Rebecca

I bring over 20 years of experience in supporting, teaching and leading within school environments. My practice is rooted in delivering engaging, progressive and highly tailored sessions that meet children exactly where they are. I have a proven track record of securing excellent progress for neuro‑diverse learners, both in mainstream settings and through specialist tutoring.

My career began in SEN schools, where I worked within a specialist class for non‑verbal autistic children. This formative experience provided a strong foundation in communication strategies, behaviour support and a deep understanding of autism and other neuro‑diverse profiles. The skills I developed during this time have underpinned my entire career and shaped my commitment to inclusive, child‑centred practice.

I later moved into mainstream education, delivering speech and language interventions and targeted phonics support within a school serving a challenging demographic. This period was pivotal in helping me understand the complexities faced by neuro‑diverse children in mainstream settings, where specialist provision is not always readily available. It strengthened my passion for ensuring that children who find school difficult—whatever the reason—receive the support, advocacy and guidance they need to thrive.

Following this, I taught across KS1 and KS2, supporting children with a wide range of needs in accessing learning, regulating emotions, building positive relationships and developing independence. During my time as a class teacher, I continued to expand my expertise in SEND, completing a variety of specialist qualifications and staying up to date with evolving best practice. Although I was offered a SENCO role, I chose to remain working directly with children, as this is where my strengths and passion lie.

I also completed the NPQLTD (National Professional Qualification in Leading Teacher Development) and qualified as a Level 3 Forest School Instructor, firmly believing in the transformative power of nature for all children—particularly those who struggle with aspects of school life. I went on to design and implement a full Forest School provision, which became a calm, accessible and highly impactful part of the school’s curriculum.

I was later appointed Deputy Head for Inclusion at an outstanding primary school, where I led on inclusive practice, developed SEND provision, acted as DSL, and served as the designated lead for looked‑after children. This role deepened my knowledge of SEND legislation, strategic provision and whole‑school inclusion. However, it also highlighted the limitations of meeting complex needs within mainstream constraints. While the work was meaningful, it became increasingly administrative and moved me away from the direct child‑focused support that motivates me most.

After careful reflection, I chose to return to working closely with the children who benefit most from specialist, relational and responsive support. I continue to teach both in and out of schools and as such invest heavily in my professional development, recently completing Oxford Brain Trust training (Building Brains for Lifelong Health) and beginning a Level 5 Diploma in Specialist Teaching, with the intention of progressing to Level 7 Dyslexia Specialist training—an area of particular personal and professional interest.

Across all roles, my commitment remains the same: to champion inclusion, empower neuro‑diverse learners, and ensure every child feels seen, understood and supported to succeed.