Emily

My specialist experience working with young people with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships

Having achieved my QTS in 2011, I have worked with SEN students throughout my career. For the past three years, I have taught English and Drama and been a form tutor in a specialist school for students with SEN (primarily ADHD and autism). I have also been a head of department. Developing trusting and meaningful relationships with students is the foundation of both the academic and pastoral elements of my role – it ensures that students feel safe, understood and able to learn. It also allows me to better understand my students and what they need in order to progress.

My experience working with young people with ASC / Autism
The vast majority of the students in my current school have autism diagnoses. I have therefore worked with hundreds of students with autism across the secondary age group and beyond (age 11–21), primarily teaching English and Performing Arts at a variety of levels. I have also worked with students with autism as a private tutor and in various mainstream settings across my fifteen years of teaching. As a result, I have developed a variety of strategies to support young people with autism, tailoring this dependent on the ways in which their autism manifests: this might include breaking down tasks into manageable steps, using visual scaffolds and clear routines, providing opportunities for movement breaks or sensory regulation, adapting communication styles to reduce anxiety, and fostering strong, trusting relationships to build engagement and resilience.

My experience working with young people with PDA

I have worked with many young people with PDA and appreciate what a challenge this can be for students who may have found themselves alienated by mainstream educational settings. I typically ensure that – when working with PDA – I prioritise establishing a warm and respectful relationship with the student, to alleviate anxiety and foster a safe environment for learning. By offering choices and avoiding hierarchy, as well as engaging with a student’s passions and preferred learning styles, I seek to create a ‘low demand’ environment in order to maximise students’ chances of success. 

My experience working with young people with anxiety
I have extensive experience supporting students with anxiety, both as a private tutor (such as teaching the entire two year GCSE English Literature and Language course to a young person struggling to attend school due to her anxiety), and in my current role at an SEN school. I have worked with many students whose anxiety has been a significant barrier to their learning, helping them to build confidence, re-engage with education, and achieve their potential. For example, one student I supported, who had previously been unable to attend lessons or access her course, is now successfully working at a Merit level in her BTEC Performing Arts qualification.

My experience working with young people with ADHD
A significant proportion of the students in my current school have ADHD diagnoses. Working with them has taught me a great deal about the variety of ways which ADHD can present in different individuals, the strengths and challenges that it can bring and how best to work with students with ADHD in order to build their confidence and help them thrive.

My experience teaching Secondary English
After completing a PGCE in Secondary English in 2011, I have taught English at Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 5 – including GCSE and A Level courses – throughout my fourteen years in education. This has included classroom teaching, home schooling and tutoring in relation to a variety of exam boards but primarily AQA, for whom I have also been an examiner since 2017.

My experience developing confidence and self-esteem
I consider the development of confidence and self-esteem to be essential to any teacher-student relationship, no matter the context, and it has been the central goal of my relationships with the thousands of students I have worked with throughout my career. More specifically, I have worked as a private tutor for several years, with parents seeking tuition with the specific goal of improving confidence in English. I have often received the feedback that my positive and enthusiastic approach to tutoring has helped students to become more confident in their ability, which has in turn helped them to achieve higher grades and enjoy the subject more.

My experience teaching study skills and executive functioning skills

With 14 years of experience in education, including several focused on supporting students with special educational needs, I have developed a strong understanding of how to help learners build their executive functioning skills. I work closely with students to develop strategies for organization, time management, task initiation, and self-regulation, tailoring my approach to each individual’s needs. My goal is always to empower students to become more independent, confident, and capable learners, both in and beyond the classroom.

My experience developing social communication and language skills
Throughout my teaching career, and particularly during the past three years in a specialist SEN setting, I have supported many young people in developing their social communication and language skills. Working closely with students with autism, speech and language needs, ADHD, and SEMH profiles, I have developed strategies to help learners understand and navigate social interactions, build confidence in expressing themselves, and communicate more effectively with both peers and adults. As an English and Drama teacher, I have been able to use discussion, role play, collaborative activities, and performance-based learning to provide structured opportunities for students to practise communication skills in a supportive environment. I work closely with speech and language therapists where appropriate, embedding recommended strategies into my teaching and adapting my communication style to meet individual needs. My focus is always on creating an environment in which students feel understood, valued, and confident enough to develop their communication skills at their own pace.

