Berkshire

I am a compassionate, skilled and well qualified teacher with 33 years’ experience. I have taught and nurtured a wide range of pupils in a variety of settings including mainstream schools, hospital school, specialist resource units, home tuition services and in the community via EOTAS packages. My approach is always personalised, taking into consideration developmental level, potential barriers and personality. I analyse any challenges and barriers to learning and work tirelessly to promote confidence, resilience and success. I have been passionate and instrumental in meeting many varied educational needs across age ranges 3 to 19 years. I have taught the early years and primary National Curriculum and am skilled in delivering English and Science at KS3. I have a particular passion and skill for developing language and literacy and have a broad knowledge of how to teach phonics, reading, receptive and expressive language skills and creative writing. I have had many successes and lots of fun teaching singing to early years and primary pupils including children with additional needs. In mainstream schools as a class teacher I have successfully supported a range of pupils with additional learning needs including autism, ADHD, ADD, OCD, challenging behaviours, developmental delay, cerebral palsy and speech and language delay. Patience, understanding of individual need, and skill in designing personalised learning has helped me to successfully teach my pupils. In hospital school I worked with children with a whole range of additional needs, many very poorly and facing not only medical but emotional challenges too. Working as part of a skilled multi-disciplinary team ensured the best outcomes for the pupils. I taught all aspects of the National Curriculum in an outstanding setting across all Key Stages specialising in, and leading in English.

 My experience working with children with ADHD:

As a classroom teacher, in my tutoring work and as a Mother, I have lots experience of teaching and supporting young people with ADHD. I understand the challenges and strengths associated with this condition and I adapt my approach depending on individual need. I have read widely about ADHD and have a deep personal understanding of how this condition can affect every day learning and life and have had success with many of the support strategies that are available to educators and parents. I build strong relationships with my pupils, have genuine empathy and understanding and work to understand how best to enable my students to learn, putting strategies into place and trying new things as needed. I understand the potential impact of this condition on self esteem and confidence and work to empower my pupils to recognise their unique strengths and skills. Working one to one allows a bespoke approach starting with where each individual is and building self- awareness, resilience and key skills which allow learning to flourish.

My experience working with young people with dyslexia:

 I understand the challenges associated with dyslexia and can adapt my teaching style to accommodate individual need whilst building important skills. A flexible and patient multi-sensory approach works well, as does finding other ways to demonstrate and record learning. Keeping instructions clear and simple and finding ways to enable success for my learners is key to building confidence and a love of learning. I have taught many young people with dyslexia and really enjoy the challenge of thinking outside the box for ways to make learning and achieving possible for each individual. I have a sound understanding of teaching learners how to read and spell and can draw upon my existing skills to support those young people who find extra challenge in these important processes.

 My experience working with autistic young people:

 As Teacher in Charge of a special needs resource unit for children with autism I led and managed a passionate team. I worked closely with pupils, parents, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and staff in local schools. I developed a deep understanding of autism and ways to help children learn, despite often significant barriers. I learned how to break down barriers to learning and help pupils flourish. I developed many strategies for promoting social skills learning and understand the importance of learning in context. I strengthened and developed a broad knowledge of speech and language and speech sounds development and the best ways to support and encourage learning. As a local authority specialist outreach teacher consultant, I helped teachers to help autistic pupils learn in the mainstream setting. Skilled observation and analysis in classrooms allowed me to provide bespoke personalised insights, strategies and goals. I am proud to have helped raise awareness and understanding for the pupils I supported, as well as increasing skills and confidence for staff. I currently tutor autistic young people for my local authority and have a successful track record.

 My experience working with young people with dyspraxia:

 As an experienced educator I have often identified need and offered strategies to help students with dyspraxia to achieve. Each learner is unique and may need support in different areas such as fine motor skills development, concentration, communication or organisation. Having the opportunity to work one to one allows me to assess and then support each young person in a bespoke way and thus bring down some of the barriers to learning. I am skilled in working with families to understand priorities of need and enjoy multi-disciplinary collaboration with other professionals such as occupational therapists to ensure success for my pupils.

