Hertfordshire

From my first year as a qualified teacher, my mentor said I would work with children with SEND in a more specialist capacity. I have always loved teaching children with additional needs, long before I became a SENDCo/ Inclusion Manager. I have my own first-hand experiences of struggling with additional needs at school and I know the difference that high quality support and provision can make. I have taught for 15 years across a range of inner-city London schools with a wide range of SEND. Before becoming a SENDCo, I worked as an intervention teacher for several years and was able to really dive deep into the process of learning for each of the children I worked with and establish strong and positive relationships with them. I then moved onto working as a SENDCo/ Inclusion Manager for two London schools and spent a significant chunk of time building and developing a SEND Unit alongside the mainstream school. This has undoubtedly been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career so far and has been an education in and of itself. I have seen time and again what a difference it can make to a child’s life to have a skilled practitioner who is willing to go the extra mile because they believe in the child and their innate potential – no matter the barrier. I want all children I work with to feel valued, safe, and confident. I strive to support them in developing their own sense of self and in finding out who they are and what special skills, abilities, traits, viewpoints, and insights they have to bring to the world around them. I want every child to know their importance and value.

My specialist experience working with young people with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful and provide engaging sessions that inspire a love of learning and boost self-esteem and confidence:

I have seen time and again through my own practice and that of the teams of professionals I have managed, that the starting place of all good learning for children with SEND comes from prioritising and building a trusting relationship between the child and the practitioner. Without this, no matter how good the teaching, lesson plans, resources or theory, meaningful progress is difficult to achieve.

 My approach is flexible, and I take time to really get to know the whole child that I am working with; their interests and hobbies, factors that might create anxiety or upset, the important people in their life, the way they communicate, and so on. When I have worked with children with Autism, for example, who are either non-verbal/ non-vocal or have very limited speech and language, I have always prioritised finding myriad ways to support the child in communicating their needs to me – whether that be through non-verbal means/ Makaton/ communication boards/ visuals / key words or any other useful approach. This is an extremely important part of building a positive and trusting relationship where the child can feel safe and seen.

Knowing the activities and special interests a child may have can really support my work with them and I will always make the effort to build these into our sessions. For example, when working with a child with ADHD and high anxiety, he would only respond to lessons that were themed around Sonic the Hedgehog and so we tailored all our resources and lesson plans to include this as well as building this into reward time to motivate him to engage with subjects that he found challenging. Another child with Autism, had a special interest in tiny objects and toys, so I used a vintage Polly Pocket collection (with very close supervision, of course), to support speech and language sessions. I have many other such examples and find that using special interests to stimulate learning can be very useful.

Starting from a place of success is also something I try to do with all aspects of learning. This means starting with a task or activity that I know the child can do well and is familiar with before introducing something new. I want for the children I am working with to build resilience and confidence and feel safe before attempting something they might perceive as challenging or tricky.

I believe that so much of how we learn is informed by our self-image and the perception of oneself as a learner.  As much as I want children to learn and progress in academic subjects, I strongly believe that they must have an underpinning and understanding of their strengths and how these can support them. I invest a lot of time in celebrating with and mirroring/ reflecting to children the strengths I see in them. I use all opportunities I can to build a child’s awareness of their strengths and use this as a building block to greater confidence and positive self-image.

My experience teaching children with Dyslexia/ Dyspraxia and working memory difficulties:

I have a wide range of experience teaching children with dyslexia and dyspraxia. I work from a place of establishing trust and building confidence in the pupil in the first instance. It has unfortunately often been the case that the fun and joy of learning has been overshadowed for a child with dyslexia or dyspraxia due to the way in which a subject has been taught. This can create a lot of limiting beliefs in a child that need to be compassionately challenged, understood and worked through. My aim is to take the fear out of learning and instead to create an environment of safety, where a child can build resilience and learn meta-cognitive skills to support them when learning new and tricky concepts. I want children to know what to do when they feel stuck and to have the tools to work through the problem.

I am also trained in several interventions with a solid research base to show positive outcomes for dyslexia, including a Precision teaching approach in schemes such as Alpha2Omega, ToebyToe, Rapid Naming (my personal favourite), Plus1 and Power of 2, to name a few.

Difficulties with working memory can be prevalent among learners with dyslexia and dyspraxia so providing strategies and study skills to support this often form part of my teaching approach. Helping a child to note-take, summarise and record key information is often part of this process. I am also careful not to overload a child’s ‘memory shelf’ with too much information when teaching new concepts or giving instructions and I make explicit the key information they need to take note of.