My specialist experience providing engaging sessions to inspire a love of learning
In my fourteen years of teaching I have planned and delivered schemes of work for students from age two to age eighty. In particular, I have written and delivered dozens of English and Drama schemes for secondary age students. I have been rated ‘Outstanding’ through internal and external observations across all key stages, with feedback typically focusing on my positive relationships with students and the atmosphere that ensues; my use of questioning to stretch and challenge students according to their ability and the warm and enthusiastic energy that I bring. I also worked as a private tutor (online and in person) full-time throughout and following the pandemic, so have developed myriad strategies to overcome the restrictions that online and one-to-one can bring to learning.

My experience developing engagement, trust, and interest in learning
Developing engagement, trust, and a genuine interest in learning has been central to every role I have undertaken throughout my fifteen years in education. I recognise that many young people, particularly those with SEND, anxiety, or experiences of educational disengagement, may arrive with a lack of confidence in themselves as learners. I therefore prioritise building strong, authentic relationships, taking time to understand each student’s strengths, interests, challenges, and aspirations. By connecting learning to students’ individual interests, providing opportunities for success, and maintaining high expectations within a supportive environment, I have consistently helped young people re-engage with education and develop a more positive attitude towards learning. Whether teaching in a classroom, tutoring one-to-one, or supporting students pastorally, I aim to foster curiosity, confidence, and resilience, helping learners to recognise their own potential and develop the motivation to achieve it.

My skills and experience supporting young people to develop their independence
In my experience, supporting young people to develop their independence primarily emerges from providing sufficient opportunities to practise skills with modelling, scaffolding and thorough feedback, so that students can then feel confident to demonstrate those skills unaided. The specific scaffolding required is always dependent on the student, and understanding their needs thoroughly.

My experience working with young people with dyslexia

Over the fifteen years in which I have worked in secondary schools, I have worked with a great number of students with dyslexia and have developed a raft of strategies to support students with this need, as well as helping them to build confidence in recognising that their dyslexia need not be a barrier to success in education or their life beyond school. 

My experience working with young people with SEMH needs
In my current role at an SEN school, many of the students with whom I work have SEMH needs. As a teacher and form tutor, I have extensive experience supporting students with both the academic and pastoral sides of their education, and have developed a multitude of strategies to help them manage their SEMH needs, such as creating predictable routines, breaking tasks into achievable steps, offering movement and sensory breaks, and using restorative conversations to resolve conflict and build resilience. I place strong emphasis on developing trusting relationships, ensuring that students feel safe, valued, and understood, which in turn allows them to re-engage with learning, build self-confidence, and make meaningful progress both inside and outside the classroom.

My experience teaching Functional Skills English
In my most recent school, I have taught Functional Skills English – from Entry Level to Level 2 – for the past three years. I have helped dozens of students with complex needs to pass the course, becoming adept at recognising the elements of Reading and Writing that students should focus on in order to unlock success.

My experience teaching AQA English Language
I have been teaching AQA English Language and English Literature since 2015, having taught both courses extensively in mainstream schools, as a private tutor, as a resit course in FE colleges and in my current post at a specialist SEN school. I have also been an examiner for AQA since 2017, which has given me a strong insight into the expectations of the exam board.

My experience working with young people with speech and language/communication needs
I have worked with many students with speech and language needs and have developed effective strategies to overcome these needs as a barrier to learning. Through the use of visual supports, simplified language, and structured routines, I create an inclusive environment where all learners can access the curriculum and express themselves confidently. While working in an SEN school over the past three years, I have worked closely with speech and language therapists to implement tailored interventions, and I prioritise building strong relationships with students to foster trust and communication.

