Gemma

My overall experience supporting people with SEN: I have a decade of experience teaching and tutoring children with various specific learning needs in whole class, small group and 1:1 settings. I also have over two decades of experience of raising my own children who, between them, have dyslexia, dyspraxia, ASD and ADHD. I understand the ways in which a SEN diagnosis, whether formal or informal, can affect the whole family and influence behaviour, emotions and education. I genuinely enjoy tutoring and getting to know students with SEN requirements because no two students and no two sessions are ever the same. I have a passion for ensuring that mental and emotional well-being falls at the heart of people’s ability to learn and grow; I firmly believe that our development and sense of self grows from that foundation. I work with warmth, compassion and determination to help create supportive and nurturing environments. A story-teller at heart, I am articulate, creative and playful and encourage these skills in those I work with. 

My specialist experience working with students with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships: Throughout my years of classroom teaching and private tuition, it has been repeatedly demonstrated that the most essential first step in learning is to feel safe with the person who is teaching you. I always begin my work with young people by getting to know them and placing an emphasis on the creation and development of an accepting, meaningful and trusting relationship. This initially looks like conversations, structured games, play, art/creativity or engaging in special interest activities but what it leads to is a place where learning gaps can be more readily closed and real progress can be made more rapidly. In many of my tutoring roles, I work with students who find it challenging to engage in the school environment and are on a reduced or supported timetable or are no longer attending a formal setting. These young people often have a mistrust of teachers and so it is important to begin by building a relationship in a gentle, lighthearted and steady way. I always take my lead from the student, from open conversations with their parents, caregivers, educators and providers as well as from my own intuition and professional experience. I take a non-confrontational approach and find that people tend to let their guards down with me relatively quickly. I accept people for who they are and where they’re at and we work together from there. In this way, I recently took a child through two years of maths curriculum in just 8 months.

My specialist experience teaching people with ADHD: The children with ADHD who I have taught and tutored over the years have all been very different from each other in terms of levels of attainment, progress and required support. One similarity that has been shared throughout though, is a feeling that they are ‘different’ and that this is ‘wrong or bad’. Anxiety, low self-esteem and disciplinary issues from school all seem to go hand-in-hand with an ADHD diagnosis. Therefore, one of the first things I do when working with young people with ADHD is to address the concept of themselves as a learner. What does that mean currently and how would they like it to change moving forwards? It can be difficult to see past the challenges, especially if this is coupled with being inside an educational system that is not designed to meet ADHD needs, but once we are able to start tapping into understanding, acceptance and potentials, alongside opening up new ways of learning, it really can make a world of difference. I have had a lot of successes with children with ADHD including supporting two boys return to full-time school having previously been removed.

My specialist experience teaching students with dyspraxia: One of the key difficulties that people with dyspraxia experience is issues surrounding organisation. This affects all areas of life including organisation of their body in space, internal thoughts, emotional state, personal belongings and words or calculations on the page. I have taught many students with dyspraxia, two of my daughters also have dyspraxia, and I enjoy working together with students to help them discover approaches and techniques that can be used practically to help support the issues that dyspraxia is negatively affecting in their daily life and their educational journey.

My specialist experience supporting students with speech/ language/ communication needs: Students may need support with the development of their speech or their language (or both) at various points throughout their development; it is not uncommon for children to dip in and out of accessing SLT or to require supplementary sessions at different stages. I have worked closely with SLTs to support children and ensure continuation of therapeutic input as well as supporting students who require language and communication development in a more implicit way such as through story, play, drama and social interaction. As an English teacher I also love to explore words and have helped many students discover a love of words, word association and word play through games – this is often a space in which misunderstandings can be addressed and new vocabulary can be practised.

My specialist experience teaching English: I have taught English across KS1, 2 and 3 for over a decade and spent 5 years as a specialist English teacher at a prep school for boys with a range of specific learning needs. These children struggled to learn English in the traditional way and so it was my job to develop creative and interesting ways to deliver their lessons. I love English – both literature and language – and truly enjoy finding ways to help young people at any age or stage of development access and uncover their own love for it as well. English is fundamentally about communication and I firmly believe in the importance of encouraging and developing a person’s own ‘voice’. Everyone has something to say and everyone has a preferred way of expressing themselves; finding comfort in this is essential. I have found that real progress and attainment can be achieved across all areas of English once that foundation is in place. I have a creative approach to teaching English ensuring there is warmth, humour and safety in all my sessions.

My skills and experience teaching maths: Teaching foundational maths skills to children who struggle with maths is particularly rewarding to me because I remember being that child to whom number and maths was a mystery. I definitely find that using concrete resources (anything from building blocks to coins, flowers to flour, Pokemon cards to cuddly toys) and examples from real-life situations helps to make maths mean something and feel less scary. Getting the basics in place is often a repetitive process and I enjoy creating and playing games that help to solidify this foundation. To me, teaching maths is all about helping children play with the concepts in a way that is relevant and meaningful to them whilst awakening their own curiosity and problem solving skills.