My experience teaching children with ADHD:

As a practitioner working with children with ADHD, it is important to understand the differences that can be apparent between male and female presentations. Understanding a child’s experience of anxiety and nervous system dysregulation is also key. Before any effective learning can take place, we need to be and feel regulated and for everyone that looks different. Some children I work with require a great deal of physical activity, such as sensory circuits or simple ball games, before starting a task. Others might need strategies that support calming, for example, drawing, mindfulness meditation, use of sensory objects or perhaps a simple chat with a trusted adult. Further to this, equipping children with emotional literacy skills; identifying how you are feeling and what you need, is a core part of the way I teach. I weave these skills into and through my sessions. I also think carefully about the way I structure tasks for learners with ADHD. This might mean we flit between two or three different tasks at any one time, or we work for short periods of time with frequent breaks in between. I also spend time on supporting the child in learning how to learn. Study and organisational skills are central to reducing overwhelm for a child with ADHD and giving them a clear path forwards for how to start and complete a task.

My experience working with pupils with social, emotional, and mental health difficulties, including anxiety:

There is perhaps no clearer area of need where the importance of first developing a solid relationship / attachment with a child is more apparent than in working with children with SEMH needs. There is often, though not always, an overlap and comorbidity of need for these children which requires a holistic mindset and approach. When working with a child with SEMH needs, I will first take time to understand the child’s attachment style, possible trauma history, specific learning difficulties (if present), potential sensory processing issues, sleeping, eating and screen-time patterns, amongst other things, before trying to establish the best way to work with a child.

One of the children I have most recently worked with has a diagnosis of PDA and his sensory processing issues were contributing greatly to the emotional dysregulation and anxiety we saw throughout the day. Working closely with the OT was very beneficial in helping to establish routines, such as “heavy work” and the creation of various sensory circuits to support his nervous system. Another child I recently worked with required a lot of support in emotional regulation and developing a more positive self-image. The use of Zones of Regulation to support first labelling emotions and then making use of a range of strategies supported the journey towards emotional regulation. Further to this, the child expressed an interest in Music. I, therefore, planned in short singing and piano lessons at the end of a learning session. These provided not only an incentive for learning but a jumping off place to build confidence through something fun and engaging.

When working with children with high levels of anxiety, I try hard to build in consistent routines and support the child to understand the structure of the day and each session, as best as possible, through use of visual supports and simple language, especially when there are co-existing language difficulties. I always aim to prepare a child for any changes to reduce anxiety and I like to use tools such as social stories to support this so that a child can refer to these when I am not with them, for reassurance. If a child is dysregulated, the academic learning needs to be put on hold and supporting emotional regulation becomes the priority. This might include deep pressure massage or activities, such as a weighted blanket, sensory breaks, music, story-time or any activity that the child responds to positively. It is important as a practitioner to remain curious and committed to developing a toolkit for the child to use in times of high distress or anxiety. I spent a great deal of time as SENDCo supporting teachers to build regulation toolkits for specific children with SEND in their classrooms and wherever appropriate and possible, training the child to access this independently.

I believe strongly in the importance of language as a tool to diffuse or indeed escalate dysregulation and have also been trained in a range of approaches to use with children, including restorative conversations and non-violent communication. Children with SEMH needs have sadly and all too often, experienced the label of being “naughty.” They have, at times, been blamed, shamed and misunderstood by a system that struggles to cope with children that perhaps learn and see the world differently. As a trusted adult, I see my job as creating a safe space for a child, with boundaries and parameters. I am very serious about modelling emotional regulation through my own words and actions when working with a child.

My experience with teaching children with speech, language, and communication needs:

As part of my NASENCo qualification, I became very interested in understanding more about Developmental Language Disorder and speech, language and communication difficulties given the prevalence of this need. I have researched the subject in depth and practically speaking have worked with a wide range of children across all key stages of Primary School and EYFS, as well as developed programmes to improve children’s communication skills. I launched a whole-school project on Oracy that ran over a two-year period, using the work of Voice21 and School 21. The purpose of this work was to upskill the teachers and improve their teaching of communication skills. I successfully implemented a wide variety of strategies, games, programmes, and interventions from EYFS to Year 6.

