Davina

With 18+ years of experience as a qualified teacher (QTS), I have had the privilege of teaching children from EYFS (Primary age) through to KS4 (Secondary), working with pupils from a wide range of backgrounds and with diverse SEND needs. My experience spans a variety of educational settings, from mainstream and independent schools to specialist SEND provision, as well as working as a specialist 1:1 tutor for pupils. This breadth of experience has given me a deep understanding that every child learns differently, and I pride myself on creating a warm, calm, supportive and encouraging learning environment where children feel understood, build confidence and are able to make real progress.

My years working as a Paediatric Nurse (PGDip Paediatric Nursing) and my degree in Psychology BSc (Hons), compliments my teaching experience and strengthens my approach to tutoring. It gives me a deep understanding of children’s emotional, developmental and learning needs — particularly those experiencing anxiety, school avoidance, trauma, neurodivergence, complex medical needs or emotional overwhelm . This enables me to look at the whole child, not just their academic needs, and tailor each session accordingly, creating a supportive environment where they feel understood, confident and ready to learn. I enjoy keeping up to date with current research in SEND, psychology and education, which ensures my sessions are engaging, purposeful and bespoke. All my sessions combine creativity, multisensory learning and high quality, purposeful learning with evidence-informed teaching and SEND approaches.

My experience working with autistic Children (ASC):

I have extensive experience supporting autistic children in mainstream schools, specialist settings and one‑to‑one home tuition. Every autistic child is unique, so I take time to understand how they experience the world, what helps them feel safe and what enables them to thrive. My practice is grounded in building trust first and draws on current research and evidence‑based approaches, including Structured Teaching (TEACCH principles), which uses clear visuals, predictable routines and step‑by‑step tasks to reduce anxiety and support regulation, communication and learning. My psychology and paediatric nursing background helps me recognise the emotional and sensory factors influencing learning, allowing me to respond to my students in a way that feels calming and supportive. When children feel regulated, understood and genuinely engaged, academic progress begins to unfold naturally and steadily.

My sessions use gentle, effective approaches shaped around each child’s sensory profile, communication style and emotional needs that help children feel safe, settled and ready to learn. By creating fun, engaging multisensory lessons and weaving in each child’s interests — alongside low‑arousal approaches, Structured Teaching, visual supports, sensory‑informed practice, low‑demand communication and co‑regulation — I create calm, predictable learning that boosts motivation, strengthens connection and builds confidence through small, achievable successes.

My experience supporting children with ADHD:

I bring extensive personal and professional experience supporting young people with ADHD, giving me a deep, compassionate understanding of what helps them feel safe, confident and able to thrive. I know how creative, curious and capable they are when learning feels right for them. With my background in psychology, paediatric nursing and lived experience, I teach in a way that works with each child’s brain rather than against it — and I consistently see children become calmer, more focused and more confident when learning is adapted to their strengths. I create fun, multisensory sessions broken into manageable steps, using evidence‑based strategies such as chunked tasks, movement breaks, clear routines, visual scaffolds, positive reinforcement and co‑regulation. I also draw on Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS), an evidence‑based approach that reduces overwhelm by working with the child to understand challenges and make choices together. With interest‑based, kinaesthetic and visual learning, students stay engaged and make faster, more meaningful progress. I understand the emotional impact of repeated struggles — including frustration, low confidence and rejection sensitivity — so I help children recognise their strengths, rebuild self‑belief and feel genuinely proud of what they can do.

My experience supporting children with PDA and Anxiety:

I have supported many children with a PDA profile in mainstream, specialist and 1:1 settings, and I understand how differently each child experiences the world. Avoidance is rarely “defiance” — it is usually an anxiety response when demands feel overwhelming or unpredictable. Because of this, I prioritise emotional safety. I build trust, follow each child’s pace and use gentle, low‑demand approaches that reduce pressure and help them feel calm and in control. I also draw on PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy), an evidence‑informed relational approach that helps reduce anxiety, strengthen connection and make learning feel safe and collaborative. Through creating sessions that allow for genuine choices, collaborative learning and a focus on feeling understood, I see the students I teach begin to relax, re‑engage and rebuild confidence. Many move from overwhelm to curiosity and enjoyment; others grow in independence and self‑belief. My goal is always to help each child feel respected, capable and emotionally secure, allowing progress to unfold naturally at their pace.

My experience supporting children with Dyslexia:

I've worked with many children with Dyslexia over the years across a variety of environments. I’m highly experienced in teaching phonics from Nursery to KS2, and this forms the foundation of the progress dyslexic learners make with me. Over the years, I’ve taught phonics daily in classrooms, small intervention groups and 1:1 settings, completed specialist phonics training, studied phonological awareness as part of my psychology degree, and deepened my expertise through dyslexia‑assessment CPD. Because dyslexia affects how the brain processes sounds and links them to letters, I use structured, evidence‑based phonics and break reading and spelling into clear, manageable steps.

