Gemma

I hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and have over 12 years of teaching experience within primary education, working with children aged 3–11 across mainstream settings. Throughout my teaching career, I have developed extensive experience supporting children with a wide range of learning needs and abilities, creating inclusive learning environments where all pupils can achieve their potential.

Prior to becoming a teacher, I spent approximately five years working as a Teaching Assistant and sports coach, supporting pupils both academically and socially. This experience gave me a strong foundation in behaviour management, child development, and building positive relationships with children. I also spent a year working within a specialist class, where I gained valuable insight into adapting teaching approaches to meet the complex needs of children with additional needs. This experience strengthened my understanding of personalised learning and reinforced my commitment to inclusive education.

More recently, I have worked as a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo), overseeing SEND provision and inclusive practice across Key Stage 2. In this role, I have worked collaboratively with a wide range of professionals, both within school and externally, to ensure that pupils with additional needs receive high-quality, targeted support. My responsibilities have included managing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), coordinating provision, monitoring interventions, supporting staff, liaising with parents and carers, and ensuring that statutory requirements are met while maintaining a child-centred approach.

As SENCo, I have significantly expanded my knowledge and practical experience of supporting children with a diverse range of additional needs, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), dyslexia, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), processing and working memory difficulties, Down syndrome, and children who are reluctant or selective speakers. Working alongside specialist teachers, educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, family support workers, occupational therapists, and other professionals has enabled me to develop a broad repertoire of evidence-informed strategies and interventions that can be tailored to meet individual pupils' needs. These experiences have strengthened my ability to identify barriers to learning and evaluate the impact of provision to ensure positive outcomes.

Alongside my school-based role, I was privileged to contribute to the development of the Suffolk Mainstream Inclusion Framework (SMIF), a guidance document designed to support inclusive practice within mainstream schools across Suffolk. Working as part of this collaborative project enabled me to share good practice while deepening my understanding of effective inclusion at both a strategic and practical level. The framework reflects my belief that every child should have access to a high-quality education within an environment where they feel valued, understood and able to succeed.

I also played a key role in presenting our school's case to the local authority for the establishment of a Specialist Resource Base within our mainstream setting. As part of the presentation, I demonstrated how our school effectively supports children with communication and interaction needs through high-quality provision, specialist knowledge, targeted interventions and an inclusive ethos. I highlighted the systems, expertise and resources we had developed to enable pupils to make strong academic, social and emotional progress. Being involved in this process enhanced my understanding of strategic school development, multi-agency collaboration and the planning required to establish specialist provision within a mainstream environment.

Before entering the education sector, I spent approximately ten years supporting adults with learning disabilities to develop independence, build life skills and access opportunities within their local communities. This role required patience, empathy, excellent communication skills and a person-centred approach. I built strong, respectful relationships with the individuals I supported, empowering them to participate in activities and experiences that may otherwise have been inaccessible. This early career has had a lasting influence on my practice as an educator, reinforcing the importance of promoting independence, recognising individual strengths, and ensuring that every person is treated with dignity, respect and high expectations.

Across my career, I have developed a strong commitment to inclusive education, collaborative working and achieving positive outcomes for children and young people with additional needs. I am passionate about building trusting relationships with pupils, families and professionals, and I continually seek opportunities to develop my knowledge and practice so that I can provide the highest standard of support. My breadth of experience across mainstream and specialist settings, combined with my leadership as a SENCo and my background in supporting individuals with learning disabilities, has equipped me with the skills, knowledge and resilience to make a meaningful contribution to the lives of children with SEND and their families.

My teaching philosophy is centred on inspiring children to enjoy learning and develop a genuine curiosity about the world around them. I believe that children are most successful when they are engaged, motivated and excited by what they are learning. To achieve this, I believe it is essential that I model enthusiasm and a love of learning myself. My energy, passion and positive attitude help to create a classroom environment where children feel encouraged to explore, ask questions and take pride in their achievements.

I believe that effective teaching begins with understanding each child as an individual. Lessons should be carefully planned and adapted to meet children's individual needs, interests and learning styles so that learning is meaningful, accessible and motivating. By incorporating children's interests into learning opportunities, I can help foster curiosity, increase engagement and encourage children to become active participants in their own learning.

I am a strong advocate of multisensory teaching approaches, recognising that children learn in different ways and benefit from opportunities to see, hear, discuss and experience new concepts. Regular retrieval practice, repetition and opportunities to apply learning in different contexts are equally important in helping children retain knowledge over time and build confidently on prior learning. I understand that progress is not always linear and that celebrating small steps of achievement is essential in developing confidence, resilience and a positive attitude towards learning.

Alongside high-quality teaching, I believe that children thrive when they learn within a structured, nurturing environment. I maintain firm but fair boundaries so that expectations are clear, consistent and predictable. This helps children feel safe, secure and respected, allowing them to develop independence, regulate their behaviour and take appropriate risks in their learning. By combining warmth with consistency, I aim to build trusting relationships where every child feels valued, supported and empowered to achieve their full potential.