MEET THE HEAD OF EAL

Experienced EAL teacher and leader Ms Emma Bredbury joins the City Campus team as Head of English as an Additional Language (EAL). Ms Bredbury brings 10 years of language teaching experience to Shrewsbury, following her role at St George’s The British International School in Duisburg-Düsseldorf, Germany. We asked Ms Bredbury to introduce herself to the school community:

What is your nationality and background? 
I come from Stockport, which is a town south of Manchester in the UK. I completed my teaching degree there, and I specialised in teaching Language, Communication and Literacy and Modern Foreign Languages. 

I have been furthering my career in teaching and languages in Duisburg in Germany for the past 10 years, which I have really enjoyed. During this time, I also welcomed my son Eric into the world, who is now 3 years old. I am thrilled that he has joined EY1 at Shrewsbury. 

What inspired you to become a teacher? What do love about teaching?
I have always wanted to be a teacher, ever since I was a child. I was lucky enough to gain experience in schools while I was still a teenager, through experienced role models in my life. I was often in school with a friend’s mum who was a Deputy Head and I was able to see that life as a teacher went beyond the classroom. After spending so much time helping in schools, I was sure that I wanted to have a positive impact on young children.

The aspect that I love most about teaching is seeing children becoming more confident in their own abilities and watching them take their own individual steps to succeed. 

What do you consider to be your greatest successes in your teaching career so far? What challenges have you overcome?
I am extremly passionate about my specialist area in Language.  I was thrilled to lead the Literacy department in Key Stage 2, and to  join the EAL team at my previous school in Germany. During this time, my priority was working on accessibility and making sure the curriculum was beneficial and engaging for all pupils.

Other achievements I am proud of include various charity and sustainability projects I pioneered, during my time in leadership of the Humanities department at St George’s. I led an art charity project through which we raised over €2500 for children from war-torn countries. I also coordinated a project for One Community Day using recycled materials to create a piece of art that represented environmental awareness friendly.  

I was also delighted to launch the Junior Award Scheme for Schools (JASS) with Key Stage 2 children at my previous school. Through this scheme, I saw our students develop new skills, take up new sports, and learn how to help the community and work together. This of course proved challenging when we began dealing with the implications of COVID-19. Yet, we embraced technology and made sure the children and wider community did not miss out on these opportunities!

How and when did you find yourself in Bangkok?
I am new to Bangkok this year. After living in Europe for my whole life, I decided that this would be the year to live further away from home! I have received many recommendations about how beautiful life is in Thailand. I am very excited about exploring this part of the world!
 
What most excites you about your new role at City Campus? What are your plans for the EAL department at City Campus?
I am delighted to be leading the EAL department at City Campus. I am particularly looking forward to using the wonderful spaces and resources that we have available for our students here. I am also very excited to be working with a team of other experienced and passionate teachers, and becoming part of this fantastic team. 

As Head of EAL, I will be focussing on strategies for helping pupils with their English language in the classroom.  Our team of EAL teachers is a fantastic resource to help some of our pupils to improve their understanding of the English language. I will also be exploring ways to give children individual targets to personalise their learning journeys here at Shrewsbury.

And finally, what do you like to do when you’re not working?
I enjoy spending time with my family. We love using the swimming pool and exploring. I like to relax by listening to music or reading an interesting book.

At City Campus, our language teachers are qualified, experienced and passionate educators. We use a variety of creative and meaningful learning opportunities to support students who are developing their English as an Additional Language. For more information, please contact admissions-city@shrewsbury.ac.th.