Meet The Key Stage 1 Team

Hello,  my name is Emma Grimwade and I am a Year 2 teacher and the Year 2 Lead.

I am so lucky to be part of the team at West Rise. It is the most beautiful school with the most amazing children and I love supporting them to shine!

I am part of the maths team and enjoy bringing this subject to life with the children. I love singing with the children and aim to incorporate it as much as possible throughout our day, I love seeing the impact music can have on children's wellbeing, and on all areas of the curriculum.

‍

My name is Katie Sams and I have been teaching at West Rise for the past seven years. I have a degree in English Literature and enjoy teaching early reading and writing. I absolutely love working with children - there is never a dull moment and I honestly think teaching is one of the best jobs in the world! I treasure the time I get to spend with the children here at West Rise and it is amazing to watch them grow and shine.

My name is Emma Edwards and I have been teaching for over 7 years. I can't quite believe how fast that time has flown by! I absolutely love my job and thoroughly enjoy getting to know each child and helping them grow and flourish in the next stage of their learning. I believe strongly in building confidence, to try and not give up when you come across difficulties. I always endeavour to build a classroom environment where every child feels safe and supported todo this as well as it being a fun and exciting place to learn. 

Although I love teaching all subjects, Art is areal passion which I particularly enjoy teaching. I love watching children suddenly notice detail they have never noticed before, learning to experiment with different mediums, and having the confidence to expand and experiment on their new skills.

I love drawing and painting myself when I can. I also thoroughly enjoy music and dancing. Spending fun times with my family and friends is my favourite past time.

I am Emma Bailey and I have been teaching Year 1 at West Rise since I joined in 2017. I love this age group, their enthusiasm and natural curiosity for learning. It is such a pleasure to be a part of their journey through the school, watching them develop and learn in such a nurturing and safe environment.

I have taught both KS1 and KS2 in and around Kent and East Sussex. In addition to this, I spent a number of years living in South East Asia, with some time spent teaching in a large international school.   

West Rise truly has ‘wellbeing’ at its core. Every child is nurtured and valued for the individual they are and the one they will become. 

My name is Emily Ellis and I have been teaching at West Rise since 2008. I feel lucky to be part of such a supportive team. I am also Teacher Governor, a role I find very rewarding. 

I live in Hastings with my husband and three children. Joshua, who has special needs, Lottie and Sam - as you can imagine they keep me very busy!

My name is Allyson Hurst and I have been a teacher at West Rise Infant School since 2014.  I currently teach in Year Two, and I am the lead teacher for reading and writing in year 2 across the school. I have previously taught in other schools.

I love teaching at West Rise Infants where every child and adult is cared for individually, and enabled to thrive.

Hello, my name is Annie Dean. I have been working at West Rise since 2022 and I am so grateful to be working in such a wonderful environment.

I feel so fortunate to be a part of the children's journey here at West Rise. It brings me so much joy to see the children discovering their passions and finding their love for learning. Helping each child shine in their own way is what makes teaching the best job in the world!

‍

Hi, my name is Michael Murphy and I have worked at West Rise Infants since 2017. I absolutely love working in Year 2 with children who are always fun, enthusiastic, curious and kind. I am also Lead Teacher for Science and P.E. in school and aim to make these subjects accessible any enjoyable for all children.

In my own time I really enjoy watching and playing football as well as joining in with many other sports. I also love paddle boarding so you may have seen me out on the sea or local rivers with my children!