Early Years Team

  • Mrs Gillie van der Eyken

    Early Years Lead

    gvandereyken@piddlevalley.dorset.sch.uk

    BEd (Hons), NPQH
    Designated Safeguarding Lead (Level 3)

    Mrs V is the Early Years Lead at Piddle Valley with 30 years experience teaching in East Sussex, Dorset and the Middle East. She is Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (Level 3), and Phonics, Reading and English Leads for Piddle Valley. Mrs V has completed recent training in Little Wandle Phonics, Mark-Making across the Curriculum, Loose Parts and Early Years Maths. She has also completed courses through Tapestry in order to fully utilise all that our Online Learning Journal provider has to offer. Mrs V is a trained tutor in Therapeutic Thinking. Mrs V is currently studying courses in 'Hygge in the Early Years' and 'The Curiosity Approach'. Mrs V loves singing, dancing and reading Supertato stories. She loves pretending to be a dinosaur!

  • Mrs Christina Chant

    Teaching Assistant

    Paediatric First Aider (Level 3)
    Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools (Level 3)

    Mrs Chant is currently working towards her Cache Level 3 Early Years Educator. She is very experienced in supporting speech and language development and SALT and has completed recent training to deliver the NELI (Nuffield Early Language Intervention) programme. Mrs Chant has also completed Little Wandle Phonics training. She is also trained to deliver the comprehensive emotions and wellbeing programme, Hamish and Milo. Mrs Chant loves reading stories, especially The Gruffalo and she loves hiding in boxes!