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

I understand the importance of developing strong, trusting and meaningful relationships with the children I tutor. I think when you genuinely care about getting the best outcomes for the pupils you work with then these relationships develop and strengthen naturally. A positive relationship between tutor and pupil is vital and I work hard at establishing this from the outset by being interested and fully focused on my pupils. I have worked on supporting young people to understand and regulate their emotions and have the luxury of devoting all of my attention and time on one pupil. My pupils know I am there for them unconditionally. The families of my students have expressed gratitude for the support and care my pupils have received during my tutoring sessions and knowing I make a difference for the young people I work with is a wonderful feeling.

 My experience supporting young people with executive functioning skills:

 There are many strategies and systems to support young people with their executive functioning skills and I enjoy working collaboratively in this area with families and young people. Understanding of main areas for support is where I start and then I offer ideas accordingly, for example, if initiating tasks is a problem area then I can help develop a personalised plan for success, breaking learning down into chunks from start to finish. Each learner is individual and whether they need support organising their learning space, their files and folders or even their school backpack I have a wealth of ideas to implement. I am skilled at helping learners understand and regulate their impulses using tried and tested techniques to build self-esteem, confidence and resilience.

My experience teaching primary project based design technology, science, history and geography:

With many years of teaching in the primary phase I am skilled at delivering topic based learning. I can design an appropriate curriculum for my learners and have a passion for teaching in these areas. I find that topic work can be especially motivating for young learners providing wonderful opportunities for cross curricular learning. I have very good science background knowledge, love history, and am very experienced in the food technology aspect of design technology.

My experience working with young people with speech and language needs:

 I have had lots of experience and training about how to help young learners develop expressive and receptive language skills. I can communicate effectively with my pupils and know how to reassure and support even the most anxious child. I especially enjoy the challenge of being creative in how I can bring learning to life and strive to make lessons fun, relevant and engaging. I gained a strong understanding of how to support and encourage language and social skills development in young learners and how to adapt the environment and learning resources to meet needs successfully. I know how to use augmentative and alternative methods of communication such as visual timetables, talking tiles, communication boards, line drawings and PECS. I am familiar with Makaton and enjoy enhancing communication using this programme.

 My experience working with young people to boost their confidence and self-esteem:

 I make finding out how pupils best learn a priority and can adapt my lessons accordingly, acknowledging each step mastered no matter how big or small. Helping a pupil achieve something new and then witnessing their joy and pride at their own achievement, makes this job so rewarding. I am skilled at helping pupils feel confident by allowing independence where appropriate. My nurturing personality allows my pupils to feel safe and confident and when my pupils feel confident they can learn successfully. My specialist training has equipped me with many skills that allow me to nurture, support and encourage independence in my learners. Young people thrive when the conditions for success are in place and I help to make that a reality for the pupils I tutor. Self-esteem is so important and I find praise and encouragement for each step of learning works incredibly well to help pupils build on their sense of achievement. All learners like to know they have done a good job, or tried hard; being instrumental in helping my pupils achieve this is joyful. I see it as my job to get my pupils to want to do their best by being reliable, approachable, friendly, interested in them and by providing high quality learning experiences.

 My specialist experience providing engaging sessions to inspire a love of learning:

 I start where the pupil is and often find that allowing choice of activity or use of a special interest is a way into the learning. I have used his method successfully many times by starting with projects on topics such as space, cats, lego or football then building from there. I use a multisensory approach and know that each learner responds differently to different types of teaching. Games, songs and treasure hunts have worked well for me and I enjoy the challenge of thinking of ways to make the learning enjoyable.

 My skills and experience supporting young people to develop their independence:

 I think promoting independence is really important and I always support independence in my pupils as appropriate, tailoring expectations to individual needs. I avoid doing the things that a pupil could achieve themselves and acknowledge all efforts made. Confidence and self-esteem are built when pupils master new skills independently and I provide opportunities via a range of strategies such as setting goals and challenges or providing choices.

