Member since 2026
Hello there. My name is Claire, I have been teaching for 30 years, 15 in the Northwest of England and 15 internationally. I have taught the UK National Curriculum and have also been a specialist English as an additional language teacher up to age 14. I'm currently doing some light face-to-face tutoring, but my last big role was in China teaching Grade 3 EAL—vowels, blends, reading, writing, and grammar from the ground up. Before that: Thailand (Year 5 teacher plus English & Social Studies for Years 5–8), and Spain at the American School of Murcia (Maths & English for Grades 2–3, plus English Lead introducing assessment across the school). I've taught lots of EAL children and also supported pupils with Autism and other special needs—because every child matters. In 2021–22, I was Head Teacher at ELAN Montessori British School, teaching a mixed Year 2/3/4 class. As Head, I rewrote timetables, led a staff of nine, held a World Book Day fancy dress show, and took on SENCO duties (creating a SEN register and monitoring provision). I also did learning walks, book looks and created School Development Plans. I've taught in Qatar (Year 4, hybrid online/in-person using Teams and Showbie) and at King's College in Spain (Years 4–6, graded 'outstanding' in observations and pre-inspection). There I coordinated Pupil Voice and Humanities, ran an Art Club. I graduated with my PGCE in 1995, became Head of Year by 1998, and I've never lost my belief that a happy child is a learning child. Thirty years in, I'm still enthusiastic, still love a good lightbulb moment, and I bring humour, high expectations, and respect for every child. I plan fun and engaging lessons online and use brain gym to keep students motivated. If you want to learn while having fun, research my profile then come and join me.
English Language
English Literature
English as a Second Language
Primary English
Further Mathematics
Mathematics
Primary Maths
Biology
Primary Science
History
Geography
Bachelor of Science Environmental Science 1990 - 1993 PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate of Education) 1995 QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) 1995 TRN 9451135
“This is to certify that Claire Finney worked at Haidan Foreign Language school from August 2024 until November 2025. Mrs Finney was deeply invested in the success, development and safety of her students. She diligently worked to meet the needs of each student while challenging them to achieve their full potential. She placed great importance on developing; personal responsibility and independence. She implemented a number of systems in her class that allowed the students to track their own progress and ensure that they had completed their work for each week. Mrs Finney joined our team with a lot of experience and offered a lot of valuable insights. She introduced a colour coded self-assessment system for the students to identify how they did within a lesson based upon the stated success criteria at the start of the lesson. This again served to encourage the students to take personal ownership of their learning. She also worked with the students to perform a class play. This helped make the students more cooperative and caring overall. We saw noticeable improvements in her students' attitudes towards school, and to each other, under her caring and nurturing guidance. Although she has many years of experience, Mrs Finney was always willing to learn and try new approached in her teaching. She regularly took part in, and led, our professional development sessions and participated in the discussions. Her insights often challenged her co-workers to think more deeply about their own practise. Overall, she was a valuable asset for the program, and an excellent and collaborative tram member. I believe that she would make a valuable addition to any team, and I would strongly recommend her.”
Adam Ellerson, · Haidan Foreign Language School
