Today's 'A Conversation With...' features the Learning Development's Miss Laura Wood. In this feature, we learn more about her passion for travelling, her inspiration to pursue a career in teaching, as well as which football team she supports.
What is your role and how long have you been at Shiplake?
I work in the Learning Development Department and have been at Shiplake since January 2023.
What were you doing before you joined Shiplake?
Before I joined Shiplake, I worked at Sonning Common Primary School, where I taught a range of year groups. I also led science at the school.
What is a day in the life at Shiplake like for Miss Wood?
My day starts early with a 5km run or workout before heading back home for a bowl of porridge with berries. I then commute to work and set myself up for the day with a coffee. My morning consists of teaching a mixture of year groups. The subjects I cover vary depending on the support the students need; at the moment I teach elements of English, physics and criminology.
The real fun begins at lunchtime. The lunches here at Shiplake are phenomenal and it is a great opportunity to catch up with colleagues and pupils alike. During lunchtimes, I can often be found in the Sports Hall playing pickleball, on the AstroTurf practising my netball skills, or in the Davies Centre climbing.
In the afternoon, I teach a couple of lessons and then it is time for our co-curricular activities. My current activities are badminton, cooking and prep support, but next term I will be involved with pickleball and climbing, which I am very excited about.
Following this, I head home to my partner, Daniel, and my cat, Bobby.
What inspired you to pursue a career in education, and why Learning Development in particular?
My inspiration to pursue a career in education stemmed from my English teacher in secondary school. Her enthusiasm, dedication and caring nature was infectious, and she was a brilliant role model to have. She also used to share her travelling stories with the class (which is where my passion for travel was also ignited). She always noted that teaching gave her the opportunity to explore the world and use her experiences to find creative, engaging and inspiring ways to teach the curriculum.
In the past three months, my career path has slightly changed where I have moved from primary to secondary education and begun training to become a specialist dyslexia teacher. This shift was brought about by the desire to continue having an impact on my students' lives. I want to help instil tools, techniques and skills to overcome barriers and enable pupils to grow and thrive.
How has SEN awareness changed over the years and how do you think it will further change in the future?
During my time in the education sector, I have seen an increase in SEN awareness - a rise in teachers specialising in SEN, more support and resources available, and greater understanding of the challenges pupils are facing. Over the next few years, I believe awareness will only increase further. I hope that support and provisions continue in an upward trajectory and that pupils are given further opportunity to explore their own talents and learn in styles that benefit them the most.
What do you do away from work?
Away from work, I am an avid traveller. I set myself the goal of travelling to 60 countries before reaching 30 and I have only three left to go – I will be travelling to Albania, Jordan and the UAE in the next few months. I have been fortunate enough to have travelled to some amazing places such as Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Malaysia. If I am not travelling, I am often found at Craven Cottage. Fulham is my hometown and my father and I have been attending games together since I was seven.
What does the future hold for Miss Wood?
The future is very bright. I am looking forward to continuing my career at Shiplake College and I hope one day to become a SENCo. This autumn is going to be a very exciting one as my partner and I are getting married in September, so we are currently busy planning and organising for our special day. Lastly, having done the Mongol Rally in 2019, I now plan to complete the Rickshaw Run - driving a rickshaw from north to south India.
