Sahra Ahmed

I am an ambitious and committed practitioner who continually seeks to develop my practice and pedagogy to ensure students make progress and enjoy learning. I have gained a vast array of experience during my PGCE year having been placed at a mixed state school, boys’ faith school, and girls’ faith school. I am passionate that all students should enjoy a broad and varied curriculum that develops their personal self as well as helping them to achieve their academic potential. The curriculum I am currently teaching, sees me placed across all three disciplines of science in KS3 and KS4. This allows deep, thoughtful, and enthusiastic discussions to take place in the classroom in an open-minded environment where students can express themselves and add value to the learning. It generates critical thinking from pupils, allowing them to make the required cross curricular links needed to excel in science. Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, pupils are encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena. By encouraging pupils to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes, it holds them for good standing once they leave school into further education or employment. I believe the teaching of science is essential to support the holistic development of students by giving them the skills and knowledge to become well rounded, confident, and ambitious young people. Currently I am teaching Science at KS3 and KS4. I plan rigorous and engaging lessons that are underpinned by high expectations of behaviour and achievement. Using a wide range of evidence informed strategies, all students regardless of their background are encouraged and able to succeed in my lessons. I am confident in using a wide range of teaching techniques incorporating literacy, oracy, ICT, and creativity that engage pupils and enable them to develop the wider skills required to succeed.
At KS3, I have planned and delivered a KS3 Science scheme of learning in my current placement school who had outdated and old-fashioned curriculum intent and implementation. To support this planning, I have developed a new method of written feedback that uses a combination of ‘marking codes’ mirroring examination expectations and tailored individual improvement targets to ensure effective feedback that supports student progress and enhances their independence to respond to feedback. The impact of this has been that students have greater understanding and ownership of how they need to improve and achieve their potential. I work confidently to assess learning through both summative and formative assessment, using this to inform future planning and identify groups of students who may need further support to make progress. I enjoy talking to pupils about their learning, using qualitative data from pupil voice surveys to inform my planning. This has proved particularly informative when working with SEND pupils, enabling me to effectively support their learning needs and lead the work of several teaching assistants to further ensure progress. I have created an inclusive, positive classroom culture that ensures every student enjoys learning and is not afraid to make mistakes. I am confident in using data across key stages to monitor and accelerate student progress, using a variety of methods such as class data spreadsheets and SIMS to track the ongoing progress of students. I discuss assessment data both with parents in regard to their child's progress, and also at line management meetings in which I analyse the key trends of classes, key pupil groups such as PPG and develop when necessary, interventions in light of this data. I am able to triangulate such data findings with other sources such as my professional
judgement of classroom performance to build an accurate picture of student progress and raise achievement. I work as a valued and innovative member of my current team by planning collaboratively and sharing resources. I consistently contribute to department meetings through undertaking collaborative planning, moderation of assessments and developing new assessments to embed skills at KS3.