My skills and experience boosting confidence and self-esteem: During my years as a classroom teacher and mother, I have witnessed the many ways in which young people’s confidence and self-esteem can be affected. To me, this is probably the most important part of my work with children and young people. Boosting confidence and self-esteem is not a ‘quick fix’ and it is not something you can ‘do’ for someone else, rather it is the pursuit of finding, creating and illuminating situations and experiences in which young people can feel success, pride and accomplishment for themselves; this helps them build a new story. There are many ways in which these experiences can be ‘banked’ for future reference and I have worked with children who, years later, still have the achievement books or ‘good things’ jars they made with me when they were struggling.

My skills and experience providing playful, fun and creative sessions to help students engage in a love of learning: For me, fun falls at the heart of learning; if we are enjoying ourselves and having fun, we can’t help but be engaged in what we are learning about. When our brains are relaxed, they can take in more information and that information is likely to be more easily retained and retrieved. Getting to know the people I am working with and finding out what ‘fun’ means to them, as well as to their family, is important. Whether through cooking, art, music or being outdoors, for example, I am creative in my approach to tutoring sessions and always keen to bring an element of fun, laughter and play with me. I also love to learn new and fun things myself so am always happy to discover and share in something I may not have known about before.

My skills and experience supporting students to develop their independence: Having raised my own three children into adulthood, I really believe in the importance of encouraging and fostering independence in all areas of life through co-creation rather than imposition. In my sessions, I endeavour to find many ways in which children can begin the process of thinking, speaking and acting for themselves; learnt helplessness is something I have seen in many guises. In order for people to develop their independence within my sessions, they must first feel a sense of trust in both themselves and in the tutor relationship. Developing independence is never forced but is often encouraged through patience, praise, calm boundaries and (more often than not) gentle humour.

My skills and experience teaching students with anxiety: Anxiety arises for many reasons and can have a negative and detrimental effect on learning; supporting students with their anxiety and how it manifests can be the key to unlocking their potential. Whilst it’s not always easy to articulate anxiety or understand its root causes, I am skilled at holding space for people to work through their discomfort and emerge the other side armed with information that can help in the future. When anxiety bubbles up in a session, I always take the time to address it and this often makes a huge difference. Anxiety usually has something it needs to communicate and I am skilled at helping people listen to their anxiety and begin to put that message in its right place: turning the dial back down so that their system is not flooded and they can respond from a place of regulation and composure. I create a calm , safe, non-judgemental environment where anxiety can be responded to rather than ignored. There are many techniques that can be learnt to help address anxiety and, once we’ve discovered what works, repetition is encouraged. Through repetition of techniques and skills, the mind and body develop healthier coping mechanisms when moments of stress and discomfort arise.

My skills and experience teaching students with processing and working memory needs: There are many reasons why a student might struggle with processing and memory issues and is it important to first understand where the difficulty is coming from before then developing strategies for improvement. Working with the neuroplasticity of the brain to form stronger, more long-lasting connections and pathways, is important and this can be accessed through games, repeated tasks, physical movements and time for rest and integration. Patience is also key. I have high levels of patience and work from a place of non-judgement meaning that just because a concept or skill was grasped and understood during one session, it does not mean it will be readily available again next time – in fact, sometimes, it’s completely gone and needs to be reintroduced afresh. This is always okay and I will work with the student’s individual needs to ensure I am accessing the right style of learning for them to aid processing and retention. I will also work closely with any other professionals who may be involved with the child in developing this area of cognition.

My skills and experience teaching students with SEMH (social, emotional and mental health) needs: During my years of classroom teaching, I supported many children with SEMH needs both in group settings as well as individually. I come from a place of creativity and connection and have witnessed the change in students when they are supported in this way. From explicit support through circle times in small groups, to implicit support by building dens in the woods; from using art specifically as a therapeutic play tool through Drawing and Talking, to foraging for art materials in nature and following where they lead us; from baking to sewing to walking the dogs (I was blessed to have one of my dogs in my classroom with me!) I enjoy using my own creativity alongside the passions and interests of the students I work with. In this way, not only have I forged strong connections with students but, more importantly, they have forged stronger connections with themselves.

My skills and experience teaching social interaction and friendship skills: At the heart of my teaching on social interaction and friendship skills, is play. Engaging in play, be it board games, card games, puzzles or outdoor games for example, is the most fundamental way to explore social engagement and friendship skills. During play, we talk and interact; tell stories and explore boundaries, rules and consent; laugh, relax and have fun. These are all essential. Whilst social skills form an implicit part of all my sessions, I can also teach and guide children through social scenarios explicitly. These sessions can be based both on concrete examples drawn from their own experiences or abstract examples taken from social stories or imagined situations. Either way, supporting children to explore and find their own ideas helps develop a sense of agency and confidence. Many of the children I have taught and tutored have struggled socially and it is always wonderful to watch them develop and come back to themselves as they explore social interaction and friendship skills in safety.

