Melissa Wright

A dynamic and pro-active Physical Education and Guidance Teacher with a strong passion for teaching pupils in an inclusive and innovative learning environment. Actively encourages pupils to engage in practical and classroom based learning to develop their confidence, knowledge, and physical abilities.  Adept in monitoring student progress and attainment while identifying improvements to devise and implement strategies to enhance pupil capabilities. Extremely data literate and consistently and proficiently use data to inform best practice. Four years experience teaching Scottish equivalent of GSCE and A Levels with excellent attainment results year on year. Enjoys being part of a team that strives for excellence in delivery of PE and Sport, ensuring pupils’ wellbeing is prioritised. Collaboratively works with parents and colleagues to ensure pupils are fully supported according to their needs while creating a positive environment for learning in school and at home. Enjoys facilitating, leading, and managing extra-curricular activities to enhance pupils experience at school. Positively advocates the sharing of best practice across the school community as part of embedding a culture of continuous improvement.  

Fully qualified Personal Trainer with 6 years experience training clients through a range of disciplines with highly individualised programmes. 

Avid learner and reader, currently learning Spanish in my own time. Lover of sport and the outdoors and enjoy playing a variety of activities competitively. 

GRYFFE HIGH SCHOOL                                                                                                                        Aug 2019 - present

Physical Education Teacher 

During my time at Gryffe I have consistently delivered high quality, challenging and enjoyable Physical Education programmes to pupils from year 3 onwards, evidenced through faculty head observations, trackable pupil progress and positive parent feedback. As part of our enhanced transition programme, I teach Physical Education to our feeder primary school pupils and am therefore fully competent across the 3-18 age range. I have an active involvement in our extra-curricular programme, leading the school badminton club and our staff wellbeing programme. I also run a both girl’s and boy’s football teams each year and in 2020 led our U15s boys’ team to the Semi Finals of the Scottish Cup. My additional leadership roles within the HWB faculty have included Student mentor, Faculty Attainment Lead and Subject Ambassador Lead. I was also recently successful through interview for the role of Acting Principal Teacher of Guidance with responsibilities for a caseload of over 200 pupils.

Responsibilities:

• Pro-actively teaching across the full breadth of the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland including Scottish equivalent of GSCEs and A – Levels with excellent attainment results each year. 
• Continually developing knowledge and understanding of each pupil and their potential challenge by confidently assessing their needs within whole class settings and differentiating activities to ensure all pupils are suitably challenged within an environment of high standards and high expectations. 
• Using a varied range of assessment strategies including regular incorporation of AiFL techniques to assess pupil progress across stages.
• Preparing and delivering a range of lessons according to the curriculum while ensuring these are engaging and maximise pupil participation. 
• Teaching a range of sports at various levels and guiding pupils on utilising various techniques to improve their abilities. 

Effectively preparing students for their exams while considering different learning styles and ensuring the mission and values of the school are embedded into the classroom environment. 

• Providing practical support to assist with study, and emotional and time management skills to enable students to maximise their performance and coping mechanisms. 
• Positively collaborating with pupils, staff, external agencies and parents to ensure all pupils are supported to achieve their potential. 
• Weekly communication via telephone with parents of pupils in my caseload providing progress updates, support for parents, and alleviating any concerns they may have regarding their child.
• Collating and actioning whole school attendance data and communicating this with Senior Management to ensure safeguarding of all pupils.
• Working closely with principal teacher of Wellbeing, Equality, and inclusion to support all pupils holistically by taking them through wellbeing profiling. 
• Issuing constructive feedback to students regarding their progress, achievements, behaviours, and attendance as part of encouraging a culture of continuous improvement.
• Assessing, recording, and reporting on pupil progress while using tracking data at all levels to ensure pupils are supported to achieve their full potential 
• Delivering regular feedback to parents and carers regarding pupil progress via face-to-face meetings, emails, and calls

GRYFFE HIGH SCHOOL                                                                                                                        Jan 2023 - present

Acting PT Guidance 

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the care, support, wellbeing and learning of a caseload of over 200 pupils within Macintosh House. 
• Ensuring all pupils, regardless of background are supported to access their education by removing barriers to learning through liaising with all stakeholders to implement individualised support plans. 
• Regularly involved in as well as leading meetings with other agencies and staff to best support the young people in my house through a staged intervention approach. 
• Continued support of vulnerable young people through attending and often leading meetings with children, their families, social work, the police and the Educational Psychologist.
• Responsible for a variety of whole school responsibilities such as leading and coordinating the pupil options process, contributing to the development of our PSE programmes as well as having whole school responsibility for my house group.
• I have contributed towards and promoted a positive school ethos as Head of House by driving and organising initiatives such as our Personal Training elective course, and by reinforcing positive behaviour through lessons and house assemblies. Further to this I also have responsibility for several extra-curricular groups in the school such as World Challenge and our Badminton Club.

MA Physical Education - First Class 

University of Edinburgh (2018)