Clare Tapscott

Clare Tapscott
Area of work: early years education
School: Hampton Vale Primary School
Local authority: Peterborough
Qualifications: BA social policy and administration, University of Nottingham (2001); graduate teacher programme, Peterborough (2005)

After I graduated from Nottingham, I worked in various NGOs, including the RNIB and children’s social services in Peterborough, as I wanted to find a career I felt was rewarding. I then started volunteering and took part in a befriending scheme. I looked after a nine-year-old girl, which made me realise that I wanted to work directly with children, rather than just for them behind the scenes. 

Independent learning with teacher support

The two reception classes at my school are combined meaning there are 60 children in the foundation stage, so you need a lot of energy! The children work in an environment that promotes independent learning. They choose how and where they play, whether that’s indoors or out, independently, in small groups or with an adult. Sometimes a specific group may be set a particular activity. Activities are planned based on the observations made of the children and are influenced by the six areas of the curriculum. However, we focus on child-led activities – learning through play with adult support – and also have planned adult-initiated activities. We also look at the individual development of each child, as each has their own personal goals. This makes observation really important, so we observe children as they play and interact, and question them to take their learning further. We share and add our post-it-note observations to a child’s record of achievement on a daily basis.

Early years teachers need to be enthusiastic

I love working with children – they’re so eager to talk to you and to learn, so you must have enthusiasm for them. You need to make them feel valued so that they can develop both intellectually and as people. You have to be prepared to give 100 per cent all the time, even when you’re tired, because they deserve it. You should get as much experience as you can before you start training to get an idea of what teaching is like.