As a teacher, I like to make my teaching as visual as possible, using objects of reference, props, pictures, images, gestures, actions, and some Makaton. I enjoy tailoring the visual aids and supports for each child and making resources such as, communication boards, Now and Next charts, visual timetables and so on. Anything that will support the child’s understanding of the concepts we are working on…

I am also fond of using Colourful Semantics as a programme to support language development in a very structured and sequenced way and have had very good results with using this across a range of age groups.

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

My aim as a practitioner should always be to enable the child I am working with to become as independent of my support as possible and as appropriate. Building independence can take a wide range of forms, from putting on a coat or finding a pencil to start a task, using the toilet independently, using a knife and fork or being able to complete a Maths problem or write a word or sentence without teacher input. These are of course, just a few examples. Depending on the child’s needs will of course, depend on the areas of independence that need to be focussed on and developed. I have a wide range of experience in supporting children’s independence in both functional and academic skills. I take a patient, kind and fun approach and believe in starting from where the child is at and working closely with parents and professionals so that we are all consistent in our approach for the child. This can mean breaking the goal down into very small chunks. However many steps we need to break a task down into, we celebrate every achievement and moment of progress.

In working with a child with Autism, she had an intense fear of the toilets at school and would become very distressed if asked to use them. It took two years and a variety of methods before she was able to successfully and independently use the school toilets. During this time, it was important for us to really break the ultimate goal down, starting from a place that would not completely overwhelm her. We began by reading books about toilets and showing pictures of her favourite characters using the toilet to build her tolerance of the distress that this topic created within her. Through a slow and methodical step by step approach and a lot of trial and improvement, we were able to reach the final goal. This really took a commitment and persistence in approaching the situation in a range of ways.

My experience working with executive functioning difficulties and teaching study skills:

In my fifth year of teaching, I was fortunate enough to attend a course on a meta-cognitive approach to learning, called Instrumental Enrichment (IE). The purpose of the programme is to equip children with a range of learning and study skills that they can generalise and apply to all areas of their learning. It was a very intensive course that radically changed the way I viewed teaching and learning and ultimately the way I taught children. I hold certification for Level 1 IE training, and this enables me to work through a range of instruments with children to build learning skills, such as:

• Working systematically
• Categorising and comparing
• Planning
• Organising, ordering, and sequencing information
• Reducing impulsivity and developing precision and accuracy
• Logical and inferential thinking
• Being able to use more than one idea at a time
• Hypothetical thinking
• Effective checking of answers and work
• Developing resilience

All too often, our education system seeks to overload the curriculum with content rather than teach children HOW to learn. Children with SEND can experience a high level of overwhelm due to the cognitive load that accompanies a constant stream of information. There is a need to first equip a child with the skills they need to be an effective learner and once these are established, the overwhelm and anxiety can be reduced, and deep learning can take place. The underpinnings and principles of the IE approach are often fundamental to the general way in which I teach.

My experience teaching Literacy:

 Equipping children with the essential Literacy skills for Reading and Writing and fostering a love of stories and storytelling is one of my great passions. I draw from a range of materials and interventions, including the work of Alan Peat and Pie Corbett. For children with specific Literacy difficulties, I have had great success in using programmes like Alpha2Omega, Toe by Toe, Precision Teaching, Echo Reading and Rapid Naming, amongst others. I am an adept and confident teacher of phonics, but I do see a need, often, for children with SEND, to use supplementary programmes and methods as the phonics approach can be limited in impact, depending on the needs of the child. Thus, flexibility is important! I am always looking for new ways to engage children in Literacy activities. Confidence building is key to this before any meaningful learning can take place and gently challenging a child’s notion of themselves as a Reader and Writer. I have first-hand experience of struggling throughout my Primary and Secondary schooling with Literacy and know the joy that can be found in discovering a passion for something that previously felt like a block!

My experience teaching Maths:

Depending on a child’s previous experience of Maths teaching, it can be a subject that creates real confidence blocks and a negative inner dialogue, which, if left unsupported, can be difficult to unpick and work past later. It is important to me, therefore, that before any learning can begin, the child I am working with feels safe to make mistakes and have a go and that they understand the process of learning can be messy and messy can be fun! I love making Maths sessions playful, engaging, and practical. It is very important that children with SEND have a real-life context to place their Maths skills in – whether that be measuring through baking cookies or teaching about 2D and 3D shapes through artwork, for example. I use a range of approaches and interventions, some structured, for example, Plus1, Power of Two, The Number Box, Precision Teaching, and others that are more flexible in nature. It very much depends on the needs of the child I am supporting. All of my teaching involves heavy use of concrete manipulatives and visual supports, and I use a lot of the principles from the Singapore Maths programme, particularly moving from the concrete à pictorial à abstract when introducing and teaching new concepts.

