Tag: Warwickshire

Specialist experience supporting young people with SEN and building trusting relationships;
I have extensive experience supporting children and young people with special educational needs, particularly those who have experienced anxiety, disrupted education, or negative learning experiences. I prioritise building trusting, respectful relationships by creating a calm, safe, and structured environment where learners feel understood and supported. By working at the individual’s pace and listening carefully to their needs, I help learners re-engage with education, develop confidence, and experience success.

Experience supporting Autism (ASC), ADHD, PDA, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia (DCD), Dyscalculia and associated needs;
With over 20 years of teaching experience, including 13 years in specialist provisions as a teacher, SENCo, and Senior Leader, I have extensive expertise supporting learners with a wide range of neurodiverse profiles. I use highly personalised approaches, adapting my teaching through visual supports, structured routines, scaffolded and chunked learning, reduced language, and practical, multi-sensory activities. I also incorporate learners’ interests to increase engagement and motivation.
I understand how these needs can affect processing, focus, organisation, and self-esteem, and I work with learners to develop strategies that support independence, emotional regulation, and confidence. This may include movement breaks, sensory supports, clear task structures, and strategies to strengthen executive functioning skills.  I understand that each individual profile and diagnosis, comes with unique strengths and challenges.  For example, when working with young people with PDA, I understand that they need to feel in control of their activities and I’m able to provide flexibility, in a contained way, to meet their changing needs day to day.

Experience supporting sensory processing, working memory, speech, language and communication needs;
I have significant experience supporting learners with sensory and auditory processing differences, working memory difficulties, and social communication needs. I adapt teaching to reduce cognitive load, using visual aids, repetition, retrieval practice, and overlearning to strengthen understanding and retention. Where appropriate, I incorporate sensory strategies and movement breaks to support regulation and engagement. I also support expressive and receptive language development through carefully scaffolded communication, helping learners build confidence in expressing themselves and interacting with others.

Experience supporting SEMH/ mental health needs and emotional wellbeing;
I have worked extensively with learners who experience anxiety, including those who have been out of education or affected by trauma. I understand the importance of building confidence gradually through positive, predictable experiences. I support learners to develop resilience, recognise their strengths, and build self-esteem alongside academic progress. My approach focuses on helping learners feel safe and capable, enabling them to take small, meaningful steps forward in their learning.

My experience working with young people with challenging behaviour;

I have extensive experience in working with children and young people who have been unable to remain in mainstream provision due to their presenting behaviours.  I always look beyond the behaviour and aim to understand what the behaviour is communicating in terms of need.  By addressing this need and using an emotional coaching and trauma informed approach, I’m able to support the child to work towards self-regulation.  I am patient, resilient and never shame the individual for their presenting behaviours.  Over time I aim to build positive working relations with the individual, enable them to better understand themselves and to be motivated to engage in positive learning experiences.

My experience working with young people with complex and/or medical needs;

I have been based in diverse educational environments, including mainstream and specialist provisions and also within the hospital environment for young people with complex mental health diagnoses, including psychosis and schizophrenia, eating disorders, personality disorders and complex PTSD.  I believe the approach should be the same as for any learner; to build relationships and to understand what they need to feel safe and engage in meaningful learning experiences.

Experience teaching Science, Maths, English, and core curriculum subjects (KS2–KS4 and beyond)
As a Science specialist, I have over 20 years of experience teaching from Key Stage 2 through to A-Level Biology. I am highly skilled at making learning accessible through practical, hands-on approaches that make concepts meaningful and engaging. I am also confident teaching Maths up to GCSE level and supporting English, literacy, and numeracy across Key Stages 2–4.
I have taught in a range of settings, including specialist provisions, homes, and hospital environments, and I work collaboratively with schools and families to address gaps in learning. I personalise lessons to each learner’s interests and learning style, helping to increase engagement and promote deeper understanding.

Experience supporting early years development (EYFS)
As an experienced teacher, SENCo, and Thrive-trained practitioner, I have a strong understanding of early child development. I use child-led, play-based approaches to support communication, emotional development, and early learning skills. I create nurturing environments where children feel secure, allowing them to explore, develop confidence, and build strong foundations for future learning.

Experience teaching study skills, executive functioning, confidence and independence
I support learners to develop essential study skills, organisation, and executive functioning strategies, including planning, task management, and maintaining focus. I work collaboratively with learners to develop personalised approaches that make learning more manageable and less overwhelming, with the long-term aim of promoting independence and self-confidence.  For younger learners, I can support the child's development to focus on, and switch between tasks, simple problem solving, making choices and emotional regulation.

My experience teaching community support and outside activities;

As an educator in a wide variety of learning environments, I have extensive experience in considering development beyond the classroom and curriculum.  I am able to create action plans to target the holistic development of an individual, considering life skills, resilience and key stages of transition for the learner.  I am person led and can be a ‘rock and resource’ for a young person to provide support as they navigate through different stages of their education.  I am particularly enthusiastic around practical activities, for example, gardening and cooking, which I believe can be really impactful.

