What do you like about working in the Learning Skills department? The variety! I love working with children and teachers across the whole school. One minute I can be in Reception supporting a child’s literacy skills and the next be supporting a Year 8 child with Common Entrance preparation.
What did you find tricky when you were at school? Spelling – spell-check is a life-saver!
Do you have a top tip for learning? Make up a mnemonic to learn a tricky spelling. I still think of ‘i to the end will be your friend’ when I spell the word ‘friend’.
Do you have a funny or memorable moment from your time in the LS department? My name (Miss DW) can be a challenge for some of our younger children to remember – I’ve been called ‘Miss BMW’ and ‘Miss Double D’!!
What do you like doing in your free time? Spending time with my family – I have three children – and our lovely cocker spaniel, Tilly; reading a good book or watching a good box set; catching up with friends and family over a glass of good wine!
What is your role at Pinewood? I am an LS teacher half the week, and a Lower School teacher the other half of the week. I also volunteer to go on residentials and take part in things like the inter-house cross country and the recent marathon, as I love seeing the children doing different things and facing different challenges, away from the classroom.
What do you like about working in the Learning Skills department? I love doing 1:1s with children as we have lots of opportunities to have fun and laugh! I also enjoy getting to know children really well, as LS teachers usually teach children for a number of years – sometimes I might teach someone for 6 years, from Year 3 all the way to Year 8. Not many teachers teach the same child for that amount of time! The other LS teachers are also really good fun which makes working together so lovely!
What did you find tricky when you were at school? Reading. I could read well but I always had to read things more than once to actually absorb/understand what I had read! This is still the case today…
Do you have a top tip for learning? Take your time, learning is not a race – we all get there in the end!
Do you have a funny or memorable moment from your time in the LS department? The move into the Hoyland was incredible. Our offices are so spacious, light, smart, colourful and they have lovely views, not that we spend much time gazing out of the window. It is so lovely to be in the heart of the school, much closer to the children and their learning!
What do you like doing in your free time? Spending time with my family, walking the dog, running, anything outdoors really.
What is your role at Pinewood? Learning Support Assistant/ELSA and Lower School Higher Level Teaching Assistant.
What do you like about working in the Learning Skills department? I enjoy the variety working in the LS team. I’m very lucky that I am able to work with a wide range of children, both in the Prep and Pre-Prep. I particularly enjoy working with children to develop their confidence and self-esteem and to show them they can do anything they set their mind to. I have recently taken on the role as an ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) which is very exciting and I can’t wait to get started.
What did you find tricky when you were at school? Organising my kit and belongings! (I still seem to leave coffee cups and water bottles around the school now!).
Do you have a top tip for learning? Be mindful that everybody learns differently. When you are revising create a comfortable work environment with few distractions and have regular breaks. Do your best, and above all be kind to yourself.
Do you have a funny or memorable moment from your time in the LS department? One of the loveliest moments was seeing the new LS rooms in The Hoyland for the first time. They are so bright and spacious. I feel very privileged to work with such a brilliant team in such a fantastic work environment.
What is your role at Pinewood? I am an LS teacher, I also teach English & Humanities to Year 4 & Year 6 and I’m a Year 4 form tutor.
What do you like about working in the Learning Skills department? I love our team and our lovely new department upstairs in The Hoyland!
What did you find tricky when you were at school? I think the hardest thing was having an older sister who was good at everything, so, in my head, I was never as good as her. I wish I had had the confidence just to be me. I discovered, much later, that the world needs all types of people!
Do you have a top tip for learning? When I am working with children I try to listen to what they are saying, because often they work and think in a different way to me. Never let anyone else tell you how to learn something – think about how YOU enjoy doing things and, chances are, you will have identified YOUR best way of learning!
Do you have a funny or memorable moment from your time in the LS department? A long time ago I taught a wonderful girl, called Daisy, all the way through to Year 8, who was so dyslexic, but who also worked so hard to compensate. She always used to make me laugh because she would say: “No, Mrs Price, I’ve tried that and it doesn’t work for me!” She taught me so much about maintaining good humour in the face of adversity and the importance of pragmatic openness and honesty. I still use her attitude to life as a benchmark for my own actions.
What do you like doing in your free time? I love to read, go exploring with my family and our dog, and I absolutely love going to live theatre.
What is your role at Pinewood? Learning Skills Teacher
What do you like about working in the Learning Skills department? I like working with children across all age groups. Thinking creatively about ways of helping children in different settings and stages of their learning journey is equally challenging and rewarding. Getting to know children in smaller groups or in 1:1 sessions is wonderful for building strong relationships and making an impact on their progress. The Pre-Prep is always full of fun and spending time there is a highlight of my week!
What did you find tricky when you were at school? I found Maths tricky at school, especially as I got older. I worked hard at it and had some good teachers to support me in this that made a world of difference.
Do you have a top tip for learning? If you’re having trouble with your spelling, use mnemonics to help you remember the word. These are little ditties that use the letters of your word to create a memorable poem. The one I remember is for the word BECAUSE: Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants.
Do you have a funny or memorable moment from your time in the LS department? One of the most memorable moments for me was seeing the new Hoyland building for the first time and being in the LS Department within the building. It is warm and welcoming to everyone and I felt a part of the LS team from the beginning.
What do you like doing in your free time? I am a keen reader and love going to the theatre to see a musical. I love going walking and exploring with my dog in the countryside. I also enjoy travelling to new countries and experiencing different cultures.