Tell us about yourself:
I am a reception teacher at Mougins School and have also taught secondary art here too. I am dual nationality British/French and have been living in France for sixteen years. I have three children ages 15, 17 and 18 and the eldest has just left for university in London. I have a Master of Arts in Design and Communication from the Royal College of Art in London, a T.E.F.L english teaching qualification and an international P.G.C.E from Sheffield University.
Along-side teaching I also illustrate children’s books and it is a joy to see my books being enjoyed by children around the world. There is a growing awareness that outdoor learning is vital for our children’s development and wellbeing and I have been amazed at the creative ways teachers and parents have used the “Fletcher’s Four Seasons” series I illustrated to explore the natural world with their children.
I enjoy exploring the natural world with the reception class children and am excited that at Mougins school we can do that easily.

I also enjoy experiencing different cultures and as part of my travels I have helped run an arts and crafts cooperative for refugees in Kenya, helped build a home for street kids in Brazil and taught English in Italy. It is a huge privilege and responsibility to be involved in a child’s education and I think working in a school is amazing: We are working with children that impact, and will continue to impact, the world.
Tell us about your greatest achievement
There have been two main ones: getting my first book published and gaining my teaching qualification. I have always wanted to work in teaching and was accepted onto a P.G.C.E course in my mid twenties. Unfortunately neither my parents nor I could fund it. Then my illustration work took off so I focused on that which was great while my children were young. When they were older I finally completed the teaching certificate which was the fulfillment of a long held dream.
What was your steepest learning curve?
It’s hard to give just one. I have three! Personally, bringing up three children. As in teaching, no child is the same; you are engaging with unique people and in doing so trying to learn how best to meet their different and sometimes complex needs. Professionally, even though I’d already had a lot of experience with younger children, going from teaching in secondary school to working in a class with four to five year olds has been an amazing and rewarding steep learning curve. More recently, using technology to find best ways to teach online has been a steep learning curve too.
Mougins is a great place because ….
…of the students, the teachers and the environment. The children are wonderful and they bring us joy every day and make us laugh. Observing them exploring the world, developing their communication skills, and showing us who they are is a privilege. The team are supportive and we help each other. The school environment is spacious and green and that is good for us all.
What would you like to share with the community?
You can check out my website if you would like: Tiphaniebeeke.com or find me on instagram @tiphanie_beeke, on facebook at Tiphanie Beeke Illustration and on twitter @TiphanieBeeke and @Tiph_Goldspink.
