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Claudia Balara

I was born and educated in Hamburg, Germany where I received the German equivalent to a Masters Degree in Primary Education. In order to write my thesis, I went on a field study to Ecuador to research a very unusual school - with no classrooms and no lessons; it didn’t even call itself a school! The happiness and confidence, curiosity and passion for learning of these children made me trust in my initial belief: Children need a stimulating, creative environment, freedom, respectful borders and the feeling of trust in their abilities; then learning will continue to be a natural process.
After a couple of years of teaching at a state school in Hamburg, love brought me to London in 2005 and I looked for a school that I wanted to work in, by googling “creative”, “non-competitive”, “no school uniform” and found Dallington!
For me, one of the best things about Dallington School is the satisfied feeling, at the end of the day, that I had plenty of time to listen and talk to each child in my class, that I know how they are feeling and I am able to work with them on the level they are at. I also love doing art; working with the children has even encouraged me to get easel and brushes out at home again.
As a Governor, I see my responsibility in giving the staff of Dallington a voice at the Board Meetings by addressing their concerns and wishes.