My specialist experience teaching people with autism/ASD: I have taught and tutored many children with ASD and two of my three adult daughters are also autistic. Diagnoses of autism really do fall on a spectrum; no two people with autism are the same. This is why I always start by meeting the person I’m working with where they’re at and finding out about their special interests, any sensory issues I should be aware of, things that may over- or under-stimulate them, any stims, masking behaviours or meltdown markers that I should know about, how school has been historically and recently etc. From here, there are many routes into learning that can be explored both in terms of subject matter and timings. One of the benefits of teaching English, for example, is that the key skills, concepts and techniques can be accessed through many themes and topics which means that special interests can often hold the key to engagement in sessions.

My skills and experience supporting children with focus and concentration needs: Children display difficulties with focus and concentration for many different reasons, therefore the most important thing to first establish is what is at the root. My way of working with someone to support their focus and concentration needs due to ADHD will be very different from that of someone with ASD or someone with a weak working memory for example. I believe it is important to follow the flow of the individual child within each session as there is a fine line between developing stamina in focus and concentration, and causing anxiety, self-esteem issues and masking techniques. Focus and concentration is often developed through activities such as games (card games, board games, verbal games, physical games etc), conversations on special interests, short timed tasks and by using music and art.

My skills and experience supporting children with self-regulation: Self-regulation can be a complicated process for children with SEN requirements. It involves the regulation of emotions, behaviours, communication and self-talk alongside awareness of social situations and relationships; the impact of dysregulation on others for example. Managing this aspect of ourselves is not a ‘quick fix’ and tools and techniques often need to be tried, tested, reviewed, tweaked and tried again. It takes time, patience, kindness and consistency plus an understanding of where the child is at and the factors at play in their difficulties. These can include not only their own diagnoses but also the impact that their external environments and experiences have had on them. I work with children in varying ways depending on their age and stage of development to model, teach and explore self-regulation tools. This can be done explicitly through discussion, research and teaching and learning techniques as well as implicitly through stories, art and modelling behaviours myself. The children I have worked with are often so proud of themselves when they have put their self-regulation tools into practice. Knowing they can build a reflective relationship within themselves, trust in their thoughts, behaviours and actions and develop the skills to repair and reset are all key to developing into a healthy adult.

My skills and experience supporting children with sensory needs: Sensory processing can be very challenging for some people, particularly as they are growing and developing. Difficulties with processing sensory information can often be confused with and/or overlaid by other issues and so can go unnoticed or undiagnosed for years. Helping young people to discover whether or not sensory processing is contributing to their challenges is as important as helping them learn how to communicate their sensory needs. As we work together to uncover the ways in which sensory information is being processed, and explore ways of managing this, real progress can be made in many areas of learning and development. I have worked with children to help them discover how they are affected by different sensory input and how to implement approaches that can support genuine change in their lives. I have also regularly experienced how, with just a few small adjustments to things such as the temperature of their hands, the feel of their clothing or the smells in their close proximity, children are able to feel more relaxed and are therefore more able to learn.

My specialist experience supporting students with organisation skills/executive functioning skills: Executive functioning skills are implicitly woven throughout all of my sessions but can also be taught and discussed explicitly as required. Executive functions are the cognitive processes that we can utilise to help us best manage ourselves and achieve our goals and are often more difficult for people with neurodivergent brains to access and put into practice. Whether it is practical aspects of planning, organisation, time management or task initiation that are difficult, or the inner realms of emotional regulation, flexibility of thinking, self-monitoring and self-regulation, developing a student’s executive functioning skills is about helping them get to know themselves at a metacognitive level: how does my brain work, why does it work that way and how can I help it work more effectively for me? I help students to understand that we are not our brain but that our brain is a tool we can use, grow and hone. 

My skills and experience teaching study skills: Study skills are often intangible and overwhelming. I use a broad range of ideas and approaches in my study skills sessions in order to help uncover the way in which the child I’m working with best stores, retrieves and applies the facts and skills they have learnt. Study skills is partly a process of understanding and working with memory so it is important for us to work together to figure this part out first. Another essential factor in study skills is organisation (including of time, space, brain and body) and this is a challenge in differing ways for people with SEN. I work to help support time-management as well as helping people understand that their study space, their inner emotional state and their levels of energy and hunger all have an impact on their ability to study effectively. If a child is preparing or working towards exams, then it’s important that we cover note taking, revision techniques and exam techniques, finding the methods that work best and how to utilise them along the way. This helps ease anxiety in the run up to mocks and final exams. For me, study skills needs a very rounded and flexible approach in order for the student to reach their full potential.