My experience advocating for children with SEND:

I am and have been a very passionate advocate for both parents and children with SEND. In my time as SENDCo, I gave a significant amount of time to lobbying our local MP and trying to raise awareness about the growing SEND crises and the lack of resources and provision afforded to the children who need it most. I developed some very strong relationships with parents of children with SEND – some of whom stayed connected several years after leaving our school to seek advice from me and ask for my support in advocating for their child to the new Local Authority. I have also sat on panel to determine EHCP application requests. As one of the designated Safeguarding Leads for my school, I have also worked with many parents of children with SEND to raise awareness around the services they could access that might be of help in supporting their child’s development. I have been proud to support parents through the appeals process, resulting in securing specialist school provision for a number of children on my caseload as SENDCo.

I have been a qualified teacher for 20 years.  I originally qualified as a secondary Art teacher, however I have spent the majority of this time leading alternative education provisions working with SEN and SEMH young people.  As well as being a teacher, I am also a yoga therapist specialising in mental health.  I use this knowledge to support my work with young people with SEMH needs. I have experience working with primary age children through to post 16 and young adults.

My specialist experience working with young people with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships enabling them to engage;

I have extensive experience building trusting and meaningful relationships with young people.  I have run two alternative provisions and three specialist provisions in mainstream school for Autism and SEMH.  The key to working with young people who have mental health difficulties is building a safe relationship.  I do this by being warm, using humour listening carefully and responding to their energy.

My experience supporting young people with anxiety;

I have substantial experience working with you people who are experiencing anxiety. During my different roles within education I have offered 1:1 wellbeing sessions with my students to support managing anxiety, exploring relationships and enabling them to manage better in school.  This is my area of specialism.  I use a variety of ways to support young people to communicate; I have found using visual supports such as comic strip conversations or drawing and talking to be effective.  I am experienced at being able to reflect back and interpret what they say when the young person is finding it difficult to express themselves. I also use my mind/body therapeutic experience as a way to support young people experiencing anxiety, including mindfulness, movement and relaxation into my sessions.

My experience supporting young people with SEMH/Mental Health needs;

My specialism is working with young people who have SEMH.  I have run two alternative education provisions and a provision in a mainstream school for SEMH.  I am a grounded person so and am able to build safe relationships with young people in which they feel seen.  I have had therapeutic training, counselling skills and yoga therapy for mental health so I have in depth knowledge and understanding of mental health difficulties, with a specific emphasis on the mind body connection.  I have supported many young people over the years with their mental health.

My experience working with young people with complex and/or medical needs;

Many of the young people I have worked with over the years have had a complex range of needs.  I have found it is really important to take this into account that some days may be more physically challenging than others.  Therefore a flexible approach is required so that I can meet the young persons needs from day to day.  It is also important to see the whole person not just their medical needs, and focus on what they can do.

My experience teaching Functional Skills English and maths;

Many of the young people I have worked with have found the functional skills qualifications suit them better than GCSEs so I have experience teaching them.

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

Most of the young people I have worked with over the years have had a lack of confidence and self-esteem that significantly impacts their learning. I have extensive experience in supporting young people to develop their self-esteem.  I do this by offering a nurturing approach to education that supports the young person to develop at their own pace. 

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

Having worked in alternative education provisions the students I have worked with have often found it difficult to engage in learning. This means that I have had to find interesting and creative ways to support them to be able to learn, working in collaboration with the young person to make the learning meaningful to them. Often this means using the young persons interests as a vehicle for learning.  I really enjoy learning in an explorative way together.

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

The focus of my work with young people is often centred on developing independence. I have worked extensively with young people with mental health difficulties, and understand the difficulty that exploring independence during adolescence can create; it has to be managed sensitively.  I have supported young people to develop the confidence and skills to engage with the community for example supporting them to travel on public transport.

I have over 20 years of experience teaching in mainstream, specialist and tuition settings. In that time, I have fulfilled many different roles including Class Teacher of SEND, Pastoral Lead, Behaviour Lead, SENCo, Tutor of Dyslexia, Designated Teacher of Looked After Children and Computing Lead. Each role has given me valuable insight into the challenges of children and young people with additional needs but also into what their powers can be and how we can spotlight those skills.

