Mary

My specialist experience teaching study skills, exam techniques and time management strategies which improve processing skills when the pupil is learning in different classroom settings, and preparing for public exams: I have extensive experience in developing strategies for individual pupils, which are skills to improve processing, and memory for knowledge retention:

- Revision strategies to improve confidence in reading and writing: scaffolding for essays; 'chunking' for reading; planning strategies; mind-mapping;
- Verbal and non-verbal prompting to develop focus and independence when approaching school curricular tasks
- Structured lessons which integrate many different activities and games for improved focus and memory retention, for example, to express to an audience particular interpretations of words and phrases through performance which involves movement as well as pronunciation and expressive intonation when speaking the words;
- Social stories;
- Social communication strategies to develop confidence, including practising social scenarios, e.g. constructing questions.
- How to develop a personalised and targeted learning routine, e.g. study timetable, to enhance confidence and independence in setting own targets;
- Coaching in I.T. skills for effective learning: Read and Write Gold; typing classes to improve computer keyboard use;
- Communicating with school colleagues and family;
- Strategies to improve receptive and expressive language skills;
- Time management coaching;
- Direct teaching of planning techniques for developing organisational and time management approaches;
- Tailored individual strategies for developing working memory;
- Planning educational visits and carrying out Risk Assessments for short educational trips, for social and intellectual development, e.g. trips to the V&A or the Globe.

My specialist experience preparing pupils with dyslexia and other SEN (including for 11+ and school entrance exams): I have prepared pupils successfully for 11+ entrance exams to major public schools and grammar schools in London and the Home Counties. I tutor patiently and with an emphasis on developing close reading skills, and harnessing the pupil's creativity to develop their own writing style, in preparation for the creative writing segment of the 11+ and public school entrance exams. I work holistically with individual pupils to foster an awareness of planning their written responses, through mind-mapping and developing an awareness of the contexts which surround words. I have trained with PATOSS (the well-known and reputable dyslexia charitable body), most recently in fostering pupils' etymological awareness, and improving confidence and self-esteem. I provide detailed practice and guidance in verbal reasoning tests, and can also provide tutoring in numerical reasoning. I am well-acquainted with many 11+ tests, including the GL assessments and the University of Durham's CEM tests which are increasingly popular with public schools, as well as grammar schools. The structured literacy approach which I adopt to preparing pupils for 11+ exams can be of particular benefit to pupils diagnosed with dyslexia, improving the pupil's self-esteem and confidence to the benefit of their results.

My skills and experience teaching students with ADHD; I have 16 years' accredited experience working with children and young adults to build on the young person's own learning interests, and engage them with fast-paced, quick-changing activities which are multi-sensory and reflect the pupil's own academic interests, all of which has proved effective with pupils who are diagnosed with ADHD. I encourage pupils to develop a range and variety of interests, which build on existing expertise, and challenge them to develop new expertise and knowledge bases. Every pupil is different, and it's about developing an holistic approach to building the pupil's confidence in expressing their own abilities. Often, incorporating active learning experiences, e.g. playing a sporting activity (kinaesthetic) while learning vocabulary, or talking through a structure for an essay, can allow a student's brilliant ideas and expertise to emerge. For example, standing while writing or typing on a laptop, and incorporating physical movement into learning as a matter of course, provides excellent opportunities to learn appropriate and successful revision techniques which are varied, vibrant and stimulating for pupils with a high level of academic potential. Developing