Mrs Charlie Lawton - Chestnut (Mon-Wed)

Since qualifying as a teacher in 2015, I have been lucky enough to teach in all year groups from Reception to Year 4 and I am now very much looking forward to expanding that further to Year 5. Teaching in different year groups has allowed me to see how the children progress and grow along their learning journey. When I return from maternity leave in July, I will be teaching part-time in Year 4, where I will be able to spend lots of time getting to know the children ahead of September. 

I enjoy teaching all areas of the curriculum, particularly English. I also have a keen passion and interest for Geography and Computing. I am currently the Computing subject lead and support the Online Safety Champions and Digital Leaders.   

I strongly believe that an engaging curriculum should be accessible to all children in an environment that is both safe and nurturing to each child's needs. In the classroom, I aim to create a fun, friendly, welcoming environment where children feel empowered to learn and feel secure enough to make mistakes in their learning and grow from these. I like to teach in a range of ways that meet many different learning styles so each child can have equal opportunities to access the curriculum. 

I am looking forward to starting a new venture in Upper School and supporting the children along their learning journey.

Mrs Katherine Luker - Chestnut (Thur-Fri)

I have been teaching at Shiphay since 1999, primarily in Upper School.   My first eight years here were on a full time basis and I am now working part time, on a Thursday and Friday.  I am so excited to be working with Chestnut this year.   Prior to my time at Shiphay, I taught in a First and Middle school in Poole, where I was responsible for Year 5, 6 and 7 classes.  

I thoroughly enjoy my time at Shiphay and relish teaching all aspects of the curriculum.  My particular interest is teaching languages .  For my teaching degree, I specialised in teaching French at a primary level.  The enthusiasm shown by children when learning a modern foreign language is fantastic.  They love learning through games and songs and are always willing to have a go.  I also love being part of the Performing Arts team which gives me the opportunity to work with children from Year 3 to Year 6.  It is wonderful to see them build confidence in themselves and their ideas.  The cooperation, teamwork and friendships that develop over the years is fantastic to observe. 

Outside of school, my family and I enjoy trips to the theatre and taking advantage of this wonderful area in which we live, with walks on Dartmoor and trips to the many beaches in the south west.

Teaching in Upper School, I am a firm believer in helping children to develop their aspirational values.  As they prepare to take the next step in their learning, having the confidence to reflect upon their work and think about what they need to do next is a great skill to acquire.

Mr Mike Smart - Elm

Originally from Westminster, London, I began teaching in Birmingham over thirty years ago after attending Birmingham University to study education and science. I continued to teach there, in an inner-city primary school, for 11 years before I was asked to work for the council in one of their many outdoor centres. 

 I enjoyed working out of the classroom with children while ensuring that every session was enjoyable and a learning experience. After three years, I was asked to move to Oxford to be a principal of my own outdoor centre where I worked with students from Nursery to University. Eight years later, I began to miss the day to day working with children over a longer period and returned to teaching in a primary school.  I then worked in Manor School in Didcot for 5 years and taught in Year 6. All this time in education has added up to over three decades, but I still enjoy it immensely and want to continue helping the young people of Shiphay succeed.

My passion is being able to help children to achieve their absolute maximum, so I look forward to welcoming the next cohort of children into my class, finding out about them and the ways that we can work together to gain the confidence, tenacity and desire to fulfil their potential. The children can expect carefully planned, engaging lessons that move them forward in steps that ensure everyone achieves and improves.

I have enjoyed my first year at Shiphay, being closer to many of my family and enjoying the delights of life in Torquay and Devon. Over the years to come, you may see me out and about, kayaking, fishing, walking across Dartmoor, enjoying a book outside a café or exercising our dog.

I look forward to meeting the children in Elm very soon.