Ellie's Story
Ellie has worked for Wildcats Theatre School for the past 2 years, either as a volunteer or in a paid capacity. She is currently just about to turn 18 years old. She attends Bourne Grammar School and is the second year of her A Level Studies. Ellie started with Wildcats when she was 15. Shy and quiet, she came along to a class for younger children, looking for a way to be involved and to gain new skills. She volunteered her time over the coming months helping out at classes, as well as children’s parties and holiday programmes.
Wildcats had a number of young people helping out as seniors but Ellie always stood out as different. She was keen and willing to learn, volunteering for tasks, coming up with ideas and showing she had bags of enthusiasm as well as initiative and common sense. As she developed the Wildcats team knew they needed to push her even further – and they started to give Ellie responsibility for running her own holiday activity days.
Ellie took to this like a duck to water – with such confidence and professionalism, yet still on 16 years old. The Wildcats team knew she needed to be pushed further still – and it was then once she was 17 that she took on her own weekly theatre school class in Bourne which she has been running for the past year with support from another Musical Theatre Teacher, who acts in an assistants capacity during her classes.
Ellie’s main duties include running her own theatre school classes, including lesson planning and development, delivery of lessons and workshops and maintaining paperwork including registers. She also assists other teachers in running classes supporting children aged 4-13 in the classes. Alongside this, Ellie is able to run her own children’s birthday parties – entertaining up to 50 children for 2 hours as part of a child’s birthday celebrations.
She has on a number of occasions developed her own workshops and activities, showing creativity and initiative indeveloping fun, interactive and lively sessions for the children to take part in. She has also worked with children with additional needs, an example of which is recently co-running a party for sick children at Derby Children’s Hospital.
Ellie shows excellent teaching practice, with the children giving her a great deal of respect. She can manage small and large groups of children well and has built excellent relationships with the children’s parents, who have on a number of occasions commented on Ellie’s excellent teaching ability and the professionalism shown during sessions.
Ellie works hard and also volunteers as part of the ‘West End Wildcats’ troupe. Last year she performed on a West End Stage twice. She is has also this year performed at the Royal Albert Hall, also acting as a mentor and role model to the other children and young people involved.
Ellie has developed her confidence immensely over the 2 years she has worked with us. She is a ‘quick thinker’ – now able to come up with ideas and activities at a moments notice when required.
Ellie is a confident, thoughtful and talented member of the Wildcats staff team who has developed excellent teaching skills as well as learning the skills needed to run her own lessons and classes.
Quotes from parents of children that Ellie works with:
“What makes Ellie a lovely person is that she remembers everybody. She takes the time to listen and learn from people. More than a teacher, she is a mentor, somebody who learns from the people they teach. She made Rhiannon welcome in a situation where she was very uncomfortable even with her inability to hear. She is caring, kind and warm. She is aware of people’s abilities and wants all of them to shine. For a young woman of her age, she has a mature head and will become an exceptional person in the future.”
“Ellie's wildcats classes are always fun and interesting, she brings out the best in the children who attend. Ellie always conducts in a professional way. George says Ellie is a wonderful teacher and looks forward to his class every week.”
A child said “I love singing and dancing and joining in by copying Ellie and she makes Wildcats really fun. Can Ellie come for tea?”
“Ellie and Wildcats – What can I say? My little girls says ‘I want to be like Ellie when I am older’. The children absolutely love Ellie and leave her class confident and so happy. Each week Ellie stands up and talks to the parents, its hard to believe she is only 17 as she shows maturity beyond her years. Her natural ability shines.