Rebecca

My specialist experience working with young people with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships and inspire a love for learning

I am an experienced and dedicated Primary School teacher and SENCO with 16 years experience across 2 primary schools in Greenwich and Bexleyheath. I have worked across KS1 and KS2 and in the last 2 years I have set up a provision in my current school for children with complex needs. I have worked on implementing the National Curriculum and the Oakley Learning Journal (OLJ)too. I am highly skilled in working with children with diverse learning needs and am very confident with managing challenging behaviours. I have supported children with spina bifida, PDA, Down syndrome, hearing impairment and vision impairment as well as ASC, ADHD and dyslexia. I have 3 degrees in Psychology BSc, PGCE and a SENCO degree. I have always had a passion for learning and supporting children's learning in ways that engage them and ensure they thrive. I am proficient in developing and implementing effective SEN policies, collaborating with staff and external agencies, and fostering inclusive learning environments. I am committed to promoting equal opportunities and ensuring every child reaches their full potential. I truly believe in seeing the child as a whole and building connections and relationships.

Over my career I have worked with many multidisciplinary agencies ranging from ASD Outreach, EP, OT, Community Paediatricians, Sensory Team, Behavioural Outreach services, SALT, STEPs, and many more. As a SENCO I have promoted academic and social and emotional success amongst many children.

I love teaching through play and encouraging children to explore nature. I am passionate about learning through the children's interest because making learning purposeful is at the heart of my teaching style.

I love teaching through play and encouraging children to explore nature. I am passionate about project learning, because making learning purposeful is at the forefront of my teaching.

My experience supporting young people with anxiety, developing confidence and self-esteem and independence

Throughout my teaching career I have supported numerous children with anxiety. Currently in my SENCO role, I am supporting several families and children. The best way to support the families and children is spending time getting to know them, their routine and any triggers that may have been noticed. The techniques I have used include;

• Animal therapy with a school pet.

The most important way of supporting children's anxiety is to listen to the child and individually offer the support they need and want.

Using the TEACHH also develops independence and confidence in young learners. It allows them to complete tasks that are achievable which results in their confidence boosting. High self-esteem is crucial to young children to learn and feel confident in themselves. Continuous positive praise and encouragement is extremely important and beneficial to them too.

Scaffolding and chunking work allows the increase in independence for children too which then results in a boost to their confidence as they feel they are able to complete the tasks. They need to be taught the strategies to increase their independence. Resources which are individualised allows the child to complete tasks independently too.

My experience of working with young people with challenging behaviour

I am currently supporting a provision at my school where some of the children's behaviour could be described as challenging. I work very closely with the class teacher, parents, child and professionals involved to support the child. We will work out their triggers and attempt to minimise these where possible. Reassurance that they can demonstrate these emotions and behaviours and they are safe is vital to young people, especially if they are not yet emotionally aware. Once they are ready, we will then support them to develop coping strategies and techniques that are best for them. Routine and boundaries are key so the young person develops the feeling of safety and security.

My experience supporting young people with executive function skills

To improve children's executive function skills I have used techniques and strategies with are personal to them. These might include checklists and individualised timetables so they know what to expect next and allow them the extra time to prepare what they need. I have used techniques recommended through EHCP's such as personal folders where children can take control of their own learning and with scaffolded support they can achieve something they are proud of.

I have been trained in mindfulness and I have disseminated this as a whole school approach. It is extremely powerful for many different reasons such as calming, regulating emotions which allow us to prepare for the day/event ahead. It allows children to practice their cognitive skills.

Games and exercise which require the young person to plan and focus are vital to improving executive function skills. This approach is extremely beneficial with young children as they believe they are just playing games and having fun!

My experience of supporting young people with ASC, ADHD, DCD, social interaction and language skills;

Before any teaching can take place, I believe children must first feel safe, secure, and understood. My approach is always to build positive, trusting relationships before anything else. I take time to learn about each child — their interests, humour, sensitivities, communication style, strengths, and triggers — so they feel truly seen and valued.

I have been a Primary School teacher for 16 years. I have taught across KS1 and KS2 and over the last 7 years I have been a SENCO at my current school. I have worked at 2 primary schools over my teaching career. I have wide experiences of working with children with SEN. In my current position, I have set up a provision in my mainstream primary school. This is to support 4 children with complex needs such as non-verbal, ASC, global delay and ADHD. I have set this provision up with the support of a specialist school in the borough. It has been up and running for 2 years and I support the HLTA and LSA who are there full time. I plan and resource the work and ensure the children are thriving in their adapted environment. We use TEACHH to support the children learning and concentration. Some of the children are using PECS to support their communication and communication and fringe boards too. We have created an individualised learning timetable to suit the children's needs, this consists of sensory circuit, identiplay, sensory play, food play etc. This provision is a great success for me to see how far the children have progressed, academically, emotionally and verbally. The feedback from the parents and multi agencies involved is phenomenal.

