ABSTRACT
An articled teacher, Maggie, is placed at a village infant school which has a ‘family centre’ attached. The quality of housing in the area is quite poor, and unemployment is high. The school consists of the original, small Victorian stone building along with several mobile classrooms in the playground. Inside, the rooms are well maintained and bright with displays. There appears a strong, caring ethos amongst the teaching staff, who are mainly aged between 30 and 50 years. The school actively promotes a sense of community, parents are readily welcomed, and support staff are valued and respected. A similar age to Maggie, her mentor is a calm, quietly spoken teacher with many years teaching experience. She is highly regarded by colleagues and others.
