Viki Arnold

Maternity cover role in the final half term of the 2024-25 academic year, taking over a Year 5 class with challenging behaviour and a variety of additional needs. Moved with the class up to Year 6 to provide them with a secure foundation to see them through their SATS year. In this role I have:

• Established a culture of mutual respect by being clear, calm and consistent in adhering to the school's behaviour policy.
• Created a positive learning environment using positive praise and a house point reward system to encourage collective responsibility and a teamworking ethic in the classroom
• Recorded a consistent improvement in data for Maths and English for the class across the school year
• Provided appropriate scaffolding for learning to support a wide variety of learning needs including ADHD, autism, developmental delay and dyslexia
• Established good relationships with parents when communicating about their children's learning and behaviour at school
• Applied new strategies learned from CPD and staff training, such as emotions coaching
• Collaborated with colleagues to share the planning of creative and well-structured lessons to enable progress
• Identified specific gaps in learning and been pro-active in tackling these - for example establishing an after school times table club
• Contributed to the wider school environment by running an after school chess club
• Planned daily retrieval practice activities for the year group to maximise learning opportunities from the start of the school day.
• Led educational visits outside school to maximise student's engagement with the curriculum
• Supported students to develop their potential and resilience whilst attending a residential visit

· Taught a variety of year groups across the curriculum from Year 2 to Year 6

· Used pupil voice to establish a shared sense of responsibility and a team ethos in the classroom

· Established a ‘growth mindset' culture in the classroom to foster resilience

· Successfully implemented the school behaviour policy, using positive praise and rewards and recognition of all progress, however small the step.

· Planned well-structured lessons with year group teams, including appropriate scaffolds for children with additional needs

· Led Maths using the Teaching for Mastery approach in a school of over 600 pupils, providing staff training and individual support to teachers and adapting the curriculum to incorporate Mastering Number in both KS1 and KS2

· Led a Maths ‘deep dive' across the school during the school's most recent Ofsted inspection

· Adapted and changed my teaching according to the latest CPD, recognising that teaching practice and pupil needs are constantly evolving

· Used retrieval practice as an integral part of lesson planning

· Supported pupils with a wide variety of additional needs including autism, speech and language difficulties, ADHD and a range of SEMH needs

· Communicated effectively with parents regarding expectations, behaviour and progress of their child