Teaching Assistant

Head's Welcome

I would like to welcome you all to The Beckmead Moundwood Academy, which became part of The Beckmead Trust in May 2020.

I am privileged to have worked across a range of different settings for children with social, emotional and mental health needs for nearly 20 years. I began my journey as a teaching assistant before gaining a degree in Education and fully qualifying as a teacher. My progression into school leadership began as a middle leader with responsibility for overseeing a bespoke community learning programme. Following this, I gained further experience as an Assistant Headteacher before becoming head of an alternative provision that caters specifically for pupils that have experienced long term difficulties with education and exhibit a range of challenging behaviours. My experiences working with vulnerable children and engagement with postgraduate education has truly shaped my understanding of children’s social-emotional needs, learning and behaviour.

We are on an exciting journey at Moundwood where our pupils lie at the heart of everything we do. Our vision is to ensure pupils receive a quality education that incorporates a blend of academic, vocational and social learning opportunities. We do this  through providing stimulating learning experiences that is purposeful, challenging and well suited to individual needs. This  includes a strong focus on pupils’ emotional wellbeing, personal growth and achievement.

Our approach to pupils’ progress and development is rooted in the principles of nurture. My team and I are committed to providing a healthy, safe and well structured learning environment where your child will be supported to attain age related educational standards through approved qualifications. We are dedicated to ensuring pupils leave our academy prepared for their lives as young adults and our  staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills to support them to achieve the best possible outcomes.

We uphold our values by having high expectations of our pupils, colleagues and other stakeholders. This can be seen in our daily practice where care, understanding and mutual respect underpins all our relationships. This includes forging positive partnerships with parents and carers who we remain committed to and are key to our work.

I am deeply honoured to serve as Headteacher in an environment where every child is recognised as an individual. I am also very proud of the pupils and staff who work hard every day to promote the positive development of our school.

I hope this website gives you insight into what we do at Moundwood, The Beckmead Trust and our offer for vulnerable children and young people. We encourage you to contact the school should you have any questions and will be happy for you to visit.

Kindest regards,

Andre Genas
Head Teacher