Pulling ideas from my years of teaching EYFS and KS1 continuous provision my teaching is fully multisensory — using visuals, rhythm, movement, songs and hands‑on activities — to strengthen memory and make learning stick. I also break skills into small, achievable steps, scaffold writing carefully and use assistive technology to reduce overwhelm and keep learning fun and engaging. I’ve found that these approaches help children make rapid progress in reading and writing, and this boost in confidence carries over into all other areas of learning.

My experience supporting children with SEMH needs including Trauma:

I have a wealth of experience supporting children with trauma and SEMH needs. Throughout my career, I’ve watched so many children make meaningful progress in both learning and wellbeing when given the right support, and celebrating those moments with them is one of the most rewarding parts of my work. Seeing their pride grow, their confidence lift and their belief in themselves strengthen is exactly why I love doing what I do. Building trust first forms the foundation of all my sessions, reducing pressure and using small, achievable steps, I help children regain confidence and self‑belief — and once they feel understood and secure, their motivation grows and learning begins to flourish. I understand how trauma or emotional distress affects behaviour, attention and confidence and respond with calm, attuned care that helps children feel safe enough to learn again. I use Zones of Regulation to help children understand their emotions and find practical ways to manage them, and I teach gentle mindfulness strategies where appropriate. These approaches help children feel calmer, more in control and more confident as they learn.

 My experience supporting children with working memory difficulties and executive dysfunction:

Working‑memory and executive‑function difficulties can make learning feel overwhelming, especially for neurodiverse children. I’ve supported many students with these challenges in both school and home settings, and I genuinely enjoy helping them find approaches that make learning feel manageable again.

My sessions are warm, attuned and grounded in evidence‑based strategies that reduce cognitive load and strengthen executive‑function skills. I use structured, low‑arousal approaches — including Cognitive Load Theory, visual scaffolds and executive‑function supports — to make learning feel lighter and more manageable. By using these strategies in my sessions I see children experience success quickly: tasks feel easier for them to start, organise and complete, their confidence grows, and they progress more quickly. One of the best parts of my job is celebrating those moments with them — seeing their pride, their relief and their excitement as learning finally starts to click.

My experience supporting children with sensory and processing needs:

I’ve supported many children with sensory processing needs throughout my teaching career and really enjoy seeing how effective small adjustments can be, in making these children become calmer, more regulated and more able to learn. I understand how sensory differences shape a child’s whole day, from overwhelm caused by sounds, lights or textures to difficulties with sitting still, focusing or coping in busy spaces.

I’ve worked closely with occupational therapists to assess sensory needs and I make sure I integrate recommended strategies directly into my sessions. I’m tuned in to changes in body language, breathing and behaviour, and I quietly assess the environment to spot early signs of overwhelm long before a child reaches crisis.

When I see a child becoming overloaded, I adapt gently and immediately — offering movement breaks, slowing the pace, lowering demands or reducing sensory load. These adjustments help children feel understood, safe and ready to learn again. As their regulation improves, they begin to experience real success: they settle more quickly, re‑engage more easily and make meaningful progress. Celebrating those moments with them is one of the best parts of my job.

My experience working with children with complex medical needs:

My years as a Paediatric Nurse — including time at Great Ormond Street Hospital — gave me a deep understanding of complex medical needs and how they shape a child’s learning, confidence and daily life. Whilst teaching I’m quick to notice early signs that a child is struggling, and I adapt calmly and instantly by slowing the pace, reducing cognitive load, offering breaks or using low‑arousal approaches to keep them comfortable and able to learn.

My psychology training strengthens this further. I understand how medical needs affect the nervous system, motivation and processing, so I shape each session around what the child can manage that day. I work confidently with the child’s wider team to align learning with medical guidance, and I bring a steady, reassuring presence that helps families feel supported during uncertainty.

This blend of nursing intuition, psychological insight and extensive teaching experience allows medically vulnerable children to feel safe, capable and ready to make meaningful academic progress.

My experience working with students to rebuild confidence:

One of the most rewarding parts of my work is helping children rediscover confidence in themselves. Many of the learners I support have started to believe they “can’t do it” after difficult experiences in education, and I work gently to change that narrative. I celebrate every success, highlight their strengths and create opportunities for genuine achievement. Watching a child take pride in their work, smile again and rebuild their self‑belief is one of the greatest privileges of my job.

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

I’m a naturally creative teacher, and I love designing lessons that make children want to learn. My EYFS, KS1 and vast Primary School age experience, gives me a huge bank of multisensory, hands‑on ideas that make learning exciting and achievable. My sessions are fun, interactive, calm and full of curiosity, helping children re‑engage, feel proud of what they can do and rebuild their confidence step by step. Celebrating those small wins with them is one of my favourite parts of teaching.