Primary
French

One of the words I often use to describe myself is ‘Spanglish’. I grew up in a bicultural environment, with an English father and a Spanish mother, which gave me a valuable perspective on seeing the world through different lenses and appreciating diversity.

I hold a BSc (Hons) in Politics and International Relations from the University of Bath. I particularly enjoyed the international nature of my degree, and speaking English, Spanish and French allowed me to engage with current affairs from a global perspective. After working in education for a few years, I completed my PGCE in Modern Foreign Languages at the University of Oxford, training in a comprehensive secondary school in Oxfordshire.

I then taught Spanish, French and Politics at a comprehensive secondary school in Tower Hamlets, London. I am now delighted to be part of the Wolsey Hall community and look forward to supporting students in their learning journeys and beyond.

One of the reasons I am so passionate about teaching Modern Foreign Languages is that it brings together three of my key interests: language, history and culture. As the French poet Jean Brunet once said, 'learning a language is not a destination, but a journey' – a sentiment I wholeheartedly share. Learning a language is not just about vocabulary; it opens the door to new cultures, traditions and ways of thinking, while also helping us to better understand ourselves.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, baking and going for long walks with my long-haired dachshund, Lily. I also love travelling and discovering new places and cultures - yet another reason why languages are so valuable. I am currently learning Italian, which is proof that you are never too old (or too young) to learn something new.

I’ve always enjoyed learning languages, thanks to many holidays in France and Spain with my family. I began learning French and German when I started school, and I’ve never looked back. I can speak French, German, Spanish, Italian and Japanese for good measure. I always tell people that I have a lot to say…

I taught in a Specialist Language College for eight years, having introduced Italian to the school, a popular language with students. But I decided to leave the teaching profession, following the arrival of my daughter, and yes, she now speaks French!

I’ve chosen to work as a Tutor part time rather than teach in school. As a result I now have many students of all ages, and I enjoy the opportunity for the one to one contact this affords. I took my BA in French at the University of Hull, but I was lucky to be able to take extra modules in Spanish, Japanese, Italian and German. I must admit that once I started learning one language, the rest became much easier, including Japanese

As part of my degree course, I spent the year working in France as an English Language Assistant in a French Lycée. I lived in Périgueux in the Dordogne, the home of truffles and foie gras, which I can highly recommend for a visit. I taught students of different ages from 16 to 24, mostly studying for the International Baccalaureate. This experience inspired me to become a teacher of Modern Languages.

I took my PGCE at the University of York and trained at schools in Scarborough and Richmond in North Yorkshire. Following this, I started working at Horbury School near Wakefield for eight years. During my time as a teacher, I ran trips abroad to France and Germany which was a wonderful experience.

As a Mum I most enjoy spending time with my husband and daughter. My daughter keeps me busy but very happy. I’m currently learning Chinese so that I can offer to teach it, in addition to the fact that I love languages. I also enjoy art, and sewing when it’s safe to do so (and I don’t have my daughter on my lap!). I like music, especially some of the French rock bands, great music for the car!

I am very happy to be a tutor for Wolsey Hall Oxford and it’s all because of those family holidays that I am here to share my passion for languages.

My fascination with languages began in Primary School taster lessons, and I eventually followed a degree in French at the University of Birmingham, with Spanish as my Secondary subject. Having already spent a gap year in France, I lived in Lausanne and Valencia for the third year of my course followed by a year working at 3M in Brussels several years later.

I became interested in teaching once I had my own children and gained a PGCE in Modern Foreign Languages from King’s College London. After several years in Secondary Education, a chance advert led to a new job teaching Primary English, Maths, Lower KS2 Science and Humanities in an independent school. To my surprise, I found that both the age group and the broader range of subjects suited me perfectly. Apart from three years teaching Primary aged children in Virginia, USA, I remained at this school for 20 years. Alongside my classroom teaching I have been tutoring 1:1 for about 12 years in a variety of areas from English as a Second Language to 11+.

