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CV


CURRENT ROLE
 Dec’ 20- Present
Special Needs Teacher (permanent contract)
  • North Ridge Community School, Doncaster
Specialising in working with non-verbal students with ASD and Complex and Severe Learning Difficulties
Managing a team of five staff and also responsible for the school’s Art and Music curriculum

EDUCATION

2017-18 PGCE (Distinction) Design & Technology Sheffield Hallam University
2006 BA (Hons. 1st Class) Manchester Metropolitan University
2009 PTTLS Preparation to Teach in Lifelong Learning, University of Wolverhampton

VISITING TUTOR EXPERIENCE

2016           Art Foundation Students John Leggott College, Scunthorpe
2014-15     Art Foundation and Access to Art and Design Students -Sheffield College
2010          Foundation Course (3D) - Manchester Metropolitan University
2009          Fine Art Foundation Course - Solihull College and -Bedford College

TRAINING

2020 Safe Guarding and Child Protection (Hayes)
2020 Teaching Phonics Level 2 Certificate
2020 Health and Safety in Education (Hays)
20200 Good Practice in Autism Education University of Bath
 www.futurelearn.com
2020 Health and Safety in Education (Hays)
2020 Supporting Sensory Needs in the Classroom and Whole School (Webinar by Beccie Hawes – Rushall Inclusion Advisory Team)
2019 Makaton Taster Training Session
2019 SEND Conference (NEU) : Development Language Disorder and Dyslexia sessions attended
2019 Safe Moving and Handling Techniques (PMLD settings)
2018 SEND Code of Practice (EduCare)
2018 Team-Teach 2-day training workshop
2017 Prevent (Home Office.Gov
2016 Safeguarding - Adults with Special Needs
2012 Past Present Future: Art Education Conference, Stoke on Trent Working with Artists in Schools- Good Practice Showcase.
2009 Working Parts: Training for artists to work with children with disabilities (5 days)
2008 PMLD: Introduction to working with children severe and multiple physical disabilities and learning difficulties. (Creative Partnerships) Yeoman Park School, Mansfield (12 weeks)

RESEARCH www.kirstyesmith.co.uk

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Dec’ 20- Present
Special Needs Teacher (permanent contract)
  • North Ridge Community School, Doncaster
Specialising in working with non-verbal students with ASD and Complex and Severe Learning Difficulties
Managing a team of five staff and also responsible for the school’s Art and Music curriculum

Sep '18- Dec 2020 
Supply SEN Teacher (KS2 to Post 16 Students)
  • North Ridge Community School, Doncaster
  • Becton School, all Sheffield Sites
  • Seven Hills Special School, Sheffield
  • Talbot Specialist School, Sheffield
  • Bents Green School, Sheffield

Literacy, Numeracy, Food Technology, Healthy Eating, Independent Life Skills, PSHE, Art, Science, Geography and PE

Jul ’18 Kelford Special School, Rotherham Sensory Arts Activities KS2, 3 & 4

Jan ’18- Jun ’18 Sheffield Park Academy (Placement 2 PGCE)
Teaching Y7, Y8, Y9 Textiles lessons.
Team Teaching Y10 and Y11 BTEC Level2 (Creative Art and Design –Textiles)
Supporting Y12 BTEC Level3 Art and Design

Mar ’18 Penistone Grammar School (6th Form Placement PGCE -4 days)
Team Teaching Y13 A Level Textiles (final making stages of final A2 Product)
Supporting Y10 Design Technology (Resistant Materials)
Supporting Y13 A Level Art

Sep ’17- Dec ’17 Hope Valley College (Placement 1 PGCE)
Teaching Y7, Y8, Y9 Textiles lessons
Team Teaching Y8 Art
Team Teaching Y11 GCSE Textiles

Mar '15 - Nov '16 Teacher Brantwod Specialist School, Sheffield (Full-Time)
- Steiner inspired school for students (aged 8-18) with special needs (ASD, ADHD, PDA, Anxiety and Challenging Behaviour.
•           Building good relationships with the students, teaching support staff and other teaching staff was crucial to my success in this role.
•          Re-engagement with learning was a priority therefore all learning activities were designed in collaboration with individual student’s interests, abilities and needs.
•          Holistic approach to learning with Maths, English, History, Geography and Science embedded.
•          The Feb 2016 OFSTED report gave specific praise for my teaching and the teacher student dialogue in student workbooks.