Experience developing motivation, engagement, and a love of learning
Many of the learners I support have experienced challenges that have affected their confidence and motivation. I specialise in re-engaging learners by creating personalised, meaningful learning experiences tailored to their interests and strengths. Through practical activities, clear structure, and positive reinforcement, I help learners rebuild their confidence, develop resilience, and rediscover enjoyment in learning.

My specialist experience working with young people with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships

Having a naturally calm, positive and caring persona has enabled me  to develop strong and trusting bonds with all the SEN young people I work with. I work one-to-one online with a young person with SEN and in my current school I teach a specialist SEN group of children. I find creating a strong relationship with the individual child one of the real pleasures of educating children, as it is only in this way that a child can flourish in their learning, which is what I have done successfully throughout my teaching career. From the outset I get to know the young person with whom I am working, talk to them about their interests, understand how they like to learn and then use this information to build personalised learning outcomes for them through activities that they enjoy and in which they see purpose.

My experience working with young people with ASC (autism)

I have extensive experience of working with young people with ASC having taught in over 7 different secondary schools including teaching in secondary schools in Solihull and Birmingham local authorities. Currently I provide one to one tuition to a young person online who has autism and PDA  and we have built up an excellent rapport through me developing a strong understanding of his interests (computer games and politics) and then using these to enthuse him in his learning.

My experience working with young people with Anxiety

Providing gentle reassurance and having a naturally calm manner have enabled me to excel in the support of students with Anxiety. I believe in creating a learning environment where a child does not feel under pressure to accomplish tasks in a rigid timeframe and in enabling a young person to direct their own learning through the incorporation of their interests. Currently I work with a young person with PDA (pathological demand avoidance) and he has flourished by being able to lead the learning where my role is to add in key pedagogical opportunities when they arise.

My experience working with young people with learning disabilities

The key to effective working with young people with learning disabilities is the provision of support that enables each young person to be accomplish their goals and be independent. I have had much success in supporting learners who have learning disabilities in the form of visual, physical or hearing impairments. When working with a young person with learning disabilities I advocate the adoption of a calm, supportive and patient approach rooted in a thorough understanding of their learning disability. In this way a young person can flourish, where my role becomes that of a facilitator to enable to them to triumph.

My experience teaching Functional Skills (English and Maths)

In order to teach French and German one must have an extensive and complete understanding of the English language, which is something I possess. When teaching English I am able to use my expertise to explain in a child-friendly, engaging and creative manner the learning content. My A-level in Maths means that I am well-qualified to teach Functional Maths and I am passionate about linking Maths with the wider world as this motivates children, because they can then see the purpose for their learning.

My experience teaching Social Communication and Language skills

As a linguist I have a huge repertoire of skills needed to enable students to build strong social communication and language skills. I see all interactions as opportunities to improve a young person’s ability to communicate and I subconsciously teach this by modelling effective communication through the use of tone and visual gestures. Above all I ensure that I understand the young person whom I am teaching by speaking to all adults involved in their care and building upon their knowledge.

My experience teaching Community Support and Outside activities

In my teaching career I have organised a huge number of days out as well as residential trips in the UK and abroad. From visits to the Cologne Christmas market, a trip to the French Opal Coast, a tour of Villa Park, a trip to Disneyland Paris and a student exchange trip to Germany, I have vast experience in the organisation of outside activities and am highly proficient in the completion of all safeguarding documentation, risk assessments and necessary travel arrangements.

My specialist experience providing engaging sessions to inspire a love of learning

Children in my care thoroughly enjoy their learning and are motivated in their lessons. I have a vast array of teaching techniques and ideas. For example, I have used Lego to teach about The Berlin Wall, made jigsaw puzzles to teach meanings of words, used the  Quizlet and Kahoot online learning platforms for in-lesson competitions, played netball in French and used Katy Perry’s “Firework” song to learn a German verb.

I am passionate about incorporating students personal interests into lessons in order to build up a rapport with them, so that they feel comfortable in their learning environment and so that they can explore new things through the medium of their own interests.  Most importantly, though, is the need to quickly change an activity that a child starts to lose interest so that they remain enthused by their learning.

My skills and experience supporting young people to develop their independence.

In order to support a young person in developing their independence it is essential to have a calming approach, which encourages trying and sees all attempts that have not quite gone right as key learning moments. In every session I explain to the young people how they can do a task themselves, then build upon this independence by gradually taking away the support. I model all activities by using the “I do”, “we do”, “you do” methodology.

My specialist experience working with young people with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships:

I have a decade of experience and a strong track record of supporting students both inside and outside school, on a 1-2-1 and small group setting, and of bringing students out of school back into the school environment.  The approach I take is gentle and completely student-centred.  Developing good relationships with students also involves developing good relationships with parents and teachers.  Often this also involves working collaboratively with other professionals including Educational Psychologists, SALTs, Psychiatrists, and Counsellors.  This is where I excel.

