Teaching Staff |
Neil Clark
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Neil joined Stepping Stones in May 2007 after spending 32 years in education, in both mainstream and special schools. An historian and linguist by background and training, he latterly spent 17 years as head of Treloar School, a large specialist school for disabled children. He has built up considerable expertise and experience in the philosophy of education and is well versed in the arcane bureaucracy of special needs. He believes passionately in the value of the special school sector, whilst fully acknowledging that mainstream schools should continue to include those for whom they can make good provision. At the heart of his beliefs, is the right of parents to be able to make genuine choices about their child's education; too often, choice for children with SEN is a take it or leave it option. Neil relishes his role at Stepping Stones; he loves the day to day involvement with the students and truly believes that the existence of more and more schools, some big and some small, all of them distinctive, offers a real vision for the future. Neil was, in his now distant youth, a footballer of some distinction; he remains keen on most sports and enjoys walking long distance footpaths, good food and good company and looking after his grandchildren. |
Jonathan Furness
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Jonathan has spent the last decade exploring how we can use new technologies to enhance the learning experience for children and adults. His past experience as a primary school teacher and more recently, working for Ultralab, has enabled him to develop some unique skills in the field of software development and building tools for distance learning. Other work has included research into learning environments where he has acted as a consultant to Building Schools for the Future initiatives, in both Bristol and Waltham Forest. His role at Stepping Stones is to support the teaching staff, lead the ICT curriculum and develop the school as a unique centre for learning, whilst opening up opportunities to bring together children with hemiplegia and their families together in a safe, online space. Jonathan has recently taken up sailing as a member of crew on Cracker, an IMX 40 yacht. The Cracker Team compete in several competitions in and around the South East coast, taking part in the SailEast series, which took them to Ramsgate, Felixstowe, Medway and Mersea. Jonathan takes part in the Round the Island Race and the Cowes Week regatta. He is also an Assistant Scout Leader, who has supported the running of a troop since 1994. Jonathan writes regularly on Jonathan's Blog |
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Georgina Saralis
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Georgina joined Stepping Stones last year as a teacher of English and Drama and since then her role has developed to include PSHE/Citizenship and Expressive Arts. This combination of subjects enables her to deliver a creative curriculum that also integrates ICT, media and film studies. She believes that the multi-modal environment that young people experience compels learning experiences. Georgina is committed to providing a creative learning environment with a lively atmosphere and a culture of success where students feel they can achieve their best and, if necessary change habits of learning. She is now beginning to explore how the internet may be harnessed to facilitate virtual school on a global scale and she is enjoying this as an incredibly exciting challenge. Attracted to work at Stepping Stones because of its innovative learning environment, Georgina is enjoying being part of this and seeing evidence every day of how our students with hemiplegia are flourishing in response to an education that is supportive and caring, and appropriate and relevant to their individual needs. Georgina pursues an avid interest in the visual arts and enjoys visits to galleries and the cinema, as well as to the theatre and concerts. Films and film making are her passion and one day she wants to write and direct a feature film. She enjoys spending time with her family most of all and since they are all sports fanatics much of her time is spent on the side of a pitch, although she does find time to use her Concept 2 rowing machine to keep fit. Along with her husband, two children, three cats and six gold fish, Georgina also has a collection of theatrical costumes and she imagines that in her retirement she will design and make more! |
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Caroline Price
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Caroline is an experienced design professional with substantial experience working in industry; having worked with multinational brands such as Sony, Kodak and Duracell before starting a family. As a full time mother she decided that she wanted a to put her experience to use for the benefit of others and has therefore begun to teach art to students at Stepping Stones School. Working with the team over the last year she has adapted her industry experience to education. She now has taken on the responsibility of getting the students through their GCSE's and is currently working at key stage 3 and 4 of the examination. Caroline believes that lessons can be interesting and fun. She focuses on developing the pupils confidence using art as a medium for self expression. By meeting each lesson with passion and enthusiasm she stimulates their minds and excites their imaginations. The Stepping Stones environment gives the teacher a platform to focus on the pupils and their individual needs. Caroline lives with her husband and two year old son. Her interests include running with her dog Freddie and travelling.
