SCHOOLS WORKING COLLABORATIVELY TO RAISE STANDARDS...

EKLA Early Years & Primary SLEs

  • Name
    Mags Minter
  • School
    Herne CE Infant & Nursery School
  • Current Role

    Early Years Phase Leader

  • Specialism(s)
    Early Years, Reading & Phonics

Mags is an experienced Early Years Teacher who has embraced the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum and Key Stage One National Curriculum by combining them with her beliefs of a child centred, creative and play based learning journey.

Mags has created new and stimulating environments, both inside and out, and used this provision to enhance children’s learning. She has implemented her own planning and assessment templates in the schools she has taught, ensuring progression and coverage. Mags has a particular strength in Child Initiated Play and has improved the structure and application of it throughout the Foundation Stage and Key Stage One, with a strong emphasis on the Characteristics of Effective Learning.

Mags has successfully supported other schools and colleagues in a range of settings and believes passionately in colleagues supporting each other. Mags has continued her own CPD by being a Nursery Manager for the past two years, turning the school based Nursery into a centre of excellence. She has created a Nursery Network for local PVI nurseries and preschools and leads twilights to support these colleagues to ensure all children access high quality provision. Mags is now teaching and leading Year R whilst also managing the Nursery.


  • Name

    Rachel Finch

  • School
    Joy Lane Primary School
  • Current Role
    Early Years Phase Leader
  • Specialism(s)
    Early Years and Phonics
Rachel has worked across both Early Years and Key Stage 1. She is the Phase Leader for Early Years at Joy Lane Primary School where she leads both Nursery and Reception. Rachel has led whole school CPD and has also supported a GTP Student in Early Years.  She is passionate about the Early Years approach to learning and strives to provide the very best settings for children.  

Rachel also leads Phonics at Joy Lane and has been committed to driving improvements in the subject; this has led to positive results in the Year 1 Phonic Screening Check. Rachel has also been the lead Phonics Tutor for a group of SCITT students across an academy chain during this role she delivered training, team taught and observed and mentored students. 

  • Name
    Laura Millum
  • School
    Joy Lane Primary School
  • Current Role
    Early Years Team Leader & Class Teacher, Nursery Manager, MFL Leader & Maths Leader
  • Specialism(s)
    Early Years
Laura is a Phase Leader for Nursery and The Early Years, and leader for Maths and MFL. 

Laura is instrumental in ensuring that her Pupil Progress Meetings are effective and that her provision mapping is always up to date. She is analytical and knows her data and is able to identify trends and gaps in progress and achievement and subsequently able to put into place an action plan to address concerns. 

Laura has supported the SLT and School Governors in their relentless quest to continue improving the school and has always been a colleague who you know can influence change, see a project through to completion and who is a leader of the highest calibre.     

  • Name
    Marion Phillpott
  • School
    The Canterbury Primary School
  • Current Role
    Foundation Stage Teacher/Leader
  • Specialism(s)
    Early Years
Marion has 21 years’ of experience working within Early Years.  She is an outstanding practitioner recognised by the LA, Ofsted and the leadership team within her own school.  She strives to bring out the best in all children ensuring they all reach their potential.  

Marion has worked in a school that has historically found itself in category and has now had a positive 4 year upward trend and was recognised by Ofsted as ‘good’ in 2012. This experience has meant that she has worked collaboratively with colleagues towards a vision embracing challenge and change.  

Following many changes and developments in the curriculum she would relish the opportunity to support other colleagues to recognise outstanding EYFS practice. 

  • Name
    Siobhan Harkins
  • School
    Joy Lane Primary School
  • Current Role
    Year 6 Class Teacher / English Leader
  • Specialism(s)
    English

Siobhan is the English leader in a large primary school and has introduced new initiatives that have had a measurable impact on the progress and achievement of all children.

Siobhan has carried out English audits involving book scrutinies and lesson observations, where current Ofsted criteria have been used. She also has experience of analysing and using data to identify in-school or between-school variations and implementing an action plan to address underachievement. 

As a County Visiting Moderator for Writing, Siobhan has a particular knowledge of the writing assessment process and can prioritise key points for development in order to achieve maximum impact. Working closely with other schools in the Coastal Cluster, Siobhan is a dedicated member of the English Network Steering Committee, where strategic decisions are made and initiatives are shared, developed and trialled.


