MEET TOM
An Introduction
Hello, my name is Tom, and I'm going to share a little bit of information about my background, education and how I ended up here at Different Class! Let's start from the beginning...
Firstly, I grew up in Bromley (South East London) with my parents and 3 sisters. Shortly after turning 5 years old, I attended St. Philip Neri Primary School in Sydenham where I experienced an enjoyable and well-rounded primary education. At 11 years old I was accepted into Eltham College where I spent the entirety of my secondary education. During my time there, I achieved 11 GCSE’s and 4 A-Levels. After my A-levels, I took on a job as a sales-floor assistant at Littlewoods Index. Although it was a while ago, I still have fond memories of that place to this very day!
Moving onto higher education, I studied at Oxford Brookes University, where I achieved a BA Hons Degree in Economics. After university, I explored a career in sales at ITV, where I spent four and a half thoroughly enjoyable years.
Teaching
My career in teaching began at Greenwich University, where I completed my PGCE over the course of 2 years. My passion for teaching drove me to discover courses which focused on special educational needs. I believe that every child should be given equal opportunities to learn! I have also been involved in developing mindfulness techniques for children in school too. It's so important to understand your child emotionally before approaching their specific learning needs.
After a lot of soul-searching, and with amazing support from friends and family, I decided to embark on a career in teaching. After completing my teacher training and NQT year at Woodhill Primary School, I moved onto Days Lane Primary School. This was where I had a dual role of class teacher and PE leader, achieving the School Games Gold Mark Award for the first time in the school's history. This prestigious award recognises participation and commitment to Sport across the borough.
My teaching experience in the class room inspired me to explore home schooling/tutoring, tailoring specific needs not covered in a classroom environment. This way I can continue to work with families and build positive relationships, which help evolve their child's love for learning!
That's enough from me anyway, hopefully hear from you soon!