Building strong, respectful and purposeful relationships with the child or young person, and their families is one of my strengths. Being able to communicate clearly, honestly and empathetically is key to building great relationships and I take this aspect of my role very seriously.

In many cases, the various difficulties and challenges can overlap or co-exist and so a personalised and tailored learning program is fundamental in providing the right support. That’s why I do not offer a one-size-fits-all approach and whilst my skills and teaching strategies, as listed below, are an indication of what may be expected, it is more likely that a program will be a melody of strategies that best suit the individual. The programs of support that I deliver are backed by comprehensive research to ensure the greatest impact.

My specialist experience working with students with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships:  Developing a trusting relationship is always my priority when working with children and young people to help them feel safe. I achieve this from the values PACE (Dan Hughes) Playfulness (playing games, communicating lightly and sharing fun times) Acceptance (accepting the inner feelings and emotions of the individual, even when the outward behaviour is not accepted) Curiosity - showing a genuine interest in their lives and their inner self. Empathy (hearing the child and how they are feeling and reacting).

My experience teaching young people with autism: I have a wealth of experience tutoring children with ASC (autism), however as this condition manifests differently from individual to individual, the importance of remaining flexible and adaptable in planning and teaching sessions is paramount to successful sessions - it is not one-size-fits-all! Often children with ASC (autism) experience anxiety. I manage possible anxiety through patience, positivity and time. I build strong, trusted relationships with the child or young person and implement familiar, structured routines with sensory/movement breaks as needed. Embedded into sessions, can be the opportunity to address emotions; what the triggers to certain emotions are, how they present and how to manage them through visuals, social stories and activities. 

My experience teaching young people with sensory and auditory processing needs: Many of the neurodiverse children that I have worked with have had sensory and auditory processing needs alongside their other needs. An understanding of the environment and its effects on the child or young person will help how I plan and deliver lessons, from adding in sensory breaks to teaching with visuals and from ensuring the teaching space is quiet to regular check-ins on self-regulation levels. 

My experience teaching young people with speech and language needs: I have worked alongside Speech & Language therapists to deliver programs for children with speech, language and communication difficulties. Using programmes such as PECS, Elklan, attuned-play and colourful semantics, I have supported children and young people to develop spoken sounds, improve their receptive and expressive language skills and develop their social-communication skills.

My experience teaching young people with anxiety: I adopt a therapeutic approach to behaviour, social and emotional difficulties. Behaviour, whether prosocial or antisocial, is a form of communication. Having this understanding, allows me to be curious as to why the behaviour is being presented and work on ways to overcome these barriers. In sessions, I may work with a child or young person on exploring emotions, how these can present and how the child or young person can manage them to prevent dysregulation using a five-point scale or similar. We may work on having positive experiences that lead to positive feelings and so prosocial behaviours. We may also work on feeling and keeping safe, self-confidence, social skills and intrinsic motivation. Which again, are woven into our learning

My experience teaching young people with challenging behaviour: I adopt a therapeutic approach in my teaching and tuition – always trying to understand why the child or young person is expressing themselves in any particular way. Making a connection with a young person is paramount to them being able to learn – therefore we work on building that trust and connection first by setting routines and expectations through curiosity and kindness.  

My approach to inspiring a love of learning and supporting independence through developing self-esteem and confidence: My teaching philosophy states that I teach with the objective of children or young people becoming confident, independent and curious, so that they may take ownership of their learning and grow into being the lifelong learners they are capable of being.

I view it as my mission to unlock interests, skills and abilities and allow young people and young people to flourish and shine. My approach is to teach with kindness and flexibility, with the values of confidence, curiosity and independence woven through the nurturing lessons I plan and deliver.

My experience teaching young people with a PDA profile: Creating an environment that is predictable yet flexible is a key ingredient to successfully working with children and young people with PDA. Lessons are adapted to suit the needs and anxiety levels of the individual on the day and I will always clearly communicate our intentions to minimise demands and anxiety levels. Part of the work I complete with a child is to develop children and young people's own understanding of their emotions, brains and behaviours. 

My specialist experience with ADHD: Children and young people with ADHD may find it difficult to begin tasks, maintain focus and complete tasks; organise themselves, follow a series of instructions and remain motivated. To address these challenges, I use short segmented tasks and activities of high interest with structure, routine and scaffolded support which are key strategies in being able to engage children and young people with ADHD in their learning.