 My experience working with young people with PDA:

 I have many years’ experience teaching children with autism including some diagnosed with PDA, in a range of settings. As teacher in charge of a resource unit for children with autism for five years, I gained a wealth of experience, knowledge and training about how to engage and support learners to reach their full potential including those with multiple diagnoses including PDA. I have taught autistic pupils across the age ranges including the early years stage, across all Key Stages 1,2,3 and 4. and I have a deep insight into the strengths and challenges of pupils with neurodiverse brains. I have a good understanding of PDA and know how to approach tasks with sensitivity. I know the importance of understanding the drivers of any challenging behaviours and I always try to minimise anxiety in order to get the best outcomes. I do this by being careful with my communication and wording direct requests in a more suitable way. I am flexible in my approach, sometimes even disguising learning as a game. I have an analytical approach to problems and enjoy breaking interactions and behaviours down to better understand triggers and possible solutions. It is vital to understand the anxiety that often drives PDA and to work in a patient and tailored way to get the best outcomes. I take successes as they come and work with families to understand and prioritise targets for learning.

My experience teaching young learners with anxiety:

As a teacher and home tuition services tutor, I have especially enjoyed supporting pupils who struggle with learning differences, anxiety and mental health challenges. By providing an individual bespoke approach I have successfully built relationships that allow learning to flourish. I am patient, kind, empathetic and work at the learner's pace, building trust and fostering a safe learning space in my lessons. I enjoy helping young people understand more about anxiety, its purpose, how it presents on our bodies and minds and ways to lessen it. I am adaptable and flexible and am always willing to go the extra mile for my pupils. I have worked with anxious learners across Key Stages 1,2 ,3 and 4 and can genuinely say that supporting pupils, both in schools or out of education for a variety of medical or mental health reasons, has been a career highlight for me.

 My experience teaching life skills:

 I have experience of teaching life skills to young people and always start where the young person is and move in small steps to build confidence. Working in collaboration with families to understand priorities is an important part of the process. Skills might be anything from removing and hanging up coat, using a cashpoint machine to making a sandwich, but I approach each one by breaking the steps necessary for success down and building from the bottom up.

My experience working with students with PMLD:

 During my training and career I have worked with children with PMLD across all age ranges.  In a variety of settings I have supported sensory based experiential learning and celebrated every achievement however small. I volunteer in my local community in a day care setting with all ages of children and young people from 0-19 years, many of whom have profound and multiple learning and health needs. We engage in a range of joyful activities with all ages including food preparation, outside walks, swimming, art activities, games, music therapy and singing. Developing communication through intensive interaction has been successful for me and I particularly enjoy bringing learning opportunities to my students that encourage the development of attention control whilst always bearing in mind existing strengths.  Each young person has taught me something new and that is part of the joy.

My experience working with students with global developmental delay:

 I have worked with children with global developmental delay many times in a range of settings from mainstream to hospital school. I get to know my pupils well and can tailor my teaching to individual need by building lessons that are achievable and interactive whilst taking into account natural interests and existing skills. I use a range of reward systems as appropriate to help motivate and encourage my students and find this often works well.

My Experience working with young people with complex medical needs.

As a hospital school teacher I gained much experience teaching children with complex medical needs every day, on the wards, in the classroom and also in the intensive care setting. In addition, I have worked in a special school where many of the children had complex learning and medical needs. I volunteer regularly in a setting with children with complex learning and medical needs. I help with everyday tasks of daily living such as feeding, hoisting, and dressing as well as a range of creative learning activities. I also have nursing experience as I trained as a nurse before I was a teacher.

I am a highly qualified educator with 25+ years of experience working with pupils with high levels of anxiety, ASD and ADHD. During that time, I have undertaken a number of leadership roles: Art Co-Ordinator, Design and Technology Co-Ordinator and Head of Creative Arts. As Head of Creative Arts, I was responsible for updating and delivering the primary curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2, which included Literacy, Art and DT, Drama and Music. My role involved writing and implementing the Schemes of Work for DT, and providing training for the staff in order to deliver the curriculum to all pupils. This made me become very aware of individual needs and the importance of making this subject accessible for all pupils.