  • Name

    Lauren Cooper

  • School

    The Canterbury Primary School

  • Current Role

    Year 6 Teacher, Science Co-ordinator, Upper Key Stage 2 leader

  • Specialism(s)

    Science

Lauren is an enthusiastic Upper Key Stage 2 leader and Year 6 teacher, who is always looking for ways to maximise pupils potential. She effectively leads Year 5 and 6, analysing and evaluating the pupils’ and team’s needs. She also works closely with other key stage leaders to ensure consistency in teaching and learning throughout the school.

Lauren’s main passion is teaching science. As science co-ordinator, she has analysed gaps in children’s attainment from Year 1 to Year 6 and lead a project across the school to successfully reduce focus gaps. She worked (and continues to work) closely with colleagues to raise the teaching standards in science and the outcomes of learners. Lauren has ensured that she has supported and developed staff by dedicating time to plan alongside teachers and team-teach with members, where appropriate.

Being part of a wider academy, involving both primary and secondary staff, Lauren has held training to remove barriers to learning and she has been part of the wider academy induction program. She works collaboratively in the academy.

Lauren looks forward to the opportunity to work with others and share her eagerness for teaching science, with children’s progress at the core of teaching and learning. 


  • Name

    Gemma Keeble 

  • School

    St Alphege CEI School

  • Current Role

    Nursery Manager, Humanities Lead, Outdoor Learning Lead

  • Specialism(s)

    Early Years

Gemma is currently a Nursery Manager for a Maintained nursery with 12 years experience of setting up and managing school based nurseries, often leading the way such as offering flexible provision and piloting the free for 2 provision among other initiatives. Gemma is also Leader of Outdoor Learning for her School and has had a significant impact on the improvement of provision throughout the early years and is currently driving forward the improvement of outdoor learning for Key Stage 1.

Gemma is passionate about putting children at the centre of her practice and has worked across the Early Years phase. She has previous and current experience of working in Reception and has also achieved Early Years Teacher Status, recognising her as an outstanding early years practitioner.

Gemma thrives on enabling highly engaged and motivated teams. Her strength as a leader is developing self awareness and a high level of autonomy and ownership in others. The impact of this can be seen in colleagues desire to drive forward improvements and build capacity to ensure improvements can be sustained. This has a significant impact on the experiences and outcomes for children in a rich and enabling environment where practitioners recognise the importance of positive relationships and the impact of quality interactions.


  • Name

    Clare Longhorn

  • School

    Joy Lane Primary School

  • Current Role

    Early Years Teacher/Nursery Manager

  • Specialism(s)

    Early Years, Leadership Curriculum, ITT & NQT development

Clare is an experienced Early Years teacher and she has also worked across Key Stage One. She is currently managing Oyster Bay Nursery at Joy Lane Primary School. During her time teaching within the Early Years, Clare has developed a passion for play-based learning and promoting the positive impact that play can have on a child’s emotional wellbeing, social development and communication and language skills.

Clare has delivered training and parent workshops based on the importance of play and Communication and Language. She has also worked closely with local nurseries and schools to develop and improve transition and consistency in assessment across Early Years settings.

Clare’s calm approach and drive for improvement has been demonstrated in raising the standards of Joy Lane School Nursery; she has trained and managed staff to secure an outstanding judgement from the local authority and a waiting list for the 26 place provision in less than 7 months.


  • Name

    Jo Brown

  • School

    St Mary's Primary School

  • Current Role

    Year 5/6 Teacher

  • Specialism(s)

    Teaching and Learning in Keystage 2

Jo has had a number of different roles in her primary teaching career. She has been an Acting Deputy, Assistant Head and Key Stage Leader and has been heavily involved in school improvement; acting on targets set by Ofsted and HMI. She continues to work as a Year 6 teacher, on a part-time basis, and is also supporting her current school with school improvement.

Jo has mentored a number of NQT's, who have all successfully met their targets and eased into their second year of teaching. She has also been a lead coach, who worked alongside a number of colleagues, supporting them with their own development.

Jo has seen the value of collaborative learning throughout the schools partnership group and has shared her experience and observed how staff are responsive to fellow teachers and are open to improving their practice. She believes sharing good practice across schools helps to develop a real sense of the wider community and has always loved visiting other schools; sharing the same issues and talking through the ways in which we improve them.

Jo has carried out a number of different roles on behalf of EKLA. These have included leading twilights on:  Coaching, Teaching Girls and Boys and Professional Conduct. She has also been part of leading an Outstanding Teaching Programme, Aspiring Middle Leadership courses and is due to lead the NPQML training and a new Aspiring Senior Leadership course, in the near future.  

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