My specialist experience teaching young people with working memory difficulties: Many children and young people experience challenges with their executive functioning skills, including working memory. I use visuals and supporting resources to reduce the demand on these areas of the brain which helps to scaffold learning in other subject areas such as maths or writing tasks. In addition, prioritising learning experiences that develop executive function skills helps improve concentration, comprehension, inference, and working memory. And doing so is key to helping children and young people build study skills and lifelong learning patterns. 

My experience teaching maths and English: I have taught maths and English throughout my twenty-year career as a teacher and from Early Years through to key stage 3. I have an equal passion for both subjects and deliver them with enthusiasm and gusto. In English, I like to take a wholesome approach, delving into stories and their characters to provide a deep understanding of the text and improve comprehension, reading and writing skills through discussion, exploration, mind mapping, experimentation, role play and more. I have completed several writing courses and very much enjoy the creativity that English brings. 

Having taken A-level maths at school, my knowledge and understanding of the subject is robust. Through various topics, I use manipulatives, pictorial representations and games to help children and young people develop their understanding of concepts. But I also like to take a more practical approach to maths, by taking the learning outside, combining maths with other topics, and putting the maths into real-life scenarios, such as working out the ingredients for a cake or planning an imaginary event. 

My experience teaching young people with dyslexia: For several years, I tutored with a local Dyslexia Association. Here, I learned how to implement the multi-sensory approach and alternative strategies for children and young people who struggle in this area. Using the Alpha to Omega scheme, phonics schemes, whole word reading, colourful semantics and mind mapping and writing tools, can help children and young people overcome challenges in reading, writing, spelling and organisational skills. 

My specialist experience with global learning delay: Global learning delay can present many difficulties for children and young people. Alongside academic and speech delays, individuals may also experience difficulties with memory, social skills and emotional literacy. Taking a holistic approach to learning allows for these developmental skills to be worked on. For example, turning a learning objective into a game, using role-play and stories or simply taking our learning away from the ‘classroom’.

My experience teaching young people with SEMH/mental health needs:  I work with a great deal of understanding when teaching children and young people with SEMH and/or mental health needs, adopting an approach laden with curiosity where feelings and experiences are considered and explored. Having empathy for children and young people can help children and young people find a connection and feel safe in their learning environment. I teach with compassion, kindness and patience.

My experience teaching young people with challenging behaviour: I believe and adopt a therapeutic approach to behaviour where the values of pro-social behaviours are taught through experience and understanding. Undesirable behaviour is challenged in a non-threatening way and always when a child or young person has returned to a regulated state and can digest what is being discussed. This could be achieved through social stories, role-play, or reflection strategies. 

My experience of teaching science: Having taught the science curriculum from Key Stage 1 through to Key Stage 3, I am well-versed in providing engaging and practical experiences with a combined emphasis on the investigational skills and the subject knowledge of biology, physics and chemistry. 

Using technology to support learning: Technology is here to stay and can be a great asset to engaging our children and young people and unlocking learning. A more recent role that I held as Computing Lead has led to the discovery of many assistive and educational technologies (including Text-to-Speech, Scanning Pens, Clicker, Purple Mash, Communicate inPrint and many more). I make use of technology within lessons to foster engagement, independence and learning when it is appropriate to do so.

I have over 15 years’ experience in education which has included teaching in both mainstream and special schools and as a Specialist Advisory Teacher for Dyslexia and Specific Learning Difficulties for the local authority.

My approach to tutoring is personalised and adaptable, tailored to meet the unique needs and learning styles of each student. Whether it's boosting confidence in reading, writing, and spelling, having hands on science lessons, or making maths learning fun. I strive to create a supportive and engaging learning environment where my students can thrive.

I believe that education goes beyond simply imparting knowledge; it's about empowering students to become independent thinkers and lifelong learners. Through patience, encouragement, and dedication, I aim to instil not only a deeper understanding of the material but also a love for learning itself.

My specialist experience of working with students with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships: Developing a trusting and meaningful relationship with a student is very important to me. I approach all interactions with empathy, actively listening to their thoughts and concerns, and understanding their unique strengths and challenges, whilst at the same time remaining positive and friendly. By celebrating their achievements and providing encouragement, I aim to create a safe and nurturing space where they feel valued and motivated.

My skills and experience teaching young people with ASC: I have worked with autistic students both in mainstream and special schools. I understand the importance of fully understanding the student and adapting my teaching to their individual needs and interests. I give clear instructions on how the lesson will be and what the objectives are, and this is supported with a visual timetable and now and next board. I support all instructions with visual aids, adapt my use of vocabulary and scaffold support to enable the task to be completed successfully thus increasing motivation.