After teaching for five years, I had the opportunity to experience teaching in New Zealand, as part of a teacher exchange programme. This was a very challenging but exciting time for me, where I had the opportunity to teach a Year 6 class, and deliver lessons on topics that I had never taught before. The class were a mix of nationalities, and for some, English was not their first language. I had to adapt my teaching style accordingly in order to accommodate their language needs and help them to feel confident in the classroom.

My specialist experience working with young people with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships: I recognise that developing trusting and meaningful relationships is the way to provide a safe environment for children to feel free to take risks and feel able to be challenged. I work with young people's special interests to form a foundation for further learning. I adopt a relaxed style of teaching and very much like to have a bit of fun!

My specialist experience teaching pupils with Dyslexia and Dyspraxia: I have taught pupils who have been diagnosed with Dyslexia and Dyspraxia, both in a classroom setting and 1:1 tutoring. To effectively meet the needs of the pupil, I like to focus on multisensory learning, breaking down information into small chunks, providing clear and repeated instructions, and using visual aids and assistive technology. Knowing the interests of the pupil is essential to establish good engagement and to help plan individualised learning plans.

My specialist experience teaching pupils with memory difficulties: I am, at present, working with a pupil who has a degree of memory difficulties. I incorporate a lot of repetition and recall of learning from the session and the previous sessions. I like to use visual aids, especially the use of the computer/iPad to show videos, and to use the computer as a way of recording ideas. Using the 'speaking' option on the computer helps to take away the pressure and stress of writing their ideas on paper.  I make the sessions fun and interactive, incorporating a variety of  educational games.

My specialist experience teaching pupils on the autism spectrum: I have extensive experience working with pupils on the Autism spectrum,  as I work for my local authority as a 1:1 tutor. I have been working as a 1:1 tutor for over 6 years now and have worked alongside pupils in their homes, schools or other locations. I also have valuable experience as a SEN teaching assistant, working in a SEN school, supporting pupils with ASD. This made me very aware of the need to give clear, succinct instructions and to use visual aids to support processing skills. I have worked with a Year 9 pupil who had been diagnosed with ASD, and I started teaching them at the family home, but the pupil would struggle getting up for my sessions. I gradually developed a trusting working relationship with him, and he began to improve his ability to engage with me. He, eventually, agreed to work with me at a different location, so that he could leave the house. I worked with this pupil for three years and he, eventually, was able to sit his maths GCSE Foundations exam and passed with a grade 4. He also passed his Level 1 English Functional Skills. This was a huge achievement for him and enabled him to get a job at a local Premier Inn.

My specialist experience teaching pupils with high levels of anxiety: I have recently worked with a Yr11 pupil, who could not physically cope with any work that was related to GCSE English or Maths. She would not want to leave the house or entertain the idea of attending another place of education. I got to know her well and gained her trust by incorporating her passion for tarantulas within her English work. She kept over 50+ tarantulas in her house! I supported her in attending a college interview and looking around other Colleges. I was also key in helping the family apply for an EHC plan, to help her to receive the important support she needed for Yr12.

My specialist experience teaching pupils with ADHD:  I  tutored a Year 1 pupil, who had been expelled from his Primary School due to his violent behaviour. I worked with him for four months, working on basic number and phonics, but incorporated a mix of other curriculum areas such as science, art and music. I was able to encourage him to try another school, and with a lot of help from another local primary school, he gradually got back into a school setting. I would meet him at the school so he could have lunch with the Year 1 class and then I would teach him 1:1 in a separate room. This was a great success as he managed to stay in mainstream education.

My specialist experience teaching pupils with PDA: As a 1:1 SEN tutor, I have had the privilege to work with children diagnosed with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). My instructional approach centres on the crafting of individualised strategies that provide students with a sense of control, employing subtle methods that involve asking without explicitly asking. By limiting the range of choices available can potentially help reduce the risk of intense emotions, anxiety and a sense of panic developing.  When working with this condition, I prioritise flexibility and adaptation in communication and expectations. Building a supportive and trusting relationship is so important, as these students often struggle with traditional methods of authority and control.

