Tag: Barnsley

 My experience of working with pupils who have dyslexia

As an English specialist, I have supported many pupils who have dyslexia and understand the challenges they face. I use structured, multisensory techniques to help them decode text, build fluency in reading and writing, and develop confidence. By breaking tasks into manageable steps and tailoring strategies to their strengths, I create a supportive environment where pupils feel capable, motivated, and increasingly successful in their learning. In addition to teaching English, I’ve also worked for many years as a GCSE and A level examiner, an experience that has equipped me with the knowledge of how to really hone in on how to achieve the best results possible.

My experience supporting pupils experiencing anxiety and wider SEMH difficulties

I have worked with many young children who experience significant anxiety and wider SEMH needs, including those who struggle with emotional regulation, confidence, or forming trusting relationships. My first priority is always to understand what your child is feeling and to acknowledge these experiences as completely real and valid, never dismissed or minimised. From this foundation of trust, I create a calm, predictable, nurturing space where your child feels truly seen and safe to engage. Sessions move gently at their pace, using co-regulation, play-based and interest-led activities, low-pressure tasks, and clear routines to reduce overwhelm. By focusing on connection first, we build resilience and coping skills step by step, ensuring learning feels achievable and empowering while confidence grows in small, meaningful ways.

My experience of working with pupils who have ASD
Throughout my tutoring and teaching career, I have worked extensively with pupils who have ASD, and over the past eight years I have developed deeper expertise through roles in alternative provisions as well as working as a 1:2:1 tutor. These experiences have strengthened my understanding that every learner with ASD has needs unique to them, and that a flexible, individualised approach is essential.

I prioritise creating a safe, predictable environment from the very first session, building strong relationships with both pupils and their families to ensure a collaborative home-school partnership. My practice focuses on reducing anxiety through strategies such as offering choice, using low-pressure tasks that appeal to the individual, incorporating interest-led activities, and supporting co-regulation. We work, in particular, on developing communication as this is both the foundation to all other learning as well as a way of giving pupils a sense of success. Sessions are dynamic and responsive so that pupils’ needs are met at every stage, while we work together to remove barriers step by step and celebrate small wins.

I also provide structured, multisensory support in reading, writing, and numeracy, carefully adapted to address processing and working-memory challenges.

My experience of working with pupils who experience ADHD and ADD
Alongside my work with pupils who have ASD, I have extensive experience supporting learners with ADHD or ADD, including many who present with a combination of ASD and ADHD. These dual diagnoses often require a highly flexible and responsive approach, as pupils may experience both sensory sensitivities and challenges with attention and impulse control.

One effective strategy I use is breaking tasks into short, manageable steps with clear visual cues, combined with movement breaks and interest-based activities. This approach helps maintain focus while reducing overwhelm, and it supports self-regulation by allowing pupils to reset before continuing. By embedding choice and predictability into sessions, I create an environment where pupils feel safe, engaged, and able to succeed.

My experience supporting pupils with Communication & Language difficulties

I have supported many EYFS children who find communication challenging, whether due to delayed speech, limited expressive language, or difficulties understanding instructions. My sessions focus on building strong foundations through play-based, interactive activities that encourage natural communication. I use visual supports, modelling, repetition, and child-led dialogue to create a pressure-free environment where your child can explore language confidently. By celebrating every attempt and giving plenty of opportunities for success, children begin to communicate with greater ease, supporting not only their learning but also their self-esteem and ability to connect with others.

My experience of working with pupils who have PDA

I have supported pupils with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), where reducing anxiety and maintaining trust are central to effective learning. My approach focuses on creating a collaborative, non-confrontational environment by embedding choice and flexibility into every session. I use indirect language, low-demand tasks, and interest-led activities to reduce perceived pressure, while prioritising co-regulation and emotional safety. Building strong relationships with pupils and families is key, ensuring that strategies are consistent and supportive across home and school settings.