2016
- 20-21 Visual Arts Centre, N. Lincolnshire Make an Alien drop-in children's workshop,
- Children's Craft Birthday Parties in: Sheffield, Leeds and Penistone (South Yorkshire) and Ashbourne (Derbyshire)

2015
- Bilston Craft Gallery, Bilston, West Midlands – Children’s Felted Treasure Bags - 'Craft and Pre-History' touring exhibition
- Bilston Craft Gallery, Bilston, West Midlands - Children's Easter Holiday Activities. Felted Easter Eggs and Chicks
- Children's Craft Birthday Parties in: Sheffield, Leeds and New Mills (South Yorkshire) and Knowle, Solihull (West Midlands).

2014
- Bilston Craft Gallery, Bilston, West Midlands. - Holiday Activities. Felted Mini-Beasts
- Hodge Hill Girls' School, Birmingham - Enrichment Day Activities - Felted Pictures and Felted Flower Brooches. Y10 students
- Cherry Orchard Primary School, Worcester - Felted Rainforest Creatures and Insects. School Arts Week Y3
- Marshlands Special School, Stafford. Science Week Creative activities for the whole school. 'Alien Mini-Beasts' KS2 pupils
- Children's Felting Craft Birthday parties in: Sutton Coldfield and Solihull (West Midlands), Cannock (Staffordshire) and Sheffield (South Yorkshire).

2013
- Hobbycraft, Tamworth, West Midlands - Knitting Demonstrations and Finger Knitting Lessons for Children
- Beech Street Primary School, Eccles, Manchester - Arts Week Activities - Paul Klee inspired Felted Portraits Y4 and Monet’s Waterlilies Inspired Wall Hanging KS1
- House of Fairytales at Croft Castle, Herefordshire - Drop-in craft activities for children and families 'Time Will Tell' exhibition (Meadow Arts)
- Lichfield and Burntwood Libraries - Children's Felted Easter Chick workshops
- Derbyshire Schools Library Service - Dear SLS, Ilkeston and Ormiston Academy, Derbyshire        'Dear SLS' project involved 6 artists and 240 Y2, 3, 4 5 and 6 pupils from the area.
- Crich Tramway Museum, Derbyshire - Felted Flower Workshop
- Hobbycraft, Tamworth, West Midlands - Felted Butterflies children's drop-in activity
- Bilston Craft Gallery - Felted Purses (made using the resist technique) children's workshop
- Mencap Family Fun Day, Dudley, West Midlands - A variety of felting activities for children and young people with Special Needs
- Children's Felt-making Birthday parties. Sutton Coldfield (West Midlands) and Yoxall (Staffordshire)

