As Bradford Grammar Junior School undergoes exciting expansion plans, its newly appointed Early Years Foundation Stage Lead, Laura Tapscott, talks about what new Reception and Year 1 pupils can look forward to in September.
“I love working with little children and I get such job satisfaction from it. For younger children, the world is so big and it’s so exciting and everything you teach them is just…’wow’. Their wonder is everything to me. When you see them going through the school, growing up, it’s lovely to see them mature and know I’ve taught them to read and write from an early age. Their memories of their early years in school are core memories, and they’re pivotal in child development.
The impact is so huge on them in terms of you being a role model for them, you can empower them to be anything they want to be. I can remember bumping into some of my old pupils, now in secondary school, on the train on the way to Kew Gardens. They started our school as very anxious little girls, not wanting to leave their mums. To then be chatting to them and seeing the complete transformation as they were so full of confidence on the train, it was wonderful.
I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, even from an early age, and I did a degree in Early Childhood Studies at Stranmillis University in Belfast and moved to Newcastle to do a PGCE. After a job teaching in South Kensington, I moved to a little one form entry primary school, in Surrey, and I stayed there for eight and a half years. My husband Chris and I moved up to Bradford in September last year when he got his job as Head of History. I was on maternity leave with my daughter when I heard about the role of Early Years Foundation Stage Lead/Reception class teacher and I thought ‘this is literally my dream job’ and applied straight away. It’s wonderful to be able to form something from scratch, it’s a whole new adventure and a new legacy in terms of the school.
At the moment, there are lots of projects ongoing, with the building, the budgeting, the provision for the Key Stage 1 playground, the menus for the children, all of the assessments – it’s a very busy time and there’s a lot of logistics!
Reception is that beautiful balance between being adult and child initiated. I’m a keen advocate of the Montessori method of education which is very child led, combining hands on learning with collaborative play, but with boundaries and structure. It’s all about being that ‘scaffolding’ role when you’re leading but allowing them to explore their own interests. The environment and the role you play in it is very important.
Another inspiration is Lev Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist who believed all social interactions play a critical role in children’s learning. He believed that children could learn anything if you break it down into its smallest form and I think that’s so true. My son is learning to tell the time at four and he is asking me questions that cause me to think and I love that part of teaching in Reception. It goes back to that wonder and awe. That carefree attitude is so refreshing. Seeing children try and try and then watching that moment as they suddenly get it, those moments are the magic in the day for me. The sense of achievement for them is priceless. If you get the foundations right, it equips them for the future.
I’m so looking forward to meeting my new pupils. One thing I loved about my last school was that it was like a family, and I know Clock House will be the same. The experience these children will get will be second to none.”
“Seeing children try and try and then watching that moment as they suddenly get it, those moments are the magic in the day for me.”
Be Social!