Mrs Rebecca Platt

Before Sackville

I have grown up in Kent and went to secondary school in Tunbridge Wells. Although I have danced every week from a young age my  first  passion was Athletics. From the age of eleven,  I competed for Kent and South East England and trained at Tunbridge Athletics Club.  I was a good 100m runner but my strength was with High Jump and by thirteen years old I was 7^th in England. It was around this time I thought I’d quite like to be in the Army  - I have recently married into an ex Military family  and  they would laugh at the thought of this as I love pink, hate mud and always carry a lip balm!

While taking A levels I decided a PE degree would be great. I studied at Brighton University and specialised in athletics and swimming. I was given my first teaching job at St. Gregory’s RC School , Tunbridge Wells after completing my first teaching practice there. I went on to teach at St Gregs for five years and loved it, I had responsibility for dance, swimming and athletics. I worked as their School Sports Coordinator and helped develop links with local primary schools. However, my  burning desire to do more dance has finally won.  As I’ve said, I have  always attended dance classes as a child and had learnt tap, ballet, modern and loved performing. I started looking at dance jobs  in my spare time and decided to audition for a dance school in London. I gained a place at Laban in London and in 2006 started my professional dance training. After completing my training I went on to teach in a number of schools in Kent, teaching Dance and Performing Arts. I started teaching at Sackville in September and also teach at Combe Bank Prep School.

Why I enjoy my subject

Because dancing is my passion! Every dance lesson I teach I get excited because I love to dance and love sharing it with my students. I totally and utterly believe in this quote about dance, “There are shortcuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them” –Vicki Baum.  As a subject students can learn so much about Dance, they can then go on to use this knowledge to appreciate, understand and create. Learning to express yourself through dance or any of the arts should not just be a privilege to some it should be available to everyone and Sackville fully supports this. There are so many styles of dance that  there is something for all. I love watching students go from hating dance to asking you to not turn the music off or give them 5 more minutes because they can’t stop dancing!

Why I enjoy Sackville?

On my first day nearly every teacher I walked past in a corridor stopped and introduced themselves and asked if I was OK, believe me this doesn’t happen in all schools and I have worked in quite a few. The students have enormous character and are open to learning. Due to the small numbers here students are so supportive of each other.  It’s lovely to be part of that ethos.

My favourite Lesson?

Any lesson where students let themselves go and start to create work of their own.

Other roles

I run extracurricular clubs and am looking to start an all boys street dance crew. I also work at Teenstagers here at Sackville on a Friday evening teaching dance.

Passions

I got married in the summer and love spending time with my new husband. My second favourite thing is my lovely dog who I spend my weekends taking for long walks around the countryside. I enjoy performing and have played principal roles in pantomimes and musicals at the Stag Theatre Sevenoaks, my favourite being Peggy Sawyer in 42^nd Street. I enjoy watching films and going to the cinema, particularly to see anything starring Hugh Jackman!