The Teaching Team:

Miss Lucy Drohan - Middle School Team Leader

Mrs Emma Lee - Y2 Teacher 

Mrs Kirsten Sims-Walton - Y2 Teacher

Miss Izabela Idziak - Teaching Assistant

Ms Amanda Staples - Teaching Assistant

Mrs Emma Lee - Avocet

I have been teaching at Shiphay since I qualified in 2005.  In the 18 years I have been at the school, I have enjoyed teaching in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and, for the past eight years, in Year 2.  It has been wonderful to work in each of these year groups as I have had the chance to see how children develop throughout their learning journey both socially and academically. 

In my classroom, I strive to provide a learning environment where children feel valued, inspired to learn and motivated to reach their fullest potential.  In Avocet, we celebrate everyone’s efforts and achievements and we love to share our successes.

I believe that exploration and hands-on experiences are a vital part of learning and it is always great to see how the children’s creativity shines through when provided with these opportunities.  I thoroughly enjoy teaching Year 2 and feel privileged to share your children’s learning journey with them.

Mrs Kirsten Sims-Walton - Heron

I joined the Shiphay team in 2019 and am very excited to continue to be part of the Middle School team as a teacher in Year 2.  I have a degree in sculpture and believe that the arts are a fantastic learning and therapeutic tool.  This year I am beginning a 2 year project working with local creative practitioners to bring more performance arts into the classroom. I love the outdoors and lead weekly Forest School sessions in our very own forest! I have also worked with families as a community artist and art therapist and taught English as a foreign language in the local library.

With the children, you will often find me outside creating art from nature, building dens, splashing in puddles, singing songs, sharing stories and searching for bugs! Inside the classroom, I believe school should be a safe, fun and inspiring place, which encourages children to ask questions, take risks and be aspirational. It is a place where they are encouraged to learn about the subjects they are passionate about at the same time as acquiring the skills and receiving the support they need to allow them to reach their full potential.  

I believe in our Core Values and encourage all children to be respectful, reflective and creative. By experiencing ‘hands-on’ active learning opportunities together and contributing to their class community, children develop independence and a love for learning . Supporting all children to become confident and independent life-long learners who work hard to become whatever they wish to be is my aim as a teacher.