My experience of teaching students with ADHD: When teaching students with ADHD I know how important it is to have movement breaks and for the lesson to be engaging and exciting. I support teaching with learning aids including visuals and timers. If appropriate, I use the zones of regulation to support the student to manage their emotions.

My experience of teaching Primary English and maths: I have taught whole classes, small groups and one-to-one in both mainstream and special schools. My experience is from Year 1 up to Year 6. I use a range of resources, teaching styles and activities to engage and foster a creative and dynamic environment. I ensure students understand the value of what they are learning and how they will use this knowledge in their everyday lives. I know how important it is to have movement breaks and for learning to be engaging and exciting. I support teaching with high quality resources, hands on activities, laughter, and lots of opportunities for overlearning. 

My experience working with young people to boost their confidence and self-esteem: Establishing a trusting relationship with a student links closely with boosting their self-esteem and confidence. When teaching I give ongoing support and encouragement with specific and meaningful praise.  I create a supportive and engaging learning environment where my students can thrive and feel the exhilaration of success which in turn helps them grow in confidence.

My specialist experience providing engaging sessions to provide a love of learning: Most students love learning once they feel that they are good at it and it’s fun. I share my own love of learning, and this can be contagious. I ensure my lessons are fast paced, fun, with just the right amount of challenge.

My skills and experience supporting students to develop their independence: I spend time getting to know a student so that I can provide tailored opportunities to enable them to become an independent learner. I encourage, and fully support, self-assessment, goal setting and reflection.

My experience of teaching young people with dyslexia and specific learning difficulties: I have additional accredited Level 7 training in teaching students with dyslexia and specific learning difficulties which has equipped me with the knowledge and strategies to help students reach their full potential and thrive academically. I incorporate multisensory techniques, personalised programmes, and differentiated instruction with lots of overlearning to ensure that learning is retained. I use assistive technology and resources to enhance the learning experience for students with dyslexia and specific learning difficulties. From text-to-speech software to speech recognition programs, I incorporate technology in innovative and fun ways to accommodate diverse learning needs and promote independence.

Children in Control of their own Learning due to Personalising the Learning in a Safe, Supportive Environment that Builds Trust and Creates a Meaningful Relationship between Pupil and Teacher:

I am currently, during the school day, a Year 6 teacher in a non-selective SEN school with a mainstream curriculum for children who need specialist input because of a specific educational need, including Autistic Spectrum Condition, PDA, ADD, ADHD, SPD, Speech and Language needs, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Working Memory / Processing Difficulties. The self-confidence that I see develop in the learner, coming from feeling in control of the learning, is a joy for me to be part of helping.

With a class and with individual pupils, I teach by breaking down the tasks into completely manageable chunks and by jointly building the skills needed for independence in ways that interest, engage and make the learning come from the learner so that it doesn't feel as though the learner is being 'taught.' This in itself lessens and even removes anxiety. Confidence in own abilities with a relaxed, fun, 'together' approach then enables skills to develop very quickly. My approach to teaching individuals with a specific education need of both primary and secondary age with always helps as a matter of course all individuals of all ages: engaging the senses to connect with reading and writing; building skills in systematic and sequential steps; reinforcing individual skill strengths and involving individuals in what, why and how they are learning are strategies that I have used with hugely positive results, creating a trusting positive relationship between teacher and pupil, resulting in high self-esteem and enjoyment of the self in the learning process. My whole teaching approach is centred around the learner.

Support for Children with Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Speech and Language Delay, Anxiety, SPD, ADHD, PDA:

I am extremely aware of the importance of overlearning a process until it becomes a known strategy that can be used to reach an end goal that initially seemed overwhelming. Each session that I teach is structured to build the required academic skills as well as to boost confidence, practise fine-motor skills and aid social interactions. I specialise in supporting children with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Anxiety, SPD, ADHD, Speech and Language Delay, Autism and PDA to engage with and to feel really good about their learning by building trust and by carefully taking or creating a learning task to an area or level where there is interest. I always try to ensuring that skills are being developed without it seeming like ‘learning’ or ‘doing a task.’ I currently teach a class of Year 6 children who each have a specific educational need. To build vocabulary and to nurture socialisation, I provide each individual with safe interaction opportunities that encourage curiosity in language and enjoyment in interactions.  The clear expectations, visual schedules, visual cues, coordination games, built-in brain breaks and use of visuals in making choices -each learning activity is offered with choices- enables each individual's provision to be effective, with wonderful productive learning as a matter of course.

