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 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 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 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 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, communication boards, line drawings and PECS. I am familiar with Makaton and enjoy enhancing communication using this programme.
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 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 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 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 experience as a local authority access to education tutor:
As a home tuition services tutor I have especially enjoyed supporting teens 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 skilled at breaking learning down into small steps upon which to build. I can make my lessons achievable across all ages from early years to GCSE level and I delight in my pupil’s success. I am adaptable and flexible and am always willing to go the extra mile for my pupils. I have tutored all subjects across Key Stages 1 and 2 and have I have also tutored KS 3 Science, English Language and English Literature. I have a good understanding of requirements for the GCSE syllabus in the subjects I specialize in and have added Food Preparation and Nutrition GCSE tutoring in recent months. Supporting pupils out of education for a variety of medical or mental health reasons has been a career highlight for me, and I can genuinely say the experience has enriched my skillset and helped me to be a better teacher.
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. 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.
