Lucy

My experience spans mainstream education, specialist SEND settings, alternative provision and a psychiatric hospital school, giving me a broad understanding of the different ways young people may experience and respond to education. I have worked with students with a range of learning differences, ASD and SEMH needs, teaching from KS2 through to KS5. This has developed my ability to see each young person as an individual, recognising their strengths, interests, communication style and barriers to learning, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.

A significant part of my practice involves 1-to-1 and small-group teaching, where I adapt learning around the needs of the individual. In my current role, I provide 1-to-1 interventions and support students to develop independent creative projects, while at Richard Cloudesley School I taught functional skills and Art in both individual and small-group settings. I am experienced in adapting lesson plans, resources, pace and expectations, while maintaining appropriate challenge. I place considerable importance on building trust and creating a calm, predictable environment in which a young person feels safe enough to engage, take risks and experience success.

My role at The Roehampton Hospital School particularly developed my ability to work flexibly with young people whose educational journeys had been disrupted or who required highly personalised support. As a Key Teacher, I monitored individual learning, communicated with home schools, developed programmes of study and worked closely with multidisciplinary teams. I regularly attended meetings and contributed observations and reports, giving me an appreciation of the importance of consistent communication between the young person, family, school and other professionals. I understand that progress can take many forms and that emotional wellbeing, confidence, communication and independence can be just as important as academic attainment.

As a practising artist and experienced Art teacher, I bring creativity and strong subject knowledge to my educational practice. I use creative activity not simply as an end in itself, but as a way of developing communication, concentration, confidence, problem-solving and self-expression. I have taught Art and Design alongside English, Humanities and functional skills, and can draw on this broad experience to make learning relevant and engaging. My own continued involvement in contemporary art practice also allows me to bring genuine enthusiasm and curiosity to sessions, encouraging young people to explore their own interests and develop a sense of ownership over their learning.

Across my teaching career, I have developed a patient, observant and adaptable approach, with a strong emphasis on positive relationships and individual progress. I am comfortable responding to changing needs and adjusting an approach when something is not working, while maintaining clear expectations and boundaries. My experience of working collaboratively with OTs, SLTs, physiotherapists, therapists, teachers, support staff and home schools has reinforced the importance of looking at the whole young person. I aim to create learning experiences that are purposeful and appropriately ambitious, while giving each student the time, encouragement and individual support they need to develop confidence and make meaningful progress.

My teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that you have to be engaged to engage. I believe that young people learn best when they feel that they are known, listened to and genuinely valued. Before meaningful learning can take place, there needs to be a positive relationship built on trust, consistency and mutual respect. This is particularly important when working with young people who may have experienced anxiety, disrupted education or previous feelings of failure within the education system. I aim to create an environment where students feel safe to make mistakes, ask questions, express themselves and discover what they are capable of.

I believe a good tutor needs to be adaptable, patient and genuinely curious about the individual they are working with. Every student will have different strengths, interests, communication styles and ways of processing information, and effective tutoring requires the flexibility to respond to these differences. I do not see differentiation simply as making work easier; it is about finding the right route into learning and providing an appropriate level of challenge. This might mean changing the pace of a session, approaching a subject through a student's particular interests, using visual or practical methods, or allowing additional time and space for a student to process and respond.

I also believe that a good tutor balances warmth with clear expectations. Young people benefit from knowing what is expected of them, but they also need to feel that the person supporting them is on their side. Celebrating small steps and recognising effort can be particularly powerful for students who have lost confidence in their abilities. Over time, these experiences of success can help rebuild motivation, independence and a willingness to engage with more challenging learning.

My background as a practising artist strongly influences my approach. Creativity has taught me the value of experimentation, persistence and finding different ways to solve a problem. I try to bring these principles into all areas of teaching, encouraging students to become active participants in their learning rather than passive recipients of information. I am interested in what motivates a young person and will often use their existing interests as a starting point from which to build confidence and develop new skills.

Ultimately, I see tutoring as being about much more than delivering a curriculum. It is about helping a young person develop the confidence, skills and resilience to become increasingly independent in their learning. A successful tutor needs to be observant enough to recognise when a student is struggling, flexible enough to change direction, and reflective enough to continually evaluate what is working. My aim is to provide structure and support while gradually giving the student greater ownership, so that learning becomes something they feel capable of engaging with rather than something that is simply being done to them.