Giselle

I am a highly experienced tutor/SENDCo with QTS: 13 years of experience working with children and young people with special educational needs. Currently I work as a SENDCo in an Independent Private school, for pupils aged 13-19. I have also completed my post-graduate qualification and am qualified to assess and diagnose for SpLD (specific learning difficulties). This is the CCET+AAC=CTP3A,  which is accredited by the BPS (British Psychological society). Prior to this I managed an Alternative provision (KS3 and KS4), attached to a state school for students with challenging behaviour and SEND (Special educational needs and disabilities).  I have taken up private tuition delivering English language and mentoring (KS2-Ks5), working within family homes to break down pupil barriers to learning, supporting the re-engagement back into education and provide tuition in subjects the children were struggling in.

My SENDCo role: As a SENDCo, I manage the schools Special needs provision. I co-ordinate interventions for students who are struggling to access the curriculum, or who are working below their attainment levels. These interventions are personalised to individual needs and include: additional literacy or numeracy support, social communication support via role play and discussions around social scenarios, study skills, counselling, referrals for further specialist assessments, Occupational therapist, Speech and language therapist, etc.  I liaise with such professionals on a frequent basis, interpreting their prose Iona reports to implement suitable teaching strategies to enhance teaching differentiation and aid student progress. I have written and reviewed EHCPs, chaired annual review meetings and delivered staff training/INSET on SEND. Many of our EHCP students have a multitude of profound needs, or have been out of school for a long time. I work with these students on a weekly 1:1 basis, alongside other professionals to get them back into full-time education.  As a result of lock-down I have also adapted in being able to provide these sessions online, as well as face-to-face in person. I complete all matters pertaining to examination access arrangements (25% extra time, laptop, scribe/speech recognition software, prompter, a reader, rest breaks); collating evidence for student files, Form 8s, applications online to JCQ. These can be implemented on the grounds of special educational needs, i.e. dyslexia, or due a medical condition. All students on the SEND register meet with myself to review their needs; establish their areas of difficulties, what’s working/not working well, devise aspiring targets and establish strategies to support their needs. These are then reviewed on a termly basis. I also deliver 1:1 learning support sessions on a weekly basis.

1:1 Learning Support/ Study Skills, I provide: Particularly effective with students with slow processing and memory difficulties, ADHD/ADD, ASD (including high-functioning), sensory processing disorder, PAD, disengaged with learning, anxiety and depression, low self-esteem/confidence, and those who have English as a second language/studying abroad. Experience includes:

• develop a meaningful trusting relationship = paramount to student engagement and key to enhancing significant progress (primary age through to 6th form/college)


• devising bespoke visual timetables to support revision and independent study/work completion- enabling structure, routine and develop of independence skills


• Support to troubleshoot issues, providing an external neutral/non-biased perspective to help reduce anxiety


• sustained attention strategies (working environment, movement breaks, timed tasks, etc)- Key for ADHD


• executive functioning skills for all subjects


• personalised social stories to help them understand social/behaviour/communication/peer group difficulties.


• set clear expectations/realistic goals, maintain respectful boundaries. I will hold students accountable, encouraging them to take responsibility over their learning (in particular for teenagers and young adults).


• differentiated and appropriate scaffolding e.g. writing frames, sentence starters, prompts (visual and verbal), additional links to read.


• revision and organisational skills: time/workload management


• motivational coaching to increase confidence, self-esteem and work out-put


• past paper exam questions (if working towards an exam)  alongside mark schemes


• identify strengths and find examples, lots of praise and encouragement, positive reinforcement and positive affirmations to reset a positive mindset


• ability to use a clock/diary effectively


• coaching and role play to help the development of positive peer relationships


• exam stress-management


• going through work completed in class to embed learning and clarifying misunderstandings


• developing working memory (repetition, auditory and visual recall, use of colour and bold headings, spacing of work)


• support to help develop social skills, so that children may devise healthy meaningful friendships


• supporting students with cerebral palsy, devising sensory-stimulating sessions

Experience as an English/literacy tutor - autism, sensory needs, dyslexia, slow processing, dyspraxia, ADHD, ASD and memory difficulties: For many students with special educational needs, they require support within English language, phonics and literacy.  This is particular key for students with dyslexia, slow processing, dyspraxia, Autism and memory difficulties. The foundation of these skills are generally taught in primary school. However, some students have gaps within their learning, have had their learning disrupted, or have needs which has meant that these fundamental skills require further support. Once grasped, the skills can be transferred to other literary subjects and even worded mathematical questions. For such students, I have experience in:

• teaching English: reading, reading comprehension, handwriting, writing and spelling


• primary school phonics, reading, spellings (supporting with memory and processing difficulties)


• teaching phonics to students 11+ through the Ruth Muskin programme (Aim:- teaching primary literacy skills to secondary school pupils)


• creating fun sessions with games to help children engage


• supporting students with speech and communication difficulties, adopting a calm nurturing approach


• devising lessons to support students with sensory processing disorders


• English language; devising differentiated lessons and preparing students for Paper 1 and Paper 2, of the GCSE English language exam


• break-down how to answer questions: looking at mark schemes, putting together model answers, producing writing frames/sentence starters to support their independent work


• support with transferring thoughts onto paper/essay writing: discussions, note-tasking, devising and using tables, spider diagrams, text annotations, images, plans to support essay writing, structure/organisation of ideas, paragraphing


• supporting difficulties with auditory and literary processing (key dyslexic and ASD traits): making lessons creative and engaging/teaching in a multi-sensory way, using colours, role-play


• using music (songs and poems) to enhance learning and stimulate engagement


• develop focus, attention and concentration skills, whilst engaging students in their learning: understand individual likes/dislikes/interests, establish learning styles and amend lessons accordingly to incorporate (key for ADHD students)


• delivering phonics, using pictures and/or through the Ruth Miskin programme.


