Carly Williams

I am a highly motivated primary teacher who has taught for over 11 years in a variety of roles in Scotland, England and Dubai. I have been lucky enough to teach at JPS for the last 6 of these and feel very much part of the close, nurturing community it fosters for all our young people and wider family network.

A little background prior to my primary teaching degree (PDGE Primary, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow) my previous degree in Psychology (BA Hons, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow) provided me with a solid foundation to the cognitive processes and barriers children and adults with support needs face. I gained an in depth understanding of how to carry out research in a psychological setting and how to use data to draw conclusions and inform next steps.

In addition to being both a KS1 and KS2 teacher, for two years in Scotland, I worked in a specialist Primary School behaviour unit. Here, Individual Educational plans were written for each child which included both social and educational targets based on the nature of each child’s referral. It was here, I gained great job satisfaction by being able to provide each child with a specific learning programme that was right for them and an area I knew I would continue to work in along my career path.

Over the past 3 years, I have led the Moral Education curriculum at JPS. This has given me great experience of delivering PD and supporting class teachers. I was also able to run small focus groups alongside wellbeing to support our young people more and help instill the confidence they need. I believe mindset is everything, and once our young people realise what they can achieve and are capable of, the possibilities are endless.

More recently, I have completed two Grade 5 British Dyslexia Association Modules and look forward to commencing the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination (NASENCO), from University of Middlesex UK in January.

It is an absolute privilege to work with our young people in the JPS Connect Department and I look forward to working partnerships with all departments across the school to ensure all our pupils get the chance to reach their highest potential.