I am the Year 5 class teacher and Reading Lead at St. Andrew’s C of E Primary School in Halstead, Essex. Nurturing a genuine love of reading and children’s growth as lifelong readers is at the heart of everything I do and the experiences I’ve had as part of the Teacher Advisory Group for the Open University Teachers as Readers development work have been amongst the most influential of my career. I have recently completed an MEd in Children’s Literature at the University of Cambridge, which explored the potential of metafictive picturebooks to support children’s growth as writers, and working with Early Career Teachers to develop their literacy practice is another real passion.
Deciding to become a member of UKLA will always be one of the most life-changing, life-enriching decisions I have made as a teacher and my first six years of teaching simply wouldn’t have been the same without the myriad of opportunities that UKLA has brought. It is a real privilege to be a Regional Representative for the Eastern Region and work collaboratively to share and develop exciting literacy practice in our region.