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Rosie Laverton
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Rosie and her husband live with her elderly father, who needs a little help. She has two adult children and three grandchildren, who live nearby. Her interests include walking in the countryside, travelling, church, reading and spending lots of time with family and friends. Rosie worked as a primary school teacher for ten years, before coming to Stepping Stones in January 2007. Her role is one of learning support, with a small amount of teaching taking responsibility for Religious Education and supporting Art. Rosie runs the physiotherapy programme, tailored for each pupil, which has been developed by our qualified physiotherapist. She particularly enjoys the variety and lack of hierarchy at Stepping Stones! Rosie finds Stepping Stones to be a place where individuals matter and learning makes sense. There are no unnecessary meetings, because information is shared constantly and everyone involved is in contact through e-mail. |
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Ali Grafton
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Hi I'm Ali Grafton who works at Stepping Stones School 3 hours a week ! The rest of my time is working at Treloars School where I have been for 11 years!! Before that I trained as an Occupational Therapist at Oxford and did a variety of OT jobs before having two daughters and living in Holland and Swizerland while they were little. I live in a thatched cottage with two cats, chickens, a duck and my 16 year old daughter who is doing A Levels at Alton College. My other daughter is at Bournemouth University studying Events Management. I love doing Yoga and cycling and singing! |
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Pam Stevenson
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Pam is a paediatric Speech and Language Therapist. She has worked in hospital and school settings, most recently, as Head Speech and Language Therapist at Treloar School. Previously, she has undertaken research into the language development of pre-school children at Guy’s Hospital and at the Thomas Coram Unit, University of London. She has lectured to Speech Therapists in training at City and Reading Universities. Pam is happiest working with young people, and is committed to enabling them to communicate to the best of their ability. She very much enjoys her work at Stepping Stones, finding the pupils happy, relaxed and impressively focussed. In her leisure time Pam enjoys botanical painting, gardening, and being a granny.
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Shirley Telling
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Shirley has been a teacher for more years than she cares to remember! She has taught the "3 R's" to all ages - from 3 year olds right up to 19 year olds. Mathematics remains her first love. She believes that Mathematics can be interesting, fun and above all -understandable, not just something to learn parrot fashion! Shirley really enjoys working at Stepping Stones, where she feels that each student is treated very much as an individual with their own strengths and weaknesses, which are catered for in a very caring way. Shirley has 3 sons - 2 of whom have their own ski business based in Italy training/coaching children in ski racing. Who knows, they may be responsible for Britain's first Olympic Gold Medal in Alpine Racing !! Her youngest son completes his A levels this year and hopes to go on to a career in photography/animation. Shirley and her husband Sandy have recently embarked on visiting all of Britain's coast - any spare weekend is spent travelling to Cornwall, Devon, the East Coast, Wales etc. There's a lot of coast - it's a hobby that will keep them occupied well into their retirement!! | |
Tom Fletcher
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Tom has been a teacher of History for longer than he cares to remember. He loves his subject and is brilliantly able to communicate his passion to his students. He believes, with Plato, that the study of history "makes men wise". He enjoys his teaching at Stepping Stones enormously and brings his own unique style of narrative to his work. He has three children of his own and has been happily married to Karen for 26 years. His daughters are graduates and his son will read for a History and Politics degree next year. Tom is also passionate about cricket (passionate enough to believe that England will regain the Ashes in 2009) and he enjoys reading, the theatre and cooking. He claims to possess the only authentic recipe for Bolognese sauce outside Bologna. |
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Jason Goodall
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Jason started off his teaching career as a secondary school music teacher. From then on he worked in a middle school, a primary school and then finally settling in special education about five years ago. His role at Stepping Stones is as part time Music/ Expressive Arts teacher. The rest of his working life is spent at Treloar School as Music Manager and form teacher. Jason is keen that students enjoy their musical experiences and hopes that this will impact positively upon their self-esteem and ability to express themselves. Outside of work, Jason likes reading, playing the piano, going to the theatre and cinema. |