• supporting memory retention through repetition and pneumonic’s


• Understanding worded maths questions


• supporting students with their homework (cross-curricular)


• enhancing written skills: spelling, punctuation, grammar. I address sentence structures (simple, complex, compound), synonyms/vocabulary and how to make writing effective


• literary devices: definitions, examples and the effects on the reader (key for GCSE English language)


• past paper exam questions


• summarising texts and picking out key information learnt


• illegible handwriting/how to hold a pen/pencil in a functional way, letter formation and spacing

Experience teaching Maths: I have experience tutoring maths at primary school level and modules in the KS3 syllabus. I can support with worded maths questions, times tables, create fun, engaging lessons using games to support with processing and memory difficulties, whilst enhancing cognitive skills.

Experience as an Alternative provision manager: Here I managed an Alternative provision for students aged 11-15. I created and taught  innovative Schemes of work, delivered small group intervention work and 1:1s, supported SEND and addressed challenging behaviour. This also included a lot of multi-agency work. I engaged well with the students, created a safe therapeutic learning environment, structure, routine, boundaries, and used real life -relatable examples to aid their comprehension. I am skilled at differentiating year 7 lessons down to primary school level, and stretching high-functioning/gifted pupils. Whether scaling up or down, both  are a means to  enable children to access the curriculum at a level appropriate to their needs. Establishing baseline data through assessments was key here, especially to be able to mark progress. I delivered group tuition/intervention classes to children with literacy difficulties and 1:1s to those who were reading at a level below their chronological reading age.

My specific experience helping children to self-regulate, manage their behaviour, and understand feelings and emotions:

Holistic therapeutic approach:- I believe its imperative for students to understand their mental/emotional blocks that may be having a negative impact upon their academic learning. Work together to identify triggers, set targets to aid improvements and strategies to help them better-manage their emotions. In turn, this helps them to feel empowered, making progress both personally and academically.

Behaviour management:- I am pro-active in encouraging a positive attitude to learning, implementing sanctions and rewards. I build am excellent rapport with students, establish a mutual level of respect, maintain high standards and am consistent with maintaining boundaries. There is often a need to install a degree of routine and set clear expectations. I believe it is key to not make wrong actions personal, but more so highlight socially acceptable behaviours in terms of right, or wrong. As a result, student feels less-attacked personally and therefore more inclined to reconcile/re-engage/see their errors. I use Theory of mind, where I try to help children see scenarios from another persons’ perspective. I find common interests and incorporate them into learning. I give non-verbal cues and allow autonomy of movement within the lesson. I also believe it is Important to address behaviour imminently and be consistent with it.

Working with families: I have ample experience working closely with families; as a SENDCo, 1:1 tutor, mentor/coach, nanny. I am flexible and able to easily adapt to the families needs. I use my initiative well and am a quick thinker/problem solver. I am committed and innovative in supporting the understanding of your child’s difficulties, suggesting and implementing constructive marginal changes to support.

Incorporating Maslow’s hierarchy of needs alongside experience, I have learnt that students with barriers external to academia will find it harder to engage within their learning. Hence why I take a holistic approach. Fostering positive professional relationships to support student engagement and liaising frequently with parents and other professionals to ensure that we are all on the same page. Honesty and transparency is imperative.

Thus, I take an honest and transparent approach. I am very realistic and like to keep it 100% in advising  options/likely outcomes to children’s persistent behaviours, as a means to empower them to make better life choices, take control of their academics, whilst evoking an internal motivation to achieve personal goals/do better. I try to maintain a positive, optimistic stance and am very motivational with a can-do attitude. Focusing on strengths is imperative to boost confidence and self-esteem.

I have extensive experience in simplifying complex professional reports to comprise and implement differentiated teaching strategies. This links with experience creating individual learning plans and delivering staff insets on the traits and various SEND, in addition to strategies to support them.

I take the time to understand the needs of pupils with SEND; their traits and how they may manifest in a learning environment. Its imperative for me to have patience, empathy and resilience.

I believe learning should be fun- if children enjoy, they are more likely to do well. Focusing on strengths- I provide lots of praise and encouragement that enables them to keep working and trying.

Building a good rapport is key, as if children and young people are comfortable, they become more confident to push themselves further, e.g. increased use of sophisticated vocabulary, try harder as they don’t want to disappoint you.

Other strategies implemented/experience include: experience providing homeschooling during Covid lockdown, boosting self-esteem and confidence, providing therapeutic counselling-like support, making lessons fun and engaging with short snappy activities, well structured, going into the outdoors together, e.g. a fitness class, walk around the block to de-stress. Clear aims and objectives for the lessons, clear expectations, multi-sensory teaching. Developing independence skills, looking after multiple children at once. As a nanny, I was the sole carer for three children in their parents absence.

• CCET+AAC=CTP3A,  which is accredited by the BPS (British Psychological society)
• NASENDCo
• QTS
• PGCE
• Child protection
• Safeguarding
• Phonics training
• ASD inset training
• ADHD inset training
• Dyslexia inset training
• BSc Sociology with Psychology
• Level 4 Careers, Advise and Guidance

Currently completing: -Certified counsellor training -Counselling training: depression, trauma, child counselling