Celebrating 20 Inspiring Years

After seeing an advertisement in The Messenger newspaper (very old school I know!), I applied for the post of Reception Teacher. As soon as I walked through the gate and saw our beautiful school grounds, I knew that Forest was somewhere I would love to work. I was interviewed by Mrs Irons, who was Head at the time and Mr Hyde. They were warm, friendly and the interview must have gone well as later that day I was offered the job! Initially worked three days, job-sharing with Mrs Franks. After my first year my son Jake started at Forest in Year One and my daughter Freya in Nursery. Forest was somewhere that I wanted them to be part of!

There are too many to list…wonderful memories of teaching hundreds of children in the 16 years I was in Reception, I feel very lucky to have worked with Mrs Howland for so many years. Forest certainly knows how to mark an occasion, and we have had some superb celebrations over the years from big birthdays (for staff and the Royals!) to VE Days and Golden Jubilees, and of course the centenary year. There are lots of special times which I am sure give not just myself, but all our Foresters memories to treasure.

We are so lucky to have such lovely children to teach at Forest Prep. There is a strong sense of community, and a true family feel which is unique. The team are wonderful to work with, extremely passionate about delivering the best education and I am very fortunate to see them not only as colleagues but great friends. I love the vibrancy of our little school; there is so much going on and a wealth of opportunities for all our Foresters. Mr Booth is a superb, dynamic Head and the developments over the last few years have been fantastic. This year marks my 30th year of teaching and the new challenge of being head of Art is fantastic, teaching all the age groups from Nursery to year 6 is a real privilege and it is lovely to see them progressing and thriving.

Forest Prep prepares children not only for the next step to Secondary School but for adult life. My own children have such fond memories of Forest and frequently attribute this to the start they had here. The education and opportunities our Foresters have, in and out of the classroom really creates self-confident, articulate and happy children. Children blossom when they feel valued and secure and this is something that Forest Prep does very well.

Now, I am sure I could do a TED talk on this one..Art is messy, fun, colourful and full of joy and allows children to regulate and express their emotions. It really helps to build children’s self confidence and self esteem. There is no right or wrong answers and through creativity children can visually show others who they really are!

Art also helps children to learn about cultural awareness, empathy and openness, as well as the diverse world we live in. Being an imaginative and innovative thinker is going to be crucial for the next generation, which is fostered by imagination, creativity and problem-solving skills involved in Art.

If I had to pick just one thing it would be printing. There are always unexpected surprises, and printing is a great reminder that creativity is not always about perfection, its about being playful and curious. The shared ‘ta dah’ moment when a child sees their print is a real joy to witness!