2012
- Birmingham Children's Hospital - Creative sessions with Young People in Mental Health wards and CAMHS Centre
- St Chad's Arts and Crafts Group, Wolverhampton, West Midlands - Felted Beads and Jewellery
- Bilston Craft Gallery, Bilston, West Midlands - Felted Pictures: drawing with fibres
- Fuse Community Arts Festival, Lichfield Staffordshire - Felted Snakes and Jewellery
- St Dominic's Independent School, Wolverhampton - Hundertwasser inspired Textiles Y7
  and Felted Portraits Y10 GCSE
- Pupil Referral Unit, Burton Upon Trent, East Midlands - Creative Felting Sessions
- Hen Party Creative Activity, Derbyshire - Felted Portraits
- Libraries Adult Learners Week, Norton Canes, Staffordshire - Felted Purses.
- Cherry Orchard School, Worcester - Australian Themed Felted Pieces. School Arts Week KS1
- Oakdene Day Centre, Burntwood, Staffordshire - Felted Pictures (people living with Dementia)
- The Spark, Lichfield - Workshop 1 : Hand Felted Beads and Jewellery, 2: Hand Felted flower brooches, Workshop 3 : Hand felted Christmas Decorations
- Norton Canes Library, Staffordshire. Adult Learning Sessions - Felted Flower Brooches
- Wolverhampton Art Gallery. Youth Art Forum - weekly sessions- vessels and felted design pieces.
- Felted Bags. Masterclass felting workshop Lichfield, Staffordshire
- Borderland Voices (Mental Health Group), Leek Staffordshire - felt-making day workshop.
- The Bridge Centre Short Stay School (Pupil Referral Unit) Lichfield. KS4 enrichment sessions
- The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery and St Mark's Primary School Stoke on Trent - Y4 5 days Felted Roman socks and tunics.
- Lichfield Embroiderers' Guild. Textile presentation
- Felted Cushions. Masterclass felting workshop
- Penn Hospital, Wolverhampton. Arts and Health project: Working with older people living with Dementia (7 wks.) Taking inspiration from Polish Papercuts and Baskets in the museum collection, the participants made wet-felted: Flower Brooches, Pictures, Table Mats and Vessels. These were all later exhibited as part of the community contribution to 'The Joy of Making' exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery (Feb - May 2012).
- Lichfield and Burton on Trent libraries - Felted Mini-beasts taster felt-making sessions (Family Learning Month activities).
- Children's Felting Birthday parties in: Lutterworth (East Midlands); Walsall, Aldridge, Solihull and Birmingham (West Midlands) ; Stoke-on-Trent and Burntwood (Staffordshire) and Bridgenorth (Shropshire). - Children's Felt-making Birthday parties. Stourbridge and Birmingham, West Midlands.

2011
- Borderland Voices and ReThink (Mental Health groups) - Felted landscapes inspired by Staffordshire Peakland scenery. Part of a nurture trip to the Staffordshire Peak. 'A Breath of Fresh Air' (a project part funded by Ecominds and the Peak Park’s Sustainable Development Fund)
- START (Stafford Art Festival) - Mini Beasts drop-in family creative craft sessions
- Felted Handbag Masterclass, Lichfield
- The Spark, Lichfield. Wet-Felted Flower Brooches (adult workshop)
- Bilston Craft Gallery - Fun Felted Doughnuts, children's art workshops
- Walton Hall Special School, Stafford - Felting sessions for summer holiday club (children with multiple learning difficulties and disabilities).
- Centre for the Child, Birmingham Children's Library - Drop-in felted mini-beasts family session
- St Dominic's Independent School, Wolverhampton - Hundertwasser inspired Textiles Y7
- Nuno felt making for adults Masterclass, Lichfield, Staffordshire.
- Felted Flower Corsage workshop for Hen Party, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands.
- Bilston Craft Gallery, Wolverhampton Museums & Art Gallery - Fantastic Felted pictures. Children's holiday workshop
- West Midlands Quakers - Easter Felt making activities for families and children.
- Bridal Felted flowers Masterclass, Lichfield, Staffordshire
- G8Way: Children's Disability Service, Stafford & Wolverhampton - Aim Higher Spring Party - art activities for children with disabilities and Special Needs
- Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton - Activity Day for SEN children and their families
- G8Way: Children's Disability Service, Tamworth Children's Centre - Aim Higher Fun Day for children with disabilities and Special Needs
- Children's Felt making craft Birthday parties in: Lichfield (Staffordshire) and Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham (West Midlands)

