Rachel

I am an enthusiastic, committed teacher with initiative, an endless supply of patience, and a genuine passion for teaching and learning. I firmly believe that every student is capable of achieving their potential, given the right support, and my years of classroom experience mean I am adept at changing my approach to meet the needs of individual students.
I have loved studying English my whole life, and have been an avid reader since childhood; I gain enormous pleasure discovering new worlds, ideas and experiences in my own reading and am dedicated to sharing this enthusiasm and passion with the students I teach.

Willing to travel: Home Only

Experience: I am a fully qualified Secondary English teacher, with 12 years of classroom experience, teaching in several schools that were graded as `Outstanding` in all aspects during inspection, as well as schools serving more disadvantaged socio-economic areas. I graduated with a PGCE with QTS in Secondary English with Drama from Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2008, and moved straight into a full time teaching role. At the end of my first year, I was employed by WJEC as an examiner in GCSE English Literature; I now have 12 years` experience in this additional role, marking GCSE exams twice yearly, which has provided me with a detailed knowledge of the texts studied and an in-depth understanding of how students are assessed at this level.

I have taught English Language and English Literature at GCSE, as well as both English Literature, and English Language & Literature at A Level, covering AQA and WJEC specifications at both levels. I have a wealth of experience in teaching students across the whole spectrum of ability, including students who went on to study at some of the top universities in Britain, as well as students with a wide range of additional learning needs. My track record of results across key stages 3 - 5 is excellent, with the overwhelming majority of students achieving or exceeding their target grades. I was consistently graded as ‘outstanding’ in lesson observations, and was also involved in the delivery of the `Outstanding Teacher Programme` run by one of my schools, whereby teachers from the local authority were sent to observe lessons and discuss pedagogical issues with teachers involved in the delivery of the programme.

In addition to my time as a classroom teacher, I have also been employed as Lead on Key Stage 4, with responsibility for teaching and learning for a cohort of over 500 students; in addition to ensuring lessons and resources were appropriate for students of all abilities, I was also responsible for carrying out targeted intervention with students who were at risk of not achieving their target grade, both in small group and one-to-one additional lessons. In a previous role, I was initially employed as an intervention specialist, working with GCSE students who were underachieving in relation to their target grades, again providing support for both small groups as well as individual students.

DBS Check: Yes