Working Memory and Processing Skills:

To help working memory and processing skills, I have helped pupils of both primary and secondary age to be an effective listener, to manage self-expectations dependent on a task and to take pressure off themselves, aiming for quality of task completion with full comprehension and confidence. By presenting information in a way that always keeps the pupils as an active participant in the learning, I have found that all pupils find excitement in their learning, connect with the learning content and more easily commit ideas to memory.

Homework and Exam Question Skills:

I currently tutor in 11+ and GCSE English exam preparation for the Language and the Literature papers. With each pupil, we jointly create an adaptable written answer format that can help if the mind panics under exam conditions. Repeated practice of written answer structures builds the confidence to form ideas in response to questions, secure in the knowledge that the ideas will fit into the learnt and practised written answer structures that the muscle memory will reproduce.  Understanding how to incorporate quotations into sentences that support each idea brings a joyful confidence to pupils as the importance of providing evidence for their ideas is explored and used with understanding.

Social Skills, Language Skills and Executive Functioning:

I have many years of mentoring pupils which naturally brings in helping to manage self-esteem and confidence academically as well as socially. I do believe that helping pupils to develop strong executive functioning skills is a key pathway to success in all subject areas as well as in all aspects of life. From providing opportunities to think about and activate their brains to plan their time or plan a task, initiate a task, organise their materials, keep their focus, maintain a positive mindset to be open to learn from mistakes and to try new strategies when stuck, I have regularly enjoyed watching and hearing about how my pupils have persevered until the completion of a goal in all situations including new ones, often expressing enjoyment of seeing themselves come through something that they didn’t initially feel able to do. It is my belief that all children have the ability to learn; I do believe that it is the environment in which making a mistake is valued as part of the learning process that enables children to make progress with confidence, self-esteem and independence.

Fun Sessions that Develop Self-Esteem, Love of Learning and Independence:

I break the learning down into addressing each need as it arises and then it is by using the learner’s strengths, interests and challenges that I create a learning environment in which the children can feel valued, safe and super interested in their learning! It is my belief that all learning is fun when it is interesting. I teach through a lot more than just games, although games do come into each session. Essentially, by carefully creating resources and ensuring that the learning comes from the child, it becomes a joy for me to facilitate the learning, monitor the progress and support the learner in achieving their desired targets. I address each need to make each learner feel good about themselves and to encourage independence in learning. By making the learning environment less about the ‘teacher’ and ‘learner’ and more of a ‘shared learning’ experience, my pupils develop their learning almost without realising that it is happening, taking part and taking the lead because they feel truly good about what they are doing.

Mainstream English and Maths Teaching with Preparation for Examinations:

I have also taught a mainstream English and Maths curriculum to age 7-18 learners in international British and IB as well as UK schools. To help the learner enjoy the process of learning literacy, study and maths skills by establishing their understandings, taking the learning to their individual starting point, facilitating the self-talk to express the learning and building upon each acquired skill is my aim for each and every child. I have always seen self-esteem, confidence and independence grow and become useful in all aspects of life when the learning that is undertaken by my pupils has been made possible. My teaching style is continually positive, including the positive learning experience that can come from making mistakes. I give praise constantly for good, purposeful reasons. I share the aims of each learning session with each individual child, enabling them to understand and appreciate each important step.

I currently tutor in 11+ and GCSE English exam preparation for the Language and the Literature papers. With each pupil, we jointly create an adaptable written answer format that can help if the mind panics under exam conditions. Repeated practice of written answer structures builds the confidence to form ideas in response to questions, secure in the knowledge that the ideas will fit into the learnt and practised written answer structures that the muscle memory will reproduce. I break down the learning of Maths into each element, often jointly creating new questions using discovered patterns with newly-found knowledge and then, with decreasing support, methodically work through strategies that use each learner’s strengths. Understanding how to incorporate quotations into sentences that support each idea brings a joyful confidence to pupils as the importance of providing evidence for their ideas is explored and used with understanding. Language exam practice includes inference skills and a creative written response to a stimulus, learning how to create an image or an atmosphere with words that can bring an emotional response to the reader - the examiner.

Communication with Parents:

For tutoring, I work closely with parents, reporting to them on each session's progress, advising and guiding them on how to support their child in between sessions. I have been involved in many annual reviews, the writing of EHC plans and Individual Progress Plans. Progress comes quickly with the right learning environment.