My experience of working with pupils who have sensory and auditory processing needs

I have supported many pupils with sensory processing challenges, often alongside ASD and ADHD. A key strategy I use is creating a low-stimulation environment and offering sensory breaks with calming tools such as weighted cushions or fidget items. This helps pupils regulate their sensory input, reducing anxiety and improving focus so they can engage more effectively in learning tasks.

My experience of working with pupils who have GDD

I have extensive experience supporting children with Global Developmental Delay, and my approach is grounded in patience, gentle encouragement, and a genuine belief in every child’s potential. I focus on what can be achieved rather than what can’t, taking time to understand each learner’s strengths so that we can build on them together. Progress for pupils with GDD is often steady and gradual, so I create a calm, reassuring learning environment where they feel safe to take risks and practise new skills at their own pace. I break tasks down into small, achievable steps and offer consistent praise to nurture confidence and motivation. My sessions are flexible, responsive, and shaped around the child’s individual abilities, ensuring that every moment feels manageable, positive, and meaningful as we work towards secure, lasting progress.

My experience supporting pupils with sensory seeking and sensory avoidance needs

Many of the children I work with experience sensory sensitivities or sensory-seeking behaviours, and my approach is shaped around helping them feel regulated and comfortable before any learning begins. I carefully adapt activities using a multisensory, child-led approach, offering movement breaks, tactile resources, and a low‑pressure environment where your child’s needs guide each moment. By reducing sensory overload and building predictable routines, children are better able to focus, participate, and enjoy learning. My aim is always to help your child feel safe in their body so they can thrive emotionally and academically.

My experience of working with pupils who have complex needs, including medical needs
I have worked with pupils whose learning is impacted by complex needs, including medical conditions requiring tailored care and planning. I understand the need to follow all medical advice and procedures, and my experience has strengthened my ability to adapt sessions around health requirements, fatigue, and sensory sensitivities, while maintaining a calm, predictable environment. I collaborate closely with families and professionals to ensure safety and continuity, and I use highly individualised strategies to balance academic progress with wellbeing. My practice is rooted in flexibility, empathy, and clear communication, so pupils feel secure and supported at every stage.

 In Summary

My experience to date has taught me the need to ensure tailored support is provided for each learner so that they can achieve to the best of their ability. I build strong relationships not just with children, but with their families, and I prioritise safety, predictability and genuine care from the first session. I’m skilled at reducing anxiety by using choice, low-pressure tasks, interest-led activities, and co-regulation, and my sessions are dynamic to ensure that my learner’s needs are met every step of the way. In collaboration with learners, I remove barriers step by step and celebrate small wins. I also provide structured, multisensory reading, writing and numeracy support, adapted for processing and working-memory needs.

Typically, I will use a range of strategies and pedagogies, such as:-

• Numeracy and Literacy: use of kinaesthetic materials as well as visual activities, such as art and drawing
• GCSE English (Language or Literature): anxiety-aware pacing, guided annotation of set texts, scaffolded paragraph building, and practice papers with calm coaching
• Reading and Writing Support: multisensory phonics, sentence construction vocabulary games, dictation-to-composition bridges, and interest-led prompts
• Executive Function Boost: visual schedules, chunked tasks, movement breaks, and co-created checklists that learners can reuse independently
• Life Skills, PHSE and Communication Skills: practical based sessions, with use of PECs and Social Stories to support

Please note that all sessions, whilst prepared in advance, are dynamic to suit the specific needs of each individual learner during that particular session. I have found that my dynamic, flexible approach to sessions enables the building of positive relationships and builds self-esteem.

My specialist experience working with young people with SEN to develop their engagement, trust and interest in learning;

As an educator who has had experience in Secondary Education, FE and HE I have been used to accommodating and making provision for SEN pupils and students and working with support staff to ensure that these students have the provision they need to maximize their own potentials and develop and engage in subjects and learning. I have taught a variety of students over this period, who are all very individual and need a tailored approach and consideration for their capabilities, interests, personalities and SEN. I always like to start with very soft skills introductions and use this opportunity to discover the student’s interests, prior knowledge, skillset, ability level, want, needs and aims, so that I can gauge from what and how they would most benefit from my expertise. Though I always plan and structure each session according to the all the individual factors, I am very aware the need to keep this very flexible and adaptable in order to meet the needs of the moment, the student, and the ever-changeable elements of the session, day or the longer program.

