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Key Staff
Helen Campbell
- Assistant Head
- Curriculum
 I
trained as a teacher of mathematics and physical education and had
worked in mainstream schools for twenty four years before joining
West Kirby Residential School in January 2003. In previous schools I
have gained a wealth of experience having worked as Head of
Mathematics, Head of ICT, Assistant Head of Year and Social
Inclusion Manager.
Although the pupils have a wide range of complex needs and have
experienced difficulties in their school experiences I believe that
they deserve the same opportunities to access education and
accreditation as any other young person and in my role within West
Kirby Residential School I aim to provide a suitable, balanced and
varied curriculum and access to external accreditation for all
courses that pupils undertake.
In my spare time I enjoy crosswords, swimming, walking, cycling and
reading. I have a strong interest in animals but my commitments do
not allow me to keep pets although I do 'borrow' various animals to
look after during the school holidays.
Peter Smith - Assistant
Head - Behaviour
 I
started teaching in 1993 at a large secondary school in Birmingham
where I taught art and learnt a great deal. I then chose to spend
two years supply teaching in special education throughout
Birmingham, Coventry, Liverpool and the Wirral.
I studied for a Masters Degree in the Arts in
Therapy and Education on the topic of communication through the arts
and graduated in 2004. This involved an intensive two years modular
course in London for one weekend in every month followed by a
dissertation largely based on my work at WKRS.
Part of my role as Assistant Head (Behaviour)
now involves time spent with BEST (Behaviour and Education, Support
team), planning and coordinating the schools Options system of
rewards, serving as one of three Physical Intervention Instructors
and continuing to Teach art to all Key Stages.
I have exhibited my paintings at the Hanover
Galleries in Liverpool, illustrated for the BBC Music Magazine, a
number of other periodicals and am presently involved in
illustrating album/CD covers for a number of independent bands based
in London and New York who share with me a similar value base. Two
recent 2007 albums that I have illustrated have been reviewed in the
Sunday Times Culture section. The work I produce seems to encourage
the pupils to value the importance of having a focus and allows them
to see an end result, a meaning behind the lessons they attend.
I believe each day we are all writing our own
stories, of our own lives, with each action we write a sentence,
with each decision we provide punctuation in the dialogue we have
with ourselves and the world around us. We have the choice to change
but only with the support of family, friends, colleagues and mentors
may we have the strength to make the right choices.
I believe as teachers or facilitators of young
peoples’ social, emotional and educational growth we at WKRS all
have a part to play, and it is simply this; to be happy one must
seek the happiness in others. What is happiness? It is different in
all of us. How do we find what makes others happy? We listen!
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