• My specialist experience working with young people with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships;
I believe that the best learning occurs when a person feels calm, empowered and psychologically safe. I build trusted meaningful relationships by taking a genuine interest in my students’ hobbies and weaving these passions into learning materials. For example, Spiderman has used fractions to save the city and WWE characters have supported subtraction. In these approaches I prioritise consistency, providing a fun challenge to look forward to which builds positive habits and supports development in the long-term.
• My experience working with young people with ASC;
In my experience, no two individuals with ASC present the same and therefore it is key to use a tailored approach to promote their strengths. I focus on reducing cognitive load, alleviating anxiety and positive reinforcement to build confidence and momentum in sessions. I have experience with some learners who enjoy discussing all aspects of a task and understanding all about it, and others who prefer to diligently listen and communicate non-verbally. To support learners, I use visual schedules, real world examples and clear explanations for tasks which provides clarity. By adapting to the preferred communication style, this helps to build a tailored learning environment which works for the learner.
• My experience working with young people with PDA;
When supporting learners with PDA, I offer a calm, personalised approach which promotes autonomy and a curious approach to learning. By providing choice in tasks, indirect language and a collaborative approach, this helps the learner feel in control of their learning, building natural engagement.
• My experience teaching primary Maths and English;
I excel at breaking down abstract concepts into tangible manageable chunks. I use scaffolding techniques, ensuring foundational skills are mastered before introducing more complex topics. This creates predictable progression, minimises frustration and promotes those rewarding ‘Ah ha!’ moments which we all enjoy working towards. Weaving in a learner’s interests and providing practical examples and gamifying activities can also be an engaging way to promote learning.
• My experience teaching social communication and language skills;
I promote social communication and language skills throughout my sessions, using shared activities and real-world situations to promote confidence in a low-pressure environment. For example, I am an avid chess player and have found through setting up two school chess clubs, it is an excellent example of promoting social communication skills, for example being gracious in defeat and humble in victory.
• My experience developing confidence and self-esteem;
I utilise a strengths-based approach, establishing a psychologically safe learning environment. One of the most important aspects of learning is the mistake, which is an important step to growth. To model this approach, I often include an example where someone (examples: Me or Superman) has made a mistake and enabling the learner to pin-point the mistake and help to correct it. Another beneficial method of developing confidence has been genuine and specific compliments. For example, using Well done in adding those fractions, I can see how neatly you balanced the denominators on your notebook. This is much more impactful than You’re so smart.
• My specialist experience providing engaging sessions to inspire a love of learning;
I believe the most effective learning is individualised to a learner’s needs whether energy levels or attainment. I enjoy employing interest-led learning which helps to foster a curious mind and using play to incorporate educational tasks. This can be through gamification of maths puzzles and adapting interests. When tutoring maths, usually, I like to include a tailored example of a question which will include a learner’s favourite character or franchise which provides a little bit of suspense and motivation to engage and facilitate a love of learning.
• My skills and experience supporting young people to develop their independence;
Developing independence is a core goal of my tutoring practice. I actively support the development of executive functioning skills, for example planning, organising and the initiation of tasks. I use practical tools like visual timetables, lesson structure and checklists to reduce the cognitive load on the learner, promote consistency and enable them to focus on learning. I also promote self-regulation tasks, often through 5-minute movement breaks which encourages healthy learning techniques.
• My experience supporting young people with anxiety;
When supporting learners with anxiety, my main focus is to create a calm and low-pressure environment where it is normal to make mistakes. I understand that academic anxiety can often lead to an overwhelming feeling and so I break down tasks into small, more manageable steps. In maths lessons I like to focus on positive reinforcement by beginning with accessible starter exercises. This creates ‘wins’ and builds momentum during the sessions. From a positive base, I move at the learner’s pace and celebrate resilience and effort, building lasting confidence.
• My experience supporting young people with Trauma;
When working with young people who have experienced trauma, my first priority is to establish a trusting professional relationship. This helps build emotional regulation which then provides the essential foundations for academic progress. Using a trauma-informed approach, I prioritise a safe, consistent and predictable environment. Once a learner feels secure, I gently guide them to re-engage with learning at a comfortable pace for them.
• My experience supporting young people with ADHD;
For learners with ADHD, I design interactive, tailored activities to organically promote engagement by utilising their interests. I understand how to work with active minds by breaking down materials into bite-sized chunks, incorporating colour and varied materials. By actively including movement and sensory breaks into sessions as part of a routine, this provides the variety to maintain focus and keep learning enjoyable.
• My experience supporting young people with SEMH;
The safety, happiness and overall wellbeing of my learners are at the core of my tutoring approach. I prioritise creating a psychologically safe environment, focusing on building confidence, active listening and flexibility. Through this supportive approach, I adapt my lessons to meet the learner where they are, without adding any pressure, to help rebuild confidence and resilience.
• My experience supporting young people with challenging behaviour;
I approach challenging behaviour with a calm and non-judgemental mindset, recognising that it is often a way of communicating unmet needs or academic frustration. I believe in proactive behaviour management that I role-model myself, establishing clear, positively framed expectations and celebrating excellent behaviour. As part of this patient approach, I use proven strategies such as identifying triggers, teaching functional skills and building routines to maintain a constructive and supportive learning environment.