• My experience working with autistic young people;

During the last 4 years of my teaching practice however, I have specifically taught autistic students on a 1 to 1 basis. This period has been the most rewarding of my teaching profession to date and I feel I have learned much myself with regard to Autism, ADHD, PDA and SEMH and developing strategies that make for conducive learning environments and fun and interesting creative projects which help students relax, focus, engage and enjoy learning in and of itself.

I have taught students with autism and SEN to various levels during the last 4 years. Each has been very individual, have their own specific needs and aims and I have adapted the subject matter, levels and delivery style accordingly for each.

Obviously, the level of individual ability and experience regarding their creative practice and understanding of subject differs for each student and so pace and ‘over the shoulder’ support needs to be ascertained early on so that the student feels independent enough n their work, but supported, inspired and guided throughout. This is crucial for the student to keep interest and engagement while also developing confidence and independence.

• My experience working with young people with PDA;

Regarding the students with PDA, I always use strategies to avoid conflict and bring instruction or direction in gently and ‘softly’, often talking around the creative ideas and learning and allowing the student to absorb possibilities, discuss options and even suggest the way forward themselves. Patience is key and planning and routine help with the calmness of sessions and I usually try to have visual guides to our aims, goals and sessions on the wall, printed and at hand or available to be referenced on screen. Monitoring the student and pupil is important to constantly reassess if the session’s demands need to be adjusted or scaled back. Often, I will have background music playing of the students choosing to help create a relaxing space. Avoiding direct instruction and using more indirect phrases can help avoid conflict situations and giving choices allows the sense of creative ownership for the student.

•       My experience working with young people with ADHD;

Regarding the students with ADHD, I use a personalized response the student for each session to accommodate how the student is feeling and acting. I find having a structure to work towards is useful but with the ability to be flexible depending on the needs of the moment and the student. Structured lesson plans are useful to offer routine and an overarching curriculum with previews of the work we will be undertaking. Reminders of aims and goals help students and repeating instructions and targets and using visual guides for this works well too to support the students. Variety and short sections help but with the flexibility to continue on work that the student has become engaged with. In session I use frequent breaks, background music that is student led and suitable, reviews and praise and encouragement and discussion.

• My experience working with young people anxiety;

In the sessions I run, we always strive to break the time into manageable blocks and always with the proviso that if the pace is too much or concentration is lapsing, we can break, change focus, rest or even go outside, talk or just have some downtime. The sessions need to be fun and enjoyable. This is key. Finding a topic or subject that the student/pupil is interested in as a project’s focus is a great way to motivate learning and keep attention and enthusiasm, though this ‘focus’ still needs to be able to adapt and change as necessary.

• Social skills/social interaction/friendship skills;

During my sessions with my students I have encouraged collaborative working with other students and socializing during break times. This has included myself and other tutors escorting students over lunch break where they have socialised and developed friendships with peers as well as us all enjoying dialogue, conversation and discussion including likes, interests and more general topics. We also encouraged the development of basic practical social skills such as ordering food and drinks, payment and supervised this as the students became more confident and independent.

Many of the strategies included above form routine parts in my sessions when I teach pupils/students how to animate, design and create digital content, images, digital games and animation. There are various cross-over strategies used and applied, but each student is individual and the sessions are always about working specifically to the needs of the student with the goal of building their confidence, social abilities and specific subject related skills and knowledge while encouraging their interests. Holistically this works towards helping them to become creative, happy, confident and positive individuals.

Currently one of my main students, who I have been teaching digital skills to for 4 years now, has been nominated for the prestigious Anna Kennedy Autism Hero Awards, which I see as a mark of how inclusive education, patience, space and a passion for creative digital design can elevate any student and their sense of self-worth.

