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Enthusing and Inspiring Staff and Pupils at Thomas’s Clapham

Posted on by Circle Time

Jenny Mosley was recently delighted to have been invited to carry out a Working in School Day with a staff meeting in Thomas’s Clapham Prep School in London. After a very industrious and fruitful day, it was wonderful to read this report from the school’s September bulletin.

Bulletin of Thomas’s Clapham  September 2013

Inspiring Leading is part of our collective quest this year, and whilst the children themselves are responding to the challenge, they are keen to do so because they can sense that their teachers, my colleagues, are leading at every level of the school as well. It’s truly uplifting to see Year Leaders, Subject Leaders, Learning Assistants, Senior Leaders, and every colleague in every corner of the school eager to make a difference in and out of the classroom, engaging the young, communicating clearly, and setting the pace. And on the evidence of their first gathering, the new and excellent School Council are out of the blocks, ready to reflect all this and more. Well done to them all. Inspiring stuff, inspiring leading.

So, too was a wonderful Wednesday of classroom workshops and staff training led by the guru of school behaviour management, and the creator of Circle Time, that slot in the week when a class gathers (in a circle) with their teacher to consider an issue or two, and which is now firmly embedded in almost every school nationwide. That guru is Jenny Mosley, and she left us full of ideas, brimming with self-belief, and departed highly impressed with your children and their teachers. Her input has left us all stimulated and enthused, and on the evidence of the Year 6 Circle Time session which I sat in on, the children adored every minute of the time they had with Jenny. (www.circle-time.co.uk)

Jenny emphasised my oft made point. Only happy and calm children learn effectively, and this will only happen if the staff are happy and calm, too. A school which is playful, good fun to be part of, and respectful of one another will always ensure that the children flourish. This is our aim this year. But we have to believe it, and we have to want that behaviour to be ingrained day in, day out. Jenny talked about the five key goals in developing a happy learner – managing emotions, developing social skills, building self-awareness, generating self-motivation, and encouraging a child’s empathy for the world around him, and the situations which they encounter. It was riveting stuff, skilfully layered and presented, and for the staff body an uplifting and warming way to bring us closer together at the end of day. It had strengthened our self-esteem, reminded us of the power of praise, heightened self-awareness, the influence which a teacher exerts on the impressionable young, and encouraged us all to lead even more strongly and purposefully in the example we each set tomorrow, and every day thereafter.

 

Website Manager’s Notes

1.  Huge thanks to Headteacher Phil Ward for allowing us to reproduce this report and for his industrious endeavours and hospitality in arranging and supporting the training day.

2. For all enquiries about Closure Days and Working in School Days in positive behaviour, social and emotional skills develoment, staff well-being, circle time and lunchtimes and playtimes phone 01225 767157 or email circletime@jennymosley.co.uk