Louise

I have a breadth of experience teaching children and young people with complex learning needs and challenging behaviour who are learning at different developmental ages. All pupils I have taught during my career, have required an individualised teaching and learning approach to ensure they meet their full potential and I feel confident that I am able to deliver consistently high-quality, motivating and challenging learning experiences and highest standards of care, to continually improve the achievement of all pupils.

I have taught within many different settings including a school for children who have severe and complex learning difficulties and learners with an additional diagnosis of autism and/or physical/sensory difficulties and an International Kindergarten for children aged 3-6 supporting EAL and SEN pupils. My teaching experiences so far have enabled me to develop a comprehensive understanding of learning disabilities and the implication this can have on the students learning. Additionally, I have an in-depth understanding of early childhood development, which has further enabled me to confidently track student progress, create effective action plans, target planning and provision and coordinate appropriate interventions with the aim to raise individual progress.

I feel confident that through team discussions, creative planning, reflection, continued professional development and effective assessment, I am able to deliver consistently high-quality, motivating and challenging learning experiences and highest standards of care, to continually improve the achievement of all pupils. I design all teaching and learning activities with the needs and interests of the pupil at the heart to ensure all pupils enjoy a motivating, inspiring, personalised and specialised learning experience. I believe that most pupils learn best when they are practically engaged in experiential learning and as such, ensure all learning is child centred, fun, flexible and built on trusting relationships and within an inspiring and nurturing learning environment.

Research shows that there is a strong link between positive wellbeing, good mental health, building resilience and improved outcomes for children and adults alike. I therefore continually endeavour to promote and prioritise the social and emotional wellbeing of all the students I teach by gaining their views and their aspirations in their learning to ensure it is inspiring, motivating and functional for them.  Consequently, pupils’ communication skills and the approaches I adopt to support the development of each child’s communication are of fundamental importance to ensure the pupil’s voice and views can be heard with regards to their teaching and learning preferences.

Linked to this is the importance of a holistic offer that integrates education and therapy targets into a deeply personalised individual learning plan, reflecting where appropriate, pupils’ mental health and well-being needs and their aspirations.

I highly value and have a passion for continuing professional development and in all the schools I have taught in so far, I have progressed from teacher to leader which demonstrates my strong leadership skills and resilience in addition to working well under pressure to ensure all students have high quality learning experiences. My enthusiasm, dedication and excellent organizational skills enable me to deliver teaching and learning to the highest standard.