My specialist experience of working with children with SEN in developing a trusting relationship.

Working at the same secondary school for my teaching career, I very soon realised that my specialism was in teaching students with a wide variety of additional needs. From pupils that needed support with reading, writing or specialised equipment to those who were at risk of exclusion, I have always managed to build up good relationships with pupils enabling them to feel at ease to ask for the right support they need to succeed in every lesson.

My experience of teaching autistic young people

Throughout my time as a teacher, I have worked with many children with Autism, each presenting different behaviours such as taking things very literally, the need to be spoken to in a calm and clear manner, requiring short breaks in tasks and needing support with writing to avoid sensory overload to name a few. Getting to know the student prior to teaching, their likes and dislikes and showing a general interest in them, goes a long way to getting the maximum out of the learning.

My experience of teaching students with Dyscalculia

Strategies I use to support children with dyscalculia, in a face-to-face lesson I would use manipulatives and break questions down into smaller steps. For online lessons, using bar modelling to support understanding and encouraging them to use a ruler to break down long wordy GCSE questions. 

My experience of teaching students with PDA

As with all SEND needs the relationship between student and tutor is the key. When working with students with PDA, I find hiding a task in another subject can get a similar outcome and also enable reference to the activity when doing exam work. A good example of this would be baking, this would involve several topics including reading scales, metric units along side ratio and proportion. 

My experience in teaching young people with Anxiety

As a teacher of the lower sets in school most of the students I teach have some form of anxiety often linked to maths. A lot of the worry comes from thinking they aren’t any good at the topic. To overcome this, I would teach a child a topic and then do weekly recaps so they retain the information and hence slowly turning them into confident and independent learners.

 My experience of teaching with pupils with ADHD

I have worked with a wide variety of pupils with ADHD, both medicated and un medicated but very individualised to the child. Keeping activities varied to increase focus and engagement will help the young person however building a good relationship with the child will maximise the learning outcome of the session.

My experience of teaching students with working memory difficulties

Repetition is crucial in order to keep taught skills in the working memory, to support this I always include an element of retrieval at the start of my lessons. As weeks progress and the topics covered increase the recall of the topic become less frequent, this can be supported with a little extra work away from a tutoring session.

My skills and experience supporting young people to develop their independence

Supporting a young person’s independence means giving them space to try things, make choices, and learn from experience while still offering steady encouragement. By offering small responsibilities, clear boundaries, and celebrating progress, I help young people build confidence and trust in their own abilities.

How this looks within the Maths curriculum:
In Maths, independence can be developed through structured problem-solving tasks and clear topic titles that help students organise their learning. I often use revision cards as a tool for memory and recall. At first, students may need guidance to create these cards, but over time they become a powerful resource — written in the student’s own words and tailored to how they understand each topic. Once established, these cards can be used alongside revision guides to reinforce knowledge and strengthen long-term recall.

My experience of teaching young people with SEMH/ behavioural issues

The key behind teaching pupils with behavioural issues is the build up a positive relationship with them. The behaviour is often used to mask a lack of understanding of the topic in a classroom environment, but on a 1 to 1 basis I would be able to use a variety of explanations or methods, so, the pupil gains a good understanding of the topic.

My experience in teaching young people with challenging behaviour

I have extensive experience teaching young people with challenging behaviour, both in mainstream settings and now as a one-to-one tutor. Many of the students I worked with were placed in lower Maths sets not because of low ability, but because behaviour-related barriers had disrupted their learning. My approach focuses on building a strong, positive relationship from the start, restoring confidence in their abilities, and reading the moment—knowing when to push, when to redirect, and when to pause and explore their interests. This balance helps students re-engage with learning and make meaningful progress.