2010
- G8Way: Children's Disability Service, Cannock Children's Centre - Felting activities with children with Special Needs
- Art Nation (Audiences Central) Arts Council England Art Outreach Project, Mander Shopping Centre, Wolverhampton - Felted Christmas Stockings, Santas, Angels and other hand-made decorations.
- Rolleston on Dove Women's Institute - Christmas Stocking Workshop. 3D felting with a resist
- Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Introduction to Felt-making: Flowers, purses & beads. Adult day course
- The Friary School, Lichfield, Staffordshire - Felt making Y12 Young Enterprise Project-Christmas stockings & decorations
- Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Burntwood Library and Uttoxeter Library - Halloween themed Spooky Mini-Beasts activities.
- Bilston Craft Gallery, Wolverhampton Museums & Art Gallery - 2 half day sessions with Blind and Partially Sighted Adults - Felted purses and table mats
- Fishcross Primary School, Alloa- Felting enrichment session for teaching and support staff. Felted Doughnuts.
- Walton Hall Special School, Stafford - felted wall-hanging for the multi-sensory room KS3
- 52 Weeks of Art: Erasmus Darwin Sculpture and Textiles Project - 8 half day sessions with groups of adults and children from various community groups. Work exhibited as part of 'Life the Universe & Darwin' community exhibition.
- Birmingham Children's Hospital - Felted Wall-hangings. Wellbeing Summer Project with young patients -Ward 7
- Midlands Art Centre (mac), Birmingham - Textiles Tutor for weekly adult Soft Jewellery classes. (20-week contract).
- St James C of E School, Derby - Mini-beasts and their habitat. Y2
- St Dominic's Independent School, Wolverhampton - Hundertwasser inspired Textiles Y7
- Walsall Museum, Walsall, West Midlands - Mini-Beasts; children's holiday art activities.
- Bilston Craft Gallery, Wolverhampton Museums & Art Gallery - Felt a Coat for your Teddy Bear (children's workshop)
- Northfield Quaker Pre-school, Birmingham - Mini-beasts and their habitats.
- Tamworth & Glascote Libraries, Tamworth, Staffs - Felted Flower Corsages. Adult Learners Week Activities.
- St Chad's Art Circle, Wolverhampton - Outreach project for Wolverhampton Art Gallery. Six-week course teaching a variety of art & textile techniques. Adult learners.
- Walsall Museum, Walsall, West Midlands - Easter Bunny Glove Puppets. Seamless felting workshop
- Chasewater Innovation Centre, Burntwood, Staffordshire - Felt a coat for your Teddy Bear and Make your own Felted Mini-Beast sessions (children's workshops)
- Wolverhampton Museum & Art Gallery, Wolverhampton - Sculptural felt (Donuts and coffee cups): Masterclass linked to 'POP' Jan Haworth exhibition.
- Felt making Birthday parties in:  West Midlands and Staffordshire.