My specialist experience of teaching the Primary Curriculum- I am a qualified Primary School teacher and have taught across the Key Stages. I have had the responsibility of planning and writing policies for the Creative Arts Curriculum and developing units of work to support these areas. I thoroughly enjoy the creative aspect of education, making sessions practical and engaging, and tailoring them to the interests of my students.

My specialist experience teaching secondary pupils with professional qualifications: I cover KS3/4 maths up to GCSE Foundation level. As a 1:1 SEN tutor, I have had the privilege of helping Year 11 pupils achieve professional qualifications, including Functional Skills English Level 1 and Foundations Level Maths GCSE.  I have worked with young people who have high levels of anxiety in regards to maths, and they have been able to sit their exams.  I have taught KS3/4 English up to GCSE level and have taught KS3 Science. I try to make my sessions as creative as possible, especially when covering exam questions, as it helps to build their confidence and resilience in the subject.

My skills and experience supporting young people develop their independence:  My adaptable and creative teaching methods nurture confidence and independence and a love of learning ensuring all young people feel empowered to succeed. I encourage pupils to complete tasks independently when I feel confident that they know how to do it and to become less reliant on the tutor/adult.

My specialist experience developing meaningful and trusting relationship with children with SEN: Throughout my time as a class teacher, I prioritised developing individual relationships with pupils in my class, I organised the learning to ensure that each pupil had regular focussed 1:1 work and play sessions. In my more recent role, I taught 1:1 and group sessions across the school, it was essential to the success of these sessions for me to quickly build meaningful and trusting relationships with each child. Following the child’s lead and interests is often very effective in establishing trust, whilst providing consistency, structure and predictability for those children who need that.

My specialist experience teaching children with autism: I have taught children with autism for 25 years mainly within Special Schools, from Early Years through to post-16, teaching all subjects within the National Curriculum, plus independence and life skills. I was Head of Autism for 9 years, providing support for pupils, staff and families both within the school and as part of an outreach service. My focus was on reducing barriers to learning for pupils and supporting their development of key skills. I have used the SCERTS and DIR Floortime frameworks to assess and plan programmes for individual pupils.

My specialist experience teaching children with ADHD: I have taught children with ADHD in classroom, small group and 1:1 settings. This has included a range of different ADHD profiles - hyperactive/impulsive, inattentive/distractible or a combination. I make use of the child’s interests, integrated into the learning and as brain breaks in between other topics. I use kinaesthetic learning as much as possible and recognise the need for movement breaks to aid attention and focus. I have found that visual strategies are often highly effective, both within the learning activity and to support understanding of routines and expectations.

My specialist experience teaching young people with SEMH: I have worked with a range of children and young people with SEMH needs. I use a relationship based approach to build trusting relationships with the young person and build on their strengths. I also use frameworks such as DIR Floortime, the Alert Programme and Zones or Regulation to support young people to regulate their emotions, using sensory, language and thinking strategies as appropriate.         

My specialist experience teaching English including reading, writing and spelling: I have supported English learning across the primary and secondary age range, and across the ability range, from early literacy skills up to functional skills and GCSE. When teaching reading, I have used phonics based approaches, whole word learning and social sight vocabulary. I use a range of texts, including special interest themes or ones related to another curriculum subject to aid engagement in reading. I have a lot of experience working with reluctant/resistant writers. I use strategies related to developing fine motor skills, exploring alternative methods of recording written work, in addition to teaching the executive function skills needed for organising thoughts in preparation for writing them down. I use low pressure methods to get pupils back into writing after previous negative experiences.

My specialist experience teaching Maths: I have extensive experience teaching early number and early mathematical concepts, using practical and concrete methods. As the maths learning develops, I continue to use practical methods alongside more formal maths learning. Where possible I teach using a real-life maths approach, integrating the concepts into everyday activities and familiar tasks. I use highly visual resources and equipment, including Numicon and ‘I See Maths’.