My experience working with young people with sensory / auditory processing needs

Over the course of my career, I have developed strong expertise in helping learners with sensory and auditory processing needs. I create calm, structured environments that reduce sensory distractions and support focused learning, while using clear, multi-sensory teaching approaches to aid comprehension. By working collaboratively with students, families, and specialists, I ensure that each learner has the strategies and adjustments they need to feel comfortable, confident, and able to succeed in the classroom.

My experience working with complex medical needs
Throughout my teaching career, I have worked with students presenting a wide range of complex medical needs, often alongside additional learning difficulties or social, emotional, and mental health challenges. In my current SEN school, I regularly liaise with medical professionals, families, and support staff to ensure that students’ care plans are implemented safely and sensitively within the classroom. This has included adapting lessons and environments to accommodate physical health conditions, being mindful of fatigue and medication effects, and ensuring that students are able to participate fully in learning despite the challenges they face. I am experienced in balancing high expectations with flexibility, and I place great importance on creating a safe, supportive environment in which students can thrive academically and personally, while their health needs are carefully respected.

My experience working with young people with delayed processing
Delayed processing is a common challenge for many of the students with whom I work. I have generally found that this can be overcome by allowing additional wait time, breaking down instructions into smaller steps, and presenting information in multiple formats to aid comprehension. I also check in regularly to ensure understanding and give students opportunities to revisit material at their own pace. By approaching tasks in this way, I have seen students’ confidence grow, as they are able to access learning without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.

My experience working with young people with working memory difficulties
My experience with students with working memory difficulties has led me to develop a variety of strategies to support. Although every student is different, I have found that incorporating techniques such as spaced learning, interleaving and scaffolding can support with developing the skills necessary to thrive in English. Additionally, strong and consistent routines and structure in sessions can reduce the ‘noise’ and maximise progress.

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After completing my PGCE in 2011, I have taught in a wide range of settings: a large comprehensive in North London, an international school in Vietnam, an FE college, a WEA seminar group, and as Head of Department in an independent school in the Midlands. Following the pandemic, I spent several years tutoring and home-schooling online before taking up my current post in a specialist SEN school, where I lead the Performing Arts department and teach English. Much of my work in this role has been with students with autism, ADHD, anxiety, and PDA, and I have developed a deep understanding of how to adapt curriculum, structure, and classroom environment to support a variety of learning profiles.

Alongside these roles, I have consistently continued to tutor. Beyond the classroom, I have devised, directed, and produced numerous plays, from Romeo and Juliet to DNA to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – always ensuring accessibility for neurodiverse learners.

In all of my teaching roles, I have taught both English and Drama – subjects which I believe dovetail beautifully, each cultivating empathy, analysis, and creativity. In my current setting working exclusively with students with SEN, this dual focus has been especially powerful: Functional Skills English and GCSE English have given students the tools to communicate and achieve tangible outcomes, while KS3 Drama and BTEC Performing Arts have provided a space for confidence-building, collaboration, and self-expression. I have also directed school productions tailored to the needs and strengths of my students, ensuring every child has the chance to contribute meaningfully.

Since 2017, I have also marked the English Literature GCSE paper for AQA. This work has given me a clear understanding of what makes an effective essay and how best to guide students towards writing with clarity and confidence. It has been particularly valuable in supporting SEN learners, where precision in feedback and clarity in scaffolding can make the difference between frustration and progress.

In terms of results, I have helped students achieve top grades at both GCSE and A Level – across coursework and examinations – while also supporting those on the borderline (grades 3–4) to make significant progress into 5s, 6s, and 7s. In SEN contexts, I have seen how such progress often represents not just an academic milestone but a profound boost to confidence and self-belief. My most rewarding successes have been those moments where a student who once doubted their ability began to take pride in their learning and their voice.

Alongside teaching, I have worked as a freelance ghostwriter since 2016, producing dozens of books ranging from autobiographies to works of fiction. This experience has sharpened my skills in planning, structuring, and crafting longform writing – expertise I regularly bring into my teaching. I have also published my own creative writing in a variety of zines and anthologies.