2009
- Wolverhampton Museum & Art Gallery, Wolverhampton - Sculptural Felt (Donuts and coffee cups): Adult Masterclass linked to 'POP' Jan Haworth exhibition.
- Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Birmingham - Felt making Demonstrations in the 'How Art is Made' gallery
- Solihull Arts Complex, Solihull, West Midlands - Children's Saturday Art Club.
- Forest Oak Special School, Solihull, West Midlands - Sculptural felt: working with felt & found objects. Y5 pupils
- Hazel Oak Junior School, Solihull, West Midlands - Sculptural felt: working with felt & found objects. Y5 & 6 pupils
- Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Birmingham - Textural Felting 'Taking Time: Craft & the Slow Revolution' workshop
- Tamworth Library, Tamworth, Staffs - Felted Mini-beasts Environment Day activity
- RSA Academy, Tipton, West Midlands – Creative Felt making Day: Jewellery & Bags
- South London Home Educating Families Group, London - Sculptural felt: working with felt & found objects.
- Krasif Aid, Aldridge, West Midlands - Nuno felt making for adults. One day course.
- Chasewater Innovation Centre, Burntwood, Staffordshire - Felted Jewellery, holiday craft activities for teenagers.
- Birmingham Children's Hospital - Four half day creative felt making sessions working with young people in mental health wards. Project managed by PlayTrain. Work exhibited at ArtsFest, Birmingham.
- League Family Camp. John's Lee Wood, Leicestershire - Felted Flowers. Felting session for family groups; adults & children.
- Walsall Creative Development Team: Disability Arts, West Midlands - Felting activities during consultation day with young people from Walsall Youth Forum
- Children's Centre, Burton upon Trent - Felted Flower corsages. Enrichment session for carers & parents of children with Autism.
- Lichfield Artists’ Studios, Lichfield Staffs - Nuno felt making for adults. One day course.
- Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Make your own hand felted Mini-Beast Workshop (an Insect Week activity.)
- Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke on Trent - Mini-beasts on Safari. Workshop linked to gallery exhibition.
- Uplands Junior School, Wolverhampton - Textile Bird Project for school Arts Week. Y6
- Krasif Aid, Aldridge, West Midlands - Bags & 3D Felt making. Adult day course.
- Bilston Craft Gallery, Wolverhampton Museums & Art Galleries - Hand Felted Jewellery. Family workshops.
- Brockencote Hall, Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire - Textile Corsages. Adult workshop.
- Penn Hall Special School, Wolverhampton - Sensory Snakes - Sensory Lesson
- Bilston Craft Gallery, Wolverhampton Museums & Art Galleries - Hand Felted Easter Bunny Glove Puppets. Family workshops.
- Home Start, East Staffordshire Borough Council, Burton upon Trent - Spring Family Tree. Creative workshop for families.
- Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre. Workshops (Bob & Roberta Smith solo show)
Modern Day Mottos & Common Sense with Attitude. Recycled materials and textiles.
- Phoenix Nursery School, Wolverhampton - Mini-beasts. Wolverhampton Art Gallery partnership project.

2008
- Christchurch C of E Nursery School, Wolverhampton - Mini-beasts. Wolverhampton Art Gallery partnership project.
- Birmingham Children's Hospital (project managed by PlayTrain) - 'All About Me' worked with young people in Mental Health wards and Birmingham CAMHS Centre to make felted pictures and wall-hangings (these were exhibited as part of ArtsFest 08).
- Bilston Craft Gallery, Wolverhampton Museums & Art Gallery - Felted Bags Made over Stones. Family workshops.
- Burntwood Wakes Festival & Burntwood Art Festival, Lichfield District Council - Felted Bags Made Over Stones and Magic Ball Felted Mini Beasts.
- Wirksworth Junior School, Wirksworth, Derbyshire - Felted Firebird Sculpture and Window display project for Wirksworth Festival. Y2 & 3 pupils
- Model Village Primary School, Shirebrook, Derbyshire. Y5 and Y6 1 day per week full school year - Final large projects: Superhero Wall hanging & Nuno Felted Den
- Hey-Diddle-Diddle Pre-School Nursery, Chorley, Staffordshire - Felted Dream Bouncers.
- Burton-upon-Trent Library, East Staffordshire Borough Council - Magic Felted Balls. Family workshop.
- Making Space, Lichfield District Council. (Mental health support centres for adults.) Felt making with a Christmas Theme. 2 half-day workshops.

2007
- Doctor Johnson Museum, Lichfield - Big Draw Activities, Lichfield District Council- Experimental printmaking.
- Borrowwood Junior School, Derby. Interactive Sensory Weather Pod. Felt making with Y3 & 4 Five half day sessions.

2006
- Whittington Girl Guides, Staffordshire. Textile Jewellery.
- Lichfield Cathedral. All Saints' Fair. 'Make your own Halo'. Mixed Media - Early Years drop-in session

2003
Chadsmead Primary School, Lichfield - Make your own felted snake. Y3 & Y4 pupils

2001-2008
League Family Camp. John's Lee Wood, Leicestershire - Summer Holiday workshops Felt making, jewellery from recycled materials and poi making. Half-day and two-day workshops (children from 2yrs to adults).