Over the years, I have worked alongside other professionals to support children in my school with a wide variety of needs. I work closely with SALT, ASD Outreach, OT, EP, CAMHS, Waterside, Child Therapy companies and STEPs.

At my school currently, I am working closely to support a child with Downs Syndrome with learning and increasing his independence. I have researched and found different ways to support his reading and writing through special tailored schemes for children with Down syndrome. Whilst supporting him, I worked closely with the sensory specialist team and hearing aid team to support meeting his sensory needs and learning. During this time, it has been a learning curve for me and pushed me to further my knowledge and understanding.

Over my teaching years and when I worked in a People Referral Unit (PRU) I have worked alongside many children with SEN. I have supported each child uniquely to them, ensuring that I am tailoring their learning to meet their needs. I truly believe in the whole child approach, seeing the whole child and working with everyone involved.

For some children, my support has consisted of supporting them to meet the national curriculum in their mainstream classroom. For other children it means to adapt and differentiate the curriculum to meet their needs and interests, whereas for other children it consists of ensuring they feel supported emotionally. I have worked alongside TA's and Class Teachers to establish a relationship with the child and family and then worked together to ensure the child is fully supported. For example, ensuring they are emotionally supported which might consist of putting in sensory or movement breaks or sensory circuit time. Ensuring the learning meets their needs by the use of sensory trays and sensory learning, or by ensuring they have the appropriate resources which might be word mats, visual personalised timetable, sensory toys, Now and Next boards, PECS, regular check ins with the child, ensuring the learning is of interest to them. Over the years I have worked with children who have required a highly differentiated curriculum which has meant it is completely personalised and we have focused on real life skills as well as the national curriculum at the appropriate level.

My experience supporting young people with PDA;

A few years ago I worked with a child who was diagnosed with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). Throughout her years at my school, I worked closely with her family and through her transition to secondary school. I always planned by giving her 2 options, ensuring her sensory needs were met as this would impact her learning. Also, I supported the child and family with life events such as parents getting married, christmas, concerts and going on holiday etc. I made social stories and videos to reduce the anxiety before the event and then supported parents to put things in place e.g. through the wedding day, having a room with her favourite things in, timetable of the day etc.

My school was awarded the dyslexia friendly quality mark award. I have been trained by different companies on how to support children with dyslexia. In my current role as SENCO, I am now pre-screening children a

My experience teaching EYFS

My current position as SENCO has meant that I support EYFS in my current school. I team teach with TA's and teachers to model how to support the children in our school. I work closely with professionals to implement their recommendations and ensure the children are receiving the correct support and curriculum. I have supported staff to individualise the curriculum for children to ensure their needs are being met which has included adapting the environment for them too.

Supporting children with sensory and auditory processing needs

Supporting children with sensory and auditory processing needs is a deeply transformative experience that requires a shift from traditional instruction to empathetic observation. It involves learning to see the world through a different lens—where the hum of a refrigerator can be as piercing as a siren or the texture of a carpet can feel overwhelming. Effective support is rooted in the creation of "sensory safety," which often means proactively adapting environments to reduce cognitive load. The most rewarding aspect of this journey is witnessing a child's confidence grow as they learn self-regulation strategies and realize their unique way of perceiving the world is understood rather than judged. It is a role that demands constant advocacy and a commitment to "listening" to behaviours as a form of communication, ultimately fostering an inclusive space where every child feels secure enough to explore and learn.

Supporting children with speech and language needs

Over my years of teaching I have worked with many different Speech and Language Therapists. I currently train the LSA's at my school to support the children on our SALT register and I woke closely with a variety of therapists.

Supporting children with speech and language needs requires a patient, multi-faceted approach that prioritizes clear communication and emotional safety. Educators and caregivers can foster progress by using "modelling"—repeating a child's sentence with correct grammar or pronunciation rather than direct correction—and incorporating visual aids like sign language or picture cards to bridge communication gaps. Providing extra processing time after asking a question is crucial, as it allows the child to organize their thoughts without feeling rushed. Ultimately, the goal is to celebrate every communication attempt, building the child's confidence and ensuring they feel heard and valued regardless of their current linguistic level. I have been trained to use PECS, dual coded resources amongst many other strategies to suit each individual learner.