like the fact that the school has been very flexible and have allowed me to teach my own DT projects. I am currently working on MP3 speaker design with Year 7s and a film project with Year 8s where students have to design their own typeface which links to Design and Technology. With Year 9s, I am working on a magazine design layout where I am teaching students how to use Adobe Photoshop. There is a huge amount of training available to all School Direct trainees and this takes place every week. I am being observed every week without fail for my full 50min lesson and feedback is delivered via face to face and email which is extremely important to me. This has had a very positive impact on my teaching and I really appreciate that I have time to reflect on and improve my practice”. Rache Burke The pupils are ea and the staff mem mediately felt par I have had an enj to the strong eth diversity; it has s extra-curricular a I chose the Schoo approach’ and I w ing the support o have both, and as has been exceptio link tutor regular There are so ma noon I have the teachers and N meetings and I am ment, even at th imagine a better and rewarding ca
l I chose the School Direct Programme as it provides a good balance between a practical and university setting. The structure of the programme allows you to learn the theory and then incorporate these ideas into your teaching practice the following week. Additionally, I teach a core subject therefore I was eligible for a training bursary, which made the scheme more attractive. At this point in my training year, I can see myself applying for an NQT position at Cranford because of the time and investment the school spends on its staff. The staff and students are friendly and work hard which makes teaching at Cranford so enjoyable”. Rachel is an English Teacher who joined Cranford as a School Direct trainee in September 2015. She has previously worked as a teaching assistant and was keen to undertake her teacher training at the school. “Cranford is an outstanding school with both hardworking staff and students. ger to learn and are supportive of each other, bers go above and beyond their duty. I imt of the department and school community. oyable experience working at Cranford due os of the school. The school has rich cultural trong links with the community and offers ctivities. l Direct Programme as I enjoy the’ hands-on anted to be immersed in a school, whilst havf a university. The programme allows you to such I always feel fully supported. My mentor nal in providing advice and guidance; and my ly checks my progress and provides feedback. ny opportunities here. Every Monday afterchance to collaborate with other trainee QTs during our professional development given responsibility within my own departis early stage of my career. I can’t place to have started a challenging reer”. Fay Pollitt Fay is currently at Berkeley Primary School as an NQT, having completed the School Direct programme in 2015. Berkeley is a partner in the Cranford Teaching School Alliance. As a former teaching assistant at the school, Fay was very keen to carry out her training at Berkeley and continue to contribute towards the children’s learning and progress. “The transition from teaching assistant to trainee teacher was seamless, my colleagues were so supportive of my new role and the children were very excited to have me in class full time. Berkeley is very well resourced and provides everything I need to ensure I am making good progress which reflects on the impact I am making towards the children’s learning. I feel that the course has highlighted my strengths and given me room to grow, I also am grateful for my mentor’s unconditional support for meeting targets and developing weaker areas of my teaching. I have grown in confidence and built a wonderful working relationship with my class, mutual respect is the most important factor to start your teaching career. I love going to the training centre each week, catching up with fellow trainees. The tutors are incredible and I am able to bring so much back to the classroom each week, sometimes I have a whole lesson planned from the ideas generated. Training on the job is definitely not for the faint hearted, it can get tough. However, knowing that there is always someone to turn to helps immensely. You are not alone”. Matt Nation- Tellery Before joining the Cranford team Matt lived in Ecuador where he worked at an NGO and then worked freelance as a translator and interpreter. He then came back home to London where he worked in various industries and applied to an advertisement for Cranford’s School Direct training programme. “I am really happy at Cranford Community College. I came through a School Direct programme and received great training throughout my PGCE year. During my NQT year I am still being given consistent feedback and training sessions but I have also been given the flexibility to try new ideas and adapt existing approaches. The Languages department is very open and friendly and they have made me feel really welcome. The rest of the school and management team is so well organised and systems are so firmly embedded that any concerns are dealt with effectively. Being supportive and helpful seems to be almost second nature to most staff here, who take pride in their work and firmly believe in the school. The approach from the staff is mirrored by the students who work hard and show tremendous respect for their environment. In the languages department we use a methodology which gets students up and out of their seats. They sing, dance, play games and act while learning new vocabulary and grammatical structures. This helps them communicate spontaneously and remember new language successfully and have fun in the process. The school’s facilities include a dance studio, a boxing gym, musical instruments and recording equipment, astro turf, huge fields with rugby and football pitches and a sports dome to name a few. These are used for extra-curricular clubs and for ‘WFactor’, which is the last period on a Wednesday when the whole school takes part in activities such as pottery, orienteering, first aid, badminton, urban dance and many more. Students and teachers alike love ‘WFactor’ as it gives everyone a chance to unwind in the middle of what can be a busy week. If you are thinking of a career in teaching I would thoroughly recommend training at Cranford. I feel fully part of the team and look forward to expanding my personal and professional skill set even further here”.
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Cranford - Train To Teach - December 2017

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