To watch OUR SPECIAL TEACHER please Copy & Paste the following link:

 https://vimeo.com/422808280

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I'm Natalie Martins, a filmmaker from Surrey. I am sharing my debut short documentary film 'Our Special Teacher' in the hope it can help raise £2021.00 for the fantastic SEN school that the film revolves around. The school have continued to work incredibly hard during a very testing 2020 and will continue to work equally as hard throughout 2021 and I hope that by setting up this fundraising page and releasing my short film online that we can achieve something really positive to such a deserving school. 

Side note: This was all filmed prior to the pandemic hitting the UK. 

A message from Natalie Martins, the Filmmaker:

“Thank you for taking the time to visit my fundraising page - don't forget to check out the film via the link and donate if you can, we really hope you enjoy it. 

In my life I have met some really incredible people, people who have continuously inspired me. Rosie, the key participant in Our Special Teacher, is one of those people in my life. For years the stories she told me of her work painted a picture of a fun yet challenging environment that she was not afraid of; a demanding job that she wholeheartedly embraced; and an array of responsibilities that she never shied away from. The more I heard Rosie’s stories, the more I wanted to know. Rosie and the school was a subject matter I couldn’t stop revisiting in my mind. For years I have said to Rosie “I could make a film about you” and when I felt brave enough and confident enough to take the first steps in making it happen we came together and made a short film, Our Special Teacher. Shot rather spontaneously over a couple of days in 2019-20 I spent time with Rosie and her class and learned more than I could ever have imagined. I was welcomed into the school and her wonderful classroom and felt blessed that I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to not only capture some endearing and beautiful moments between the students and staff but also educate myself about special educational needs and those that teach in a SEN school. It truly is a special school and I feel very passionately that an audience would benefit from watching a documentary like this and hope that by sharing it with you, you may be inspired to donate some money to the school - who benefit such a huge deal from every donation. We had planned to delve deeper and film a lot more content throughout 2020 for the short as well as for a TV Pilot/feature length film but sadly, due to the global pandemic, filming had to come to a standstill in March 2020. Despite all the difficulties and challenges faced the school and it's wonderful teachers and staff have continued to work very hard throughout, supporting those who attend the school and their families. A truly exceptional school filled with truly special and exceptional staff and students. If you would like to donate to the school please donate to this fundraising page and let's together try raise or even surpass the £2021.00 target. The money raised will make a real difference to the outside learning spaces that they have at QEII School. Thanks so much for all your support."

About Rosie [The Key Participant in the film]

Rosie Huggett has worked as a SEN teacher at QEII School for almost 5 years. With a strong background in music, Rosie was drawn to the Performing Arts elements of the school. Her years of previous experience working with children with epilepsy also played a huge part in her career development and has made her an invaluable asset to QEII.

Rosie teaches a class of ten students and is the key participant of the documentary. Over the years she has built up a great relationship with colleagues, parents and pupils and is a real stand out teacher in the school.

Rosie has a wonderful approach with the students and works hard to ensure the environment is safe, calm and fun for everyone. Her responsibilities day-to-day range from teaching the curriculum to assessing and dealing with the medical needs of the children. Her resilience and strength when dealing with challenging behaviours is also something to be truly admired. Rosie is a very inspirational and down-to-earth person and is very likeable, warm and engaging. 

A message from Rosie: 

“I am hoping that in making this documentary we will be able to open the eyes of others about how hard people work with children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). You often see negative footage of some SEN situations but I want to be able to help show how lovely it can be and how, yes, it is hard but it's certainly do-able and definitely rewarding. Being a SEN teacher is hard work and you take on roles you never imagined but it all becomes worth it when you make progress and watch the amazing students grow. I believe that it is really important to work collaboratively with all those involved in the individual’s life in order to give them a voice and give them the best shot at life. A lack of funding always puts a restraint on the ability to teach to the best of our ability. This may be due to a lack of resources or physical space for the students. I am hoping this documentary can help provide this amazing school with further provisions to support the pupils and help the pupils to achieve the best that they can. I feel that Natalie has done a beautiful job on the short film Our Special Teacher which gives the viewers a realistic insight to the day in the life at a SEN school. It captures honesty and struggles but also the rewarding aspects of my job. Natalie took into consideration the feelings of the pupils and how they may be portrayed and took careful consideration with regards to how they would be received by the public. In those short 10 minutes Natalie has managed to capture the amazing personality of some of the pupils here at QE2 and highlight why we all love working with them. The students here were amazing when Natalie was filming here and quite frankly didn't bat an eyelid. As a performing arts school the pupils are regularly filmed and in productions so being filmed has a limited impact on their routine. However it was new territory for me and was strange watching myself back...I definitely need a better hair do and some vocal coaching! However in terms of what she captured I am over the moon. Natalie listened well and I feel there is a true story to tell here. This is just the start of it and I feel there is a lot more ground to be covered particularly with regards to how to manage challenging behaviour and difficult situations. Natalie also came in and met with parents of pupils in the film. As a group we discussed the difficulties we are faced with when working with vulnerable pupils and the parents were happy for the story to be told and agreed it would be great to share with others the hard work that goes into supporting the pupils. Sharing an insight may also help us get more funding for the school and show how amazing it can be if done right. On top of this Natalie ensured all parents understood what the documentary entailed. She answered all questioned with ease and even went the extra mile in providing a translated summary and subtitles for a Polish mother who can’t speak English so she could watch her daughter and understand the film so she felt a real part of it.”

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Reviews of 'Our Special Teacher' via Survey Monkey: 

"Showcasing the everyday heroes that make huge positive differences to mixed ability children. Eye opening and very humbling. "

"My Special Teacher is a heartfelt, honest and devoted account of the genuine highs a lows of a career working in this hugely needed, often difficult but highly rewarding role. Simply presented but terrifically absorbing and endlessly inspiring in its account of life as SEN teacher. Voice over, fly-on-wall filming and talking head interviews combine in this seamless delivery of a giving, truly lovely woman devoting her life to this incredible job. This film is a storytelling celebration of our protagonist and her genuine stories draw us in, expertly portrayed by Martins' filmmaking. We're rewarded countless times with expertly captured snapshots of the difficulties, the private moments and the day-to-day lives of a relatively under discussed slice of our society. The beautiful moments catch us off guard and I was momentarily spellbound with a personal favourite; the SEN pupil's quarterly show where they speak in unison on stage. An extra special job explored by extra special film making. I won't be forgetting My Special Teacher for a long time."

"I thought it was heartwarming and informative. Natalie Martins gives us a day in the life of one of Britons unsung heroes. Try not to watch this without a smile in your heart or a tear in you eye."