Julie Martin (Staff)

ELSH Lead ESOL Lead Tutor

Julie is a Staff Lead – ESOL tutor for the Talk English course. The course is for speakers of other languages to learn and improve their English. Through the course, the learners are able to build important life skills. Julie plans embedded individual and blended learning for groups and individuals and regularly assess the learners work. Lessons are planned prior to learners attending the course. She works with the ELSH volunteer team to plan the curriculum, tailored to those who don’t speak English as their first language.

Julie delivers targeted, innovative and professional curriculum programmes to support some of the most disadvantaged people in the Barnsley communities. She has a TEFL certificate that enables our students to gain self-respect, build resilience, confidence and skills and live more positive and fulfilling lives. ELSH has been investing in people through volunteering, which means we can reduce inequalities and isolation to build a much stronger community.

Julie ensures that ELSH’s policies and procedures on Safeguarding, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are implemented and adhered to at all times, creating a stimulating and safe learning environment. Julie can emphasis, engage and motivate learners in their learning. Julie has a commitment to equal opportunities and uses a variety of strategies and practices to promote the diverse cultural and equality issues in the classroom. Julie communicates to a range of audiences (verbal, written, ICT or other media teaching methods to encourage learners to develop self-esteem and respect for others.

Louise

Media and Marketing

Louise volunteers with us, helping with all things social media and marketing. She is the one to talk to if you need help posting something on your social media or updating your website. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Leeds and has a 200+ strong Funko POP collection!

Pooja Ramchadani

Student Teacher

Pooja is on a teaching placement from Northern College, focusing on English. She has a Master’s degree in Finance and Commerce. She is currently pursuing a PGCE in Adult and Community Education. Teaching at ELSH helps her to assist adult learners from a varied set of backgrounds and circumstances. In Pooja’s English lessons, she makes it a point to embed the necessary Maths and ICT skills to help them gain the most out of her lessons. This is so that they increase their chances of gaining skills to assist them in their next steps, whatever their next steps may be.

Salma Ahmed

Maths Teacher

Salma joined ELSH in June 2021, helping as a basic Maths teacher. Previously, Salma worked in animal research and she has a degree in biology. Now, Salma is supporting ELSH while she is waiting for another job in her previous field.

At ELSH she is also supporting the teachers to source enrichment activities for learners, identifying sufficent opportunities for work experience and employment for learners. She also supports the teacher to plan structured learning to meet individual learning plans and assists in guiding and encouraging learners to give them the necessary skills, motivation and knowledge to progress to work, further learning or training.

Areej Jones

ESOL teacher

Areej joined ELSH in February 2021, assisting as an ESOL teacher. She has a degree in English literature and she currently teaches ESOL to our learners. She supports learners to develop an understanding of equality and diversity and their rights and responsibilities in learning the English language and its culture. She provides learners with any support that they need during the class sessions that aid the progression of learners where English is not their first language.

Areej focuses on life skills, such as Laws in the UK, British values and enrichment activities. She supports the teachers to ensure information is fed into reviews and show progess against Initial assessment summary and the Learning plan and to contribute to the Quality Improvement review cycle.

Christina

College placement & ICT assistant

Christina’s volunteer role of ICT assistant was to help the students with navigating the computers during their studies at ELSH. The role involved communicating with students and understanding their requirements and resolving any issues with the understanding of basic computer skills, allowing them to progress in their learning. Christina returned to ELSH in September 2021, this time under college placement. Her role is to assist the teachers with their classes and also continue her previous role as a volunteer ICT assistant.

Kirsty Flannagan (Staff)

Receptionist/Administrator

My name is Kirsty, I started at ELSH a few years ago as a student in placement studying PGCE from Northern College as part of Huddersfield University. I studied AET and LSP before joining the teaching. In the future, I am planning to travel to other countries to teach ESOL. I have joined the ELSH staff as the receptionist/administrator, also continuing with my teaching to gain more experience. I enjoy walking, nature, photography, and spending time with my family. I believe everyone has the right to an education to progress in life. I am very supportive person for what I do and have developed confidence joining ELSH.

Alan Curtis

Conversation Lead Tutor

Alan is secretary of Amnesty in Barnsley, a former secretary of ELSH trustees and volunteer at ELSH. He has provided his invaluable support since 2017, always going above and beyond to help. Now, Alan leads classes and conversation groups, teaching and supporting the many students who come our way.

Hazel

English Tutor

I am a voluntary tutor at ELSH. My job as a tutor involved teaching students who are refugees/migrants coming to this country. My classes involve teaching them enough to speak English to integrate and get employment in the local area. The students are aged over 18 years old, and some may continue with more educational skills at Barnsley College. As this is a charity, we seek help and support from other organisations.

In the 1990’s I did a Humanities Course at Barnsley. From there I did a BA hons degree culminating in a PGCE course near Manchester. Returning back to Barnsley I joined Community Education as an Adult Education Tutor; teaching English; Literature and Word Processing. From here a new group was set up in day centres working with students who have learning disabilities I have now retired from this and now work as a volunteer tutor at ELSH teaching English skills which I find most rewarding.