My experience teaching Study Skills & Executive Functioning Skills: I have worked with many secondary aged and upper primary pupils on developing independent study skills, using visual scaffolds and prompts, modelling and collaborative strategies. I focus on supporting pupils to identify priorities, make their own plans and develop strategies that work for them day to day.

My experience teaching Community Support and outside activities: All of the schools that I have worked in over the years, have had strong community links, with pupils going out in to the community weekly. So I have extensive experience of supporting pupils to access different community spaces, in order to practice communication skills, money skills, leisure activities or work experience amongst other skills.

My specialist experience teaching children with speech and language needs: I have worked closely with Speech and Language therapists throughout my teaching career, integrating therapy programmes into classrooms and homes. I have experience using a range of AAC to communicate with learners – including PECS, Makaton, symbol-based communication books. I use Intensive Interaction, Floortime and Attention Autism strategies to develop early communication skills with pre-verbal learners; whilst using Social Skills programmes, Social Stories and Comic Strip Conversations to support social communication development for more verbal learners.

My experience working with young people to boost their confidence and self-esteem: I have worked with many young people who have lost confidence with their learning, sometimes through missed education. I use a carefully scaffolded approach, building on the skills that they already have and are confident with, helping to give them a sense of achievement and pride in their abilities and their work. I have also used structured programmes which work on self-awareness and self-esteem.

My specialist experience helping children to engage in learning: I have extensive experience of supporting children with developing ‘ready to learn’ skills; these include sensory regulation skills, attention skills, organisational skills, raising self-esteem/confidence levels. I often used a play-based approach, using the child’s own interests and strengths to build a programme of learning. I have found the Attention Autism programme to be very effective in engaging learners, through its focus on visual learning. I use visual strategies that are tailored to the individual, including timetables, social prompts, flow charts and adapting the curriculum to make it more accessible visually. I use the Alert Programme to support sensory regulation skills, enabling the child to be calm, alert, focussed and ready to learn.

My specialist experience supporting students to develop their independence: In any session, my aim is to provide the right amount of support that enables a pupil to feel confident and to achieve, whilst being mindful of how to move on to a greater level of independence. I use the SCERTS assessment framework to identify the best supports for an individual pupil. This can include scaffolding tasks, backward/forward chaining, breaking down tasks or providing visual supports, templates, or reminders to enable the pupil to complete tasks independently.

My specialist experience re-engaging students, who are currently or have been out of formal education: I have worked with students who are out of school, those who are waiting for a specialist placement, and those who are on a part-time timetable or reintegration programme. I use relationship-based strategies to build trust, increase confidence and re-engage the student with learning. I use the student’s own interests and preferences to increase intrinsic motivation and accessibility to the given curriculum. Or I can design a bespoke curriculum, which is tailored to the individual student and their current learning needs.

My experience teaching primary National Curriculum: During my time working as a 1:1 tutor, I have supported pupils in all National Curriculum subjects at both KS1 and KS2 level. This has been as part of a structured scheme of work or to follow a pupil’s special interest within that subject.

My specialist experience working with children with sensory processing difficulties: I have done a lot of collaborative work with Occupational Therapists, with a focus on children with sensory processing difficulties. Identifying children who are over and under-sensitive to different senses. I have supported implementation and adaptation of sensory diets into classrooms and homes. This has included movement, auditory, visual, tactile and oro-motor strategies. I have extensive experience with the Alert programme and have also recently used Zones of Regulation and Autism Level Up, which all give a structure and strategies for supporting sensory regulation.

My specialist experience teaching early years: I have taught a range of abilities within early years, using play based and child-led approaches including DIR Floortime & Intensive Interaction. I have used the EQUALS semi-formal curriculum for assessment and planning, which has elements of both structured and free play learning. The Attention Autism & Curiosity Programme have played an important role in my overall approach to planning learning opportunities for early years pupils. I have used a small steps curriculum for both Maths and English, which breaks down all the elements needed in order to master an individual skill and can show progression more clearly.