Year 5 Teachers

Miss Bryony Pruett - Chestnut

My teaching journey started in 2021 in Bristol where I trained in Primary Education. My first year group was Year 3 and, for the past three years, I have taught in Year 5. I have been Art lead and PE lead - two subjects I am very passionate about as they encourage children to develop holistically. I enjoy teaching all aspects of the curriculum but these two subjects will always bring me the most joy. I am excited to start my second year of teaching at Shiphay Learning Academy as a Year 5 teacher and the PE lead. Children will be encouraged to achieve their full potential through engaging, creative and accessible learning opportunities. I also believe it is vital for children to learn in positive and safe environments which is why I foster nurturing and caring bonds with the children.

Outside of the classroom, I can be found exploring my creative side through painting and clay modelling. I believe learning never stops and am always looking for my next artistic hobby. I have also recently moved to Shiphay, from Bristol, so I am enjoying spending time exploring my new local area with my family.

Mr Sam Ellis - Elm

I began teaching in January 2020 and have now enjoyed almost 6 years of teaching a variety of different ages across two primary schools. I started my teaching career in a small village school in a place called Hartland in North Devon (which is where I am from!). In this school, I used to teach two different year groups at the same time which was a lot of fun as I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. In my first two years there, I taught Year 3 and 4, and in my final two years I taught Years 4 and 5 together. After leaving Hartland to explore a more urban style of living, I moved to Exeter where I have taught two Year 4 classes of 30 children at Willowbrook School.

I became a teacher due to a background in the Army Cadets as a young boy. By the age of 15, I was already teaching younger children in a range of different contexts. Following this, I decided to complete my Year 10 work experience in a local primary school and from that moment, I was hooked! I set out my dreams to become a teacher, went to university (where I completed an Undergraduate followed by a Post Graduate degree) and four years later I was sat in front of my very own class wondering how it had all gone by so quickly! I can safely say that 6 years into this job, I find it the most rewarding career possible. Seeing those light-bulb moments on a daily basis where children are continuously developing their understanding of the curriculum, themselves and the world around them is an absolute privilege to be a part of.

In my spare time, I really enjoy the gym and a range of different sports! My absolute favourite is football, and it has been since I was a young boy. I am a huge Chelsea fan (don’t worry, you’ll hear all about how amazing they are this year!) and I remember my first experiences of visiting Stamford Bridge like it was yesterday. I also play volleyball every week as part of a team in Exeter and meet with friends to play a variety of different racquet sports over the weekends such as badminton, tennis and paddle ball. My love for sports definitely helps my day job as PE is one of my favourite subjects! Encouraging children to be active and engage in sports is definitely something I am passionate about… There is nothing more important than a healthy lifestyle!

I am really excited to begin my teaching journey here at Shiphay Learning Academy. I look forward to meeting Elm and joining them on their learning journey.