I have taught a range of students from very different backgrounds and age groups. However, certain elements have always remained key to a successful lesson: challenging and intriguing resources, a good-humoured atmosphere and a sense of security so that students feel able to explore ideas without fear of making mistakes. It is still such a pleasure to see a student gaining confidence in a subject that they were convinced they would always struggle with.

Now that my own children are independent, I am living between London and Antwerp, Belgium. I am currently learning Dutch, and this has been a very useful reminder of how daunting an unfamiliar subject can be. Sometimes it is good to be the student again!

I am looking forward to meeting homeschooling students from around the world and encouraging them to follow their interests and reach their full potential through Wolsey Hall Oxford.

I have been working with children now for around 25 years – starting off as a voluntary leader with Girlguiding UK, progressing to a Specialist Learning Support Assistant and then training as a Primary teacher specialising in History. Over the past 15 years, I have had the opportunity to teach a whole range of ages, from three year-olds up to adults, in both state and private schools. During that time, I have also specialised in working with learners with SEN, particularly dyslexia, ADHD and ASD, including training as an Irlen Visual Stress Screener.

I absolutely love learning and am particularly drawn to History and English – so much so that I continued to study Humanities, Art History and English whilst doing my teacher training. I like to visit museums and historic towns and villages around the UK with my husband and two daughters.

When I was a student, I had the opportunity to volunteer in a museum, interviewing local people for their oral history archives. A few years ago, I also teamed up with a film-maker to record a local history walk. I am fascinated by knowing about the lives people used to lead and how this relates to us now! It is also interesting how our language has evolved and this helps tremendously when teaching English.

When I’m not teaching or visiting interesting places, I like to keep fit. I was always very active as a child and this continued through playing various sports over the years including ladies’ and mixed rugby. I am now running again. I used to run 100m/200m for a club but, this time, longer distances from 5k to training for a marathon.

I have used my expertise to teach PE and the Sports Leaders programme at both Primary and Secondary Level, and most recently qualifying as an England Athletics Run Leader. I think it’s incredibly important to balance studying and working with wellbeing and health. I am qualified as a Mental Health and Mindfulness Coach, something that I have found is essential for all learners in any educational setting.

I am excited to be sharing my skills and experience with the students at Wolsey Hall Oxford.

I did my degree in Accountancy at Exeter University, as I have always felt comfortable with numbers. They were either right or wrong and there was always a process to follow for getting something right.

After a while, that wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to do something more purposeful, something which had an impact on people’s lives. I trained to become a Primary School teacher at Oxford Brookes in 2007. It was here that I found my vocation.

During my PGCE, and ever since, I have rekindled my love of learning. I found I enjoyed learning new concepts and new skills. I fell back in love with English: how one sentence can have the power to change someone’s view. I understood Science: how things can be explained while others still need explaining. I became fascinated with Computing: understanding how coding works and how to build a series of simple instructions into something beautifully complex. I fell further in love with Maths: making concrete learning become abstract. I spent hours researching and learning about History and Geography and its impact on the lives we live today. After studying French at school, I began to teach Year 6 groups in my spare time, and became the Modern Foreign Languages Co-ordinator at school.

I have also become fascinated in discovering how people learn. It’s interesting finding out how the same lesson could be received in completely different ways by two different students. I have spent many hours happily reading a variety of books on emotional wellbeing, on Psychology, on growth mindset, all to work out how to have the greatest positive impact on students.

Saying all this, nothing is better than really getting to know the student. It is the main reason I became a freelance Tutor. I enjoy talking with the student about their greatest successes and how they deal with their biggest failures. I enjoy finding out what turns them off learning, and what reignites it. I love teaching meta-cognitively; helping the student to learn about their own learning.

This love of metacognition, linked with an understanding for children to build up confidence outside of the classroom, was the reason I trained to become a Forest School Leader. In my spare time I still work as a Forest School Leader, and if not, I’ll probably still be outdoors, doing gardening or making up games with my children.