My experience of teaching Maths

I came into teaching after completing my Maths degree as a mature student and quickly found my place in secondary education. I know the Foundation GCSE syllabus inside out and can confidently pinpoint individual gaps in understanding. Over the years, I’ve specialised in supporting students in Years 7–11 who find Maths challenging, helping them grow in confidence through engaging lessons with plenty of key-skill repetition. Now, as a tutor, I work across all major exam boards, teaching both Foundation and Higher GCSE Maths as well as KS2 and KS3. I make learning visual where needed, identify misconceptions quickly, pace lessons appropriately, and can seamlessly connect topics when a student’s understanding allows, even without prior planning.

My experience in supporting young people in the community

As a tutor, my working environment has significantly changed from being in the classroom. Tutoring in the student’s home has now become a familiar environment, arriving on time with the right equipment is paramount to getting the start of the session right.

My specialist experience in providing engaging lessons and inspire a love of learning

Being an experienced teacher, I can move learning on to the next step or explain the topic in a different way in order for the pupil to feel successful. If a child feels successful, they will be engaged in their learning. My ‘tool kit’ will enable the use of hands on or visual resources when needed without pre planning. Children love to learn, learning new things and getting things right will build their confidence, building their confidence will inspire a love of learning having said all that having the right tutor that can quickly build a positive relationship with the young person is the key!

My experience working with young people to boost their confidence and self esteem

I’ve taught many students over my 15 years of teaching, and all have a love of learning Maths. I give them praise when they have got something right and find a way to praise when it is wrong. Quickly finding where errors have been made is easy in a one to one tutoring session so a child can’t repeatedly get questions wrong. If a child is getting things right, they feel successful which builds their confidence. By recapping each week it builds their working memory and when they get something right week after week their confidence slowly increases.

 My experience in teaching young people with sensory and processing needs

When working with a child with sensory needs, it is crucial to identify what the need is as soon as possible. Building a positive relationship initially would help identify when a child is having sensory difficulties during the lesson. As a teacher I have a ‘tool kit’ which is full of hands-on resources and various fidget toys which I take to every session. To help processing needs, again, knowing the young person, understanding when they are processing things and when they need extra support is key to getting the most out of the learning experience.

My experience of teaching executive functioning/ study skills

My lessons contain elements where a student will have the chance to verbalise what they have learnt and the steps they have taken to get there. This will then be written into instructions to help them read back what they have learnt and repeat the task at a late time, aiding independent learning.

My experience of teaching young people with Dyslexia

A positive relationship with the young person will enable them to feel comfortable to ask if they don’t understand. Giving them more time to write things down, making sure they have read and understood the question being asked and allowing them to verbalise an answer before putting something into their own words are some of the strategies I use within a lesson.

Supporting young people with speech and language needs

Whatever subject you are teaching, ensuring young people speak in full sentences, using pictures or hands on resources to support learning, speaking slowly, using new language repeatedly and encouraging them to speak and write down thoughts and explanations with help build their confidence and ability.

My experience in teaching study/ effective functioning skills

Teaching in a mainstream school with large classes it is vital that practices to develop these skills are used daily. Building reputation of prior learning into each lesson, encouraging students to annotate their work to build independence and finishing the lesson by independent writing of step by step explanations of their understanding of the learning covered. These all help to develop a young person’s effective functioning skills enabling them to become confident independent learners.

My experience in teaching Maths and English

Every teacher has a responsibility to teach both Maths and English as part of their subject. My main subject is Mathematics at Secondary school level however my specialism is teaching those who find Maths a challenge. Ensuring a calm and supportive environment, having lots of hands on resources and building a pupils confidence ensures you get the maximum out of the child’s learning. Encouraging students to read explanations, discuss what they have learned and then allowing them to write instructions down is how I would add a literacy focus into a lesson. Whist I have not taught English as a subject on it’s own I am more than happy to work with a child on areas that they need support in, whether it be reading, writing, spelling or punctuation.

My experience of teaching social communication and language skills

Encouraging peer and team work into a classroom helps to build both social and language skills. In a one to one tutoring session that would be difficult however the young person will be interacting with a person they have never met which brings in the social element.