Support Staff

Hello,

I have the pleasure of being Higher Level Teaching Assistant at Norton Primary School which I absolutely love! It was once said to me that you should never work with animals or children but I love both! Having had two boys of my own I quickly realised how truly rewarding it was to be with children and loved my playgroup duties; little did I know that this would be the start of my amazing career. I have previously supported children from the age of 2.9 years to the end of juniors .I have also been a Special Educational Needs Coordinator. I have supported many children including those that have Specific learning difficulties, delayed learning difficulties, behaviour, social and emotional difficulties all within mainstream settings. I enjoy the variety of my role where I also lead a dynamic team of Teaching Assistants, teach 1:1 small groups and whole class. I have been in Education for twenty years, fourteen of which has been at Norton. Most importantly I feel that my greatest achievement is learning how to understand individuals, address their needs ensuring that all learning is fun and achievable whilst supporting their self- esteem and desire to learn. It is the best feeling in the World and one that I never take for granted.

Some relevant training/courses I have – Level 3 Early Years Care and Education, Downs Syndrome training, Diploma in Special Educational Needs, Mental Health First Aid, Nurture Group Training, Autism training.

Personally, I love the countryside, my friends and family, my horse and of course my job!

I truly understand how precious your children are and feel very honoured to support them.

I started to work in schools about 15 years ago while living in Holland. I am very proud and lucky to say that I have worked at Norton Primary school for the past 13 years and enjoy my job immensely as every day is different. I enjoy working within a team, which is more like a large family.

I have two roles in the school, ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) and HLTA (Higher Level Teaching Assistant). I have experience across school from preschool to year 6. My roles vary; I support the learning and develop of pupils within the classroom in 1:1 activities with individual children, small group activities and whole class teaching. Within my ELSA role I am regularly supervised by the Educational Psychologists from the Local Authority. I support the emotional literacy needs of individual children throughout the school and proved a caring warm environment for them to feel happy in school and to reach their full potential.

Over the years, I have had training in Precision Teaching, Developing Resilience, Outstanding Teaching and Mental Health First Aid, awareness of mental health problems, bereavement and loss, domestic abuse, children’s mental health, neglect, maths catch up and I have a level 3 in child psychology. One of the best things about working here at Norton is watching the children grow in confidence and knowledge over the years.

I am a mum of two and in my spare time I enjoy walking, reading, swimming and exploring our beautiful country.

I have worked at Norton School for 11 years. My subject strength is Literacy as I find the English language fascinating. I have had NVQ level 2 and level 3 teaching assistant qualifications.

I enjoy working with children of all ages, seeing their confidence grow and watching their progress.

My hobbies outside of school are: walking in the countryside (especially May Hill), cycling and enjoying meals out with family and friends. I adore animals, especially rabbits, dogs and horses.

I’ve been the P.E teacher of Norton primary school for three years. It is my passion to develop the children’s skills and understanding in all areas of physical education.

My strengths include teaching crucial skills in P.E that are important for life both inside and outside of school such as making friends, team work and working together to problem solve.

I have been all over the world learning and teaching a range of sports. I went into teaching P.E because I love seeing children develop their skills and putting these skills into practice; seeing the children’s sporting knowledge grow is wonderful.

I take part in all sports but there are two favourites: football and kickboxing (I am a black belt in kick boxing). I support my home city of Bristol rovers.

I started working as a volunteer teaching assistant in September 2019, while completing my level 2 STLS course and got signed off this May. I was fortunate enough to be offered a permanent position with team Norton in the October and have loved every second of it!

I also work in Little Learners three afternoons a week and I love being a part of the children's journey for school readiness.

In my spare time I love to be with my own two children (there’s never a dull moment!), yoga and rebounding classes. I have also just started to learn to play the piano.

Hi my name is Rebecca

I have a level 3 qualification in Childcare. I’ve worked in childcare for over 20 years, having a variety of jobs over the years from working with babies up to children in primary school. Before joining Norton, my previous job was working in a playgroup which I loved; I was there for over 6 years. Working with children is a passion of mine. I enjoy being a part of their journey and supporting a child’s individual needs. I am a true believer that children learn best in a fun and happy environment.

Out of work I have 3 children that keep me very busy. In my spare time I enjoy being with my family and friends which is very important to me. We love to take our little dog 'Tilly' on walks and especially to the beach!

I have worked as an SEN Teaching Assistant supporting children 1:1 at Norton from 2008-2016 and then came back again in April 2022. Prior to this I worked as a Registered General Nurse for nearly 20 years. I have an NVQ level 3 Teaching Assistant qualification and have attended courses on Autism and supporting SEN children.

I am married and have 3 grown up children and a Yorkshire Terrier who is 5.

I enjoy walking, painting, card making and gardening. I attend Elim church in Gloucester. I also like meeting up with friends and going out for meals.

Hi, I’m Kirsty and I am the newest member of the Norton team!

I am currently studying for a Level 3 in Childcare and Education and thoroughly enjoying every part of it.

I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to become a Teaching Assistant here at Norton. Working with children is something I have always wanted to do and I have finally taken the plunge! I'm really looking forward to getting to know all of the children in reception class and helping them on their learning journey.

At home I love spending time with my 2 gorgeous children, we love day trips, seeing family and meeting up with friends.

A lot of our time is spent taking my daughter to dance class and dance festivals which we very much enjoy :)

Currently on maternity leave.

Currently on maternity leave.