Inside school I have supported many students for many years, some even throughout their whole school career.  During this time, I have developed strong, trusting and meaningful relationships both with the students and with their parents.  Outside school, I have also tutored students for many years, and in multiple subjects (Maths and English), showing that the relationships I develop with my students are not only strong, but long-lasting too.

My students and colleagues describe me as honest, approachable, caring, fun, kind and fair.  I am also firm when I need to be and believe that it is important for both student and teacher to have clear boundaries and that expectations are clear and communicated from the start.

My experience working with young people with anxiety:

Having had a variety of roles including Form Tutor, Subject teacher, Academic Support Teacher, Specialist teacher, Assessor and Tutor, I have worked with a whole range of students with different needs and difficulties (Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, DCD, ASD, ADHD, OCD, ADD, ABI, Tics, Tourette’s etc), many of whom have struggled with anxiety.  My approach to supporting students is always to be kind and accepting.  Where necessary I have also followed safeguarding procedures, highlighting concerns to the relevant DSL or involving other professionals like counsellors.  Anxiety can have many different forms and can present in many different ways, so it is always important to be empathetic and above all, kind. As an assessor, many students are nervous and anxious before an assessment, so my approach is always to be gentle and empathetic and to put them at ease before any assessments take place.

My experience working with young people with dyslexia:

I am a dyslexia assessor and a specialist teacher of dyslexia with a PG Cert in Dyslexia and Literacy Difficulties.  I specialist in supporting students from Year 7 to Year 13.  I have worked in various settings for the last ten years supporting students with dyslexia, both designing and implementing bespoke schemes of work and interventions.  This support has included everything from supporting students with organisation (of both themselves, and their ideas); assistive technology and planning tools; revision skills and techniques; handwriting skills; Dyslexia-specific and English/Maths-specific skills.  I also have many years of experience of supporting students with Maths difficulties and Dyscalculia.  I also provide whole-school training to teachers and senior management to raise awareness of dyslexia and how to support students with dyslexia, both inside and outside the classroom.  Finally, I support students at an Oxford-based dyslexia charity on a Saturday morning and have just been asked to be a Governor of the charity.

From a personal perspective, I have two children and a husband with dyslexia, so I am very aware of the difficulties of living with dyslexia on a daily basis.

My experience working with young people with ADHD:

As above, I have worked with students with ADHD for many years, providing academic support for specific subjects, as well as general study skills support.  In addition, I support teachers in school by explaining and demonstrating the best methods for supporting students with ADHD in their classrooms.

From a personal perspective, I have three children with ADHD, all of whom present in very different ways, so I am aware of how ADHD can affect all parts of everyday life.

My experience in teaching GCSE subjects:

I am a qualified teacher of English (Language and Literature), Maths and English as a Foreign Language (EAL).  I have been both teaching and supporting students in school for GCSE English and Maths for over ten years.  I also tutor extensively outside school for all the different boards for both the Higher and Foundation papers (AQA, OCR, Edexcel, CIE).  I have also supported students taking exams in Functional Maths and English.

My experience developing confidence and self-esteem:

Having chosen ten years ago to focus on students who need extra support, I am extremely aware that you need to support the whole child.  In order to learn, students need to feel comfortable and safe, so my approach is gentle and humorous, supportive and fun, whilst still being firm and respectful.  Many students with learning difficulties have difficulties with self-esteem, so building confidence and making learning enjoyable is at the core of everything I do.

My specialist experience providing engaging sessions to inspire a love of learning:

Everyone learns better when learning is fun and engaging, so I pepper my lessons with games and activities that help students learn, often not even realising they are learning.  In addition, it is imperative that students with learning difficulties are taught using a multi-sensory approach, so I ensure that activities are kept short, that movement breaks are incorporated, and that different activities are used to address different senses to aid the understanding and retention of topics.  I also incorporate a wide range on online and printed resources as well as tactile games and teaching resources.

My skills and experience supporting young people to develop their independence:

Enabling and supporting students to become independent is key to being a teacher.  This can range from helping a Year 7 student to write a list of things to help them pack their bag every day, through scaffolding tasks so that GCSE students can answer PEEL questions on their own, to supporting ASD/ABI students to develop skills for adulthood. Developing independence, both mental and physical, is key to growing and maturing.  In addition, developing resilience to help support students to move out of their comfort zone, is key to developing independence.  Enabling students to feel safe and secure enough to take intellectual risks is key to developing independence and to growing.

In addition, I support/teach students from Year 7 up to Year 13 with study and revision skills. I deliver training in a variety of formats, from single lessons helping students create revision timetables, to a full suite of lessons for Year 12 and 13 students around motivation, resilience and revision skills.

Technology, specifically assistive technology, plays a large part in enabling student to become independent so I also teach students how to use the latest technologies to help their learning.

Finally, as an assessor part of my role is to identify learning difficulties so that relevant access arrangements and accommodations can be put in place to enable students to become independent.