Rachel is Assistant Head Teacher at St.Bede’s Catholic Primary school in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Although not class based, Rachel has taught across all three primary phases in her career and is considered an outstanding practitioner. She uses the professional skills and knowledge that she has acquired over her 17 years of teaching to develop the teaching skills and knowledge of the teachers, teaching assistants and mid-day supervisors within her school.
Within her current role, she leads the English course at the Primary Catholic Partnership in Southampton. Rachel has led the course for three years now and coordinates and teaches lectures in the four modes of language (phonics, reading, writing and speaking & listening). The success of the course has enabled over 94% of the trainees leaving their training feeling extremely confident to teach English and Phonics in their first post.
For over 5 years now, Rachel has worked for Hampshire County Council as a KS2 Writing Moderator. Using her own knowledge and skills in the teaching and assessment of writing; she goes into primary and junior schools across the county assisting, supporting and validating schools judgements in children’s writing at the end of KS2.
Rachel’s role also involves working with and developing initial teacher training students and NQT’s within a classroom context. Through this role, she has had the opportunity to work with a number of Initial Teacher Training providers: Primary Catholic Partnership, University of Reading, EQualitas and the Catholic Teaching Schools Alliance. She has had the privilege of working with many trainees and NQT’s over the years; using sharp focused targets and success criteria that enable them to develop their professional knowledge and skills.