My specialist experience teaching students with dyslexia: My personal experiences with dyslexia is what started me on my journey of teaching and supporting people with SEN requirements. I have been supporting people with dyslexia throughout my entire life as there is dyslexia across my family: from parents, siblings and cousins through to my own three children. I am a firm believer in early intervention and support for dyslexic issues because, once these barriers to learning begin to be dismantled, the gifts of dyslexia can truly begin to shine through. Although it is absolutely never too late to start this process, the sooner a child with dyslexia can be supported, the less their self-esteem is likely to be affected. There are many, many ways to help a person with dyslexia overcome their fear of the written word and I will always work closely with the person I’m supporting to find the right way in for them. Once this fear has been removed, incredible success can be achieved. From high grades in school and university exams through to publishing books (something I have supported a dyslexic friend through), I truly believe anything is possible for people with dyslexia.

My specialist experience teaching students with PDA: In my experience, few students are officially diagnosed with PDA, although many display traits associated with it, and it can be extremely challenging and distressing both for those around the child as well as for the child themselves. Having worked closely with some children who display PDA traits, I have developed an interest in understanding it better and researching ways to support students through the difficult moments in their day. 

My skills and experience teaching young people with behavioural challenges People exhibit and act from a place of challenging behaviour when there is something going on that they are struggling to understand within themselves and communicate externally to those around them. Behaviour is the external response to your internal world. This is why the most important first step in addressing challenging behaviour is to develop a good and trusting relationship and this is always where I start. From here, I work closely with the young person to begin to understand what’s going on for them, what the internal stories are that they’re telling themselves about the world and how it works and from this place we can begin to unravel and alter the behaviour. Changing behaviour is not a quick process but, with the children I have supported in this way, I have seen it to be a long-lasting one.

My skills and experience as a learning mentor to help people fulfil their potential: I have mentored children and adults in education settings as well as in private practice for several years. Mentoring is a way of developing self and potential within a safe, non-judgemental and protected relationship. It can help people hold themselves accountable to growth and moving forwards, whilst ensuring that the pace and direction of progress is actually working for them. Mentoring is holistic in approach meaning that it can support all aspects of life including relationships with self and others, education and career aspirations, hobbies, passions and future plans. It works to help people explore and examine the way decisions, perspectives, skills and interests all interact and affect the course of life. Mentoring meets people where they’re at, regardless of age or stage, and seeks to offer guidance through listening, reflecting, questioning and suggestions as required.

My specialist experience supporting students with ISEB preparation: I have supported students with preparation for both 11+ and 13+ exams for many years both as a private tutor and also as a class teacher within the private education system. Although my main focus is with English and VR support, I have also tutored NVR and maths support as well. For students with SEN requirements, these exams are, understandably, often more of a challenge and so it is important to ensure that time is spent understanding the best approach to take with revision and preparation to ensure the student feels as confident and secure as possible throughout the process.

My skills and experience supporting children transition back into the classroom: I have spent a term working 1:1 with a child who was in between schools. Whilst providing academic support, with a particular focus on English and maths, was important in order to minimise the impact on progress, important time was spent each day addressing emotional and behavioural needs. Through developing a safe, fun and creative environment, we were able to explore issues surrounding such things as confidence, self-regulation, peer groups and social skills. After a term together, they are now in a position to be able to transition back into the classroom with a new mindset, more resilience, a broader toolkit and a deeper understanding of themself as a learner and a friend.

My skills and experience supporting pupils 1:1 within a school environment: I have supported pupils at a 1:1 level for many years and in many capacities – as a parent, teaching assistant, support teacher and SENCO. For me, the key to this role is communication and collaboration. When all members of staff work together to understand the needs of the pupil and how best to support their education, real progress and attainment can be achieved. I enjoy working closely with class teachers, SENCOs, external practitioners and families to ensure that a whole picture of the pupil is formed and their learning styles can be addressed. I also believe in the importance of finding ways to ensure that no child feels isolated or ‘different’ if they are receiving 1:1 in-class support.

My skills and experience leading a specialist team to ensure children reach their full potential: Within schools, I have led teachers, support staff and external practitioners in my roles of Head of Year and SENCO; as a private tutor, I have taken the lead role in a team of education and therapy professionals as we developed a personalised education plan for a child who was out of school. I believe in the power of collaboration and in harnessing both collective and individual strengths and enjoy working in this way.

My specialist experience working away from home: I have been fortunate to travel to Sri Lanka, the USA, the Alps and many places in the UK both leading school trips in my role as Head of Year at a private school as well as whilst working privately with families. Travelling affects children with SEN requirements in many different ways and I have always found it to be worthwhile taking the time to understand these ahead of the trip so that potential anxieties can be mitigated, changes to routine and structure can be navigated and any important home comforts can be secured.