As part of the Aspire to Teach enrichment, a group of Loreto students spent three weeks at St Teresa’s Primary School in Stretford. Students spent the first two weeks supporting experienced teachers in the classroom, which gave them the opportunity to observe excellent teaching practice in a primary school setting. During the final week, the students delivered a lesson to the pupils.

One student enrolled on the programme shared their reflection on the placement as a whole:

‘This experience gave me an insight into how Primary School teachers function, interact and manage 30 young children, and gave me a lot of respect for their work. It also emphasised the role of kinetic learning and play in education. I really enjoyed the experience.’

Another student reflected upon the importance of pupils feeling represented by their teachers:

“There was one boy who was South Asian and Muslim. Once I had told him that I too was South Asian and Muslim he felt freer to talk about his own identity and was also more comfortable explaining it to the people at his table.”

The group have finished their first term in upper sixth with a self-organised placement, visiting a school context that reflects their future career aspirations.