David Ellis

• Passionate and Zestful about Life

I have a huge inner desire and energy to make a difference in the lives of young people The number one reason I love teaching so much is because it gives me the privilege each day of supporting and helping pupils grow in a myriad of ways This might be in their sporting abilities, in their knowledge and understanding, in the building of their character, in the way they deal with success or how they face challenges I am a great believer in ‘educating through the physical' ie using PE as an environment to teach and develop life skills, foster an awareness of what is important in life, how to develop good personal wellbeing, and how they can contribute in a thousand ways to help develop the wellbeing of others I think the learning environment that a teacher establishes is crucial to the quality of learning and so I also try to give my all in every lesson to establish an outstanding class culture This means promoting and inspiring the pupils through fun and enjoyment, establishing a relaxed, safe and caring climate, and giving just the right amount of support and challenge

• Experienced and Competent Teacher, Leader and Administrator

I have thirty years of experience as a PE teacher I was inspired to become a PE teacher by Bill McLaren, the former BBC rugby commentator, who was my PE teacher at school From an early age I always wanted to teach PE and I have never lost my love and zest for the job and the gratitude I have for my current livelihood, educating young people each day through sport

I believe I am highly competent at the nuts and bolts of a Head of Sport and PE position I am able to perform essential tasks to a very high standard through application of good organisational skills and an attitude of striving for continuous improvement and development Examples include financial budgeting, risk assessments, safeguarding (I am a former DSL), and the management of fixtures The latter is an aspect of the job that I feel is exceptionally important It is where parents from both the home and away schools are able to regularly witness and assess the quality of the school from their arrival to leaving after the match The whole fixture experience needs to be high quality and this requires collaboration between relevant staff but also the pupils and interested parents need to be given a voice and opportunities to contribute If done well, fixtures become a real beacon of the school's ethos and values in action

I really enjoy planning Long term, Medium term, and Short-term curriculum programmes as I recognise that children's learning requires careful, knowledgeable and thorough reflection to provide the foundation for the delivery of high quality and stimulating PE lessons

One of my strengths is being the lead organiser of major school events I have consistently taken on this role each year in my career These have included sports days, swim galas, inter school athletics competitions, charity events, and whole school house competitions I have learned that the following are essential for the success of these events: plan well in advance and hold regular meetings ;collaboration; delegation of tasks; improvement by doing a thorough evaluation post event and researching new ideas; and innovations by doing relevant research

• Team Player: Collaborator/Leader/Follower

I relish the opportunities where the PE/sports team and, on occasion the leadership team, engage in dialogue, share creative ideas and good practice, target set, review, make improvements to policies, and reflect on the current climate and culture of the PE department and the whole school I am conscious that these processes require me to take on differing roles - collaborator/leader/follower - and I have reflected on each of these over the years so as to continually improve my practice

• A Future Focused Educator

I am passionate about future focussed education initiatives and new education philosophies As Principal I had a vision to bring ‘Positive Education' to Brookes UK Positive Education focuses on teaching wellbeing and the specific skills that assist students to strengthen their relationships, build positive emotions, enhance personal resilience, promote mindfulness and encourage a healthy lifestyle We created a whole school strategy which encompassed: staff training; the employment of a positive education teacher to teach all our students aged 2-16; a focus on developing character strengths; and purchasing a ‘Positive Education Enhanced Curriculum package' from Geelong Grammar School in Australia which we launched in April 2020 I have also enhanced my teaching and professional practice a great deal from applying knowledge gained from ‘Integral Education' The focus and emphasis in Integral Education is not just information and skills acquisition but also self-development, triggered from within the child and supported and nourished by teachers and parents Every experience becomes a learning tool for the child in its growth I have also developed what I term ‘Awareness Education' which is based on lesson tasks where pupils use mindfulness as a tool to develop their awareness of a multitude of learning topics such as their amazing bodies (senses; cardiovascular system; food metabolism; etc); their innate capacity to care for and appreciate others in their class/team/school/family etc; and their environment in which they interact with each second My latest idea is ‘Nature Connection' education I have just started trialling this in my lessons and I am excited about its potential The idea is that we can learn so much wisdom from nature and the aim is to try to have my pupils learn this wisdom in an experiential way

As a professional rugby player, I was able to experience first-hand the impact of sport science and on how its concepts and knowledge can be used to improve sports performance My interest in sports science led me to undertake a Postgraduate Diploma in Coaching Studies and these two experiences have given me a passion for utilising sports science in my life As a teacher it has been a pleasure to pass on this knowledge to young people in an age appropriate way and to see many of them use the seed that I planted to enhance their enjoyment in sport as well as their level of performance I still keep in contact with some of my ex-students and we invariably discuss our memories of our PE lessons together and how they made a difference to them

• Aim - Exceptional and Inspirational Role Model

I believe that how I do things is actually more important than what I do Being an exceptional role model to pupils, staff and parents is therefore my highest aspiration as a teacher This is multi-faceted I endeavour to treat everyone the same no matter if they are the Head Teacher, a Year 9 pupil, a parent, or a member of the support staff I try to manifest the values and ethos of a school through my demeanour, my speech, and my actions I have spent much time over the past years reading and contemplating on developing my inner self and I practice meditation on a daily basis I also keep myself very fit physically so I have a really good level of wellbeing which I believe is crucial as it shines through in your interactions when you are engaged in teaching and learning I try my best to be caring, compassionate, empathetic and to always show concern for each pupil's wellbeing I put forming close relationships with everyone in a school community to be a top priority and also that every child is full of potential and goodness to make a positive difference to the world I think it's a teacher's role to help the children become aware of this, their 'true nature', and to realise that the positive differences they can make to the world don't have to be big because the small differences are just as important