Catherine

I am a highly experienced and qualified teacher with over 30 years of working with children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) across all four areas of need.

Throughout my career, I have taught, led teams, and developed provision with a clear focus on overcoming barriers to learning and enabling every child to thrive.

With a background in senior SEND leadership, safeguarding, and specialist provision, I combine warmth, empathy, and expertise in my practice. I am committed to helping every child make meaningful progress by building on their strengths and supporting their individual learning journey.

I have a secure understanding of the curriculum and how it can be adapted to meet individual needs. I have led and trained staff to deliver engaging, personalised learning that secures strong outcomes both inside and outside the classroom. I am known for my high expectations, structured approach, and willingness to take on complex challenges.

Specialist SEND Experience

Over my career, I have worked with a wide range of needs, including Autism, Down syndrome, PDA, Prader-Willi syndrome, Soto's syndrome, and complex co-morbid conditions. I have extensive experience supporting cognitive, physical, social, emotional, and mental health needs, including anxiety, school refusal, and neurodiversity. I have worked with many children and young adults with challenging behaviours understanding that "every child deserves a champion — an adult who will never give up on them.” — Rita Pierson,

Autism & Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN):

I have significant expertise in supporting children with autism and speech and language needs, particularly those with complex profiles.

• Led the development of specialist ARP provision for children with communication difficulties across the borough

• Trained as an ADOS Assessor

• Worked in collaboration with UCL and contributed to a PECS pilot project

• Experienced in developing inclusive mainstream provision

I am highly skilled in working with children with a variety of speech and language needs, from students with speech articulation difficulties to those with significant speech and language delay.

I am trained and competent in delivering a range of evidence-based interventions and approaches.

I am a Regional Makaton Tutor with extensive experience in total communication. I have worked as a Speech and Language Therapy Assistant, designing and delivering targeted speech and language programmes.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH):

As a SENDCo for over 10 years in a school with specialist provision for children at risk of exclusion, I developed strong expertise in SEMH support. I have extensive experience teaching children with:

• Trauma and anxiety

• PDA profiles

• Behavioural needs and emotional regulation

I have worked closely with Educational Psychologists and CAMHS to deliver joined-up support, building children's confidence and enthusiasm for learning, and successfully supporting reintegration and inclusion.

Cognition and Learning:

Teaching Maths, English and Science

As a former Deputy Headteacher and curriculum leader in an outstanding all-through school, I have extensive experience teaching the National Curriculum at Key Stage 1 and 2.

My teaching approach is calm, structured, and practical, ensuring learning is:

• Meaningful

• Memorable

• Engaging

I carefully assess and monitor progress to ensure every child achieves their full potential.

I have extensive experience teaching children with a wide range of cognitive learning needs, including global developmental delay and specific difficulties such as dyslexia. I design individual learning programmes that spark curiosity and keep children engaged.

I use a range of teaching approaches and assessment tools to identify barriers to learning and plan focused, personalised support that helps children make progress and grow in independence.

Physical, Medical and Sensory Needs

I have worked with children and young people with physical and medical needs, including cerebral palsy, ALS, dyspraxia, and complex medical conditions. I am trained in feeding and manual handling, and have extensive experience designing and delivering both fine and gross-motor programmes.

I have extensive experience working collaboratively with therapists and medical professionals to ensure a holistic, child-centred approach.

Throughout my career, I have benefited from a wide range of high-quality professional development opportunities

• Master of Education, University of Gloucestershire

• BA (hons) Early Childhood Studies

• QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) General Teaching Council

• NASENDCo Award

• Lead Practitioner for SEND

• ADOS assessor (GOSH)

• Makaton Regional Trainer

• BSL level 1

• Teaching 9 critical communication skills

• Autism Awareness

I have obtained an extensive portfolio of SEND and teaching and learning training, focusing on evidence-based intervention and best practice. Please enquire if you are interested in an intervention that is not listed below.

• TEACCH

• Intensive interaction

• Colourful semantics

• Living language

• Speech and Language development

• Playscripts

• Renfrew Language Assessment

• Developmental Language Delay

• Lego therapy

• Nurture Groups Theory and Practice

• Boxall Profiles

• 5P Approach

• Zones of regulation

• Emotion coaching

• Emotional Resilience

• Flexibility of thought

• Down syndrome Strategies to Support Learners

• Dyslexia and Dyscalculia training

• Working Memory

• Reciprocal Reading

• Phonics

• Social and Sensory Stories

• Reading and Writing Interventions

• Numicon

• Differentiation and Scaffolding

• Sensory Processing and Profiles

• Deaf awareness

• Visual impairment training

• Gross and Fine Motor Skills - Healthy Hands, Dough Disco

• Sensory circuits

• Sherbourne

• Safeguarding Higher-level training (L3)

• Safeguarding Children with Disabilities

• Prevent

• Epi pen training

• Anaphylaxis Awareness

• Asthma Awareness

• Buccal Midazolam training

• Emergency First Aid

• Epilepsy Awareness

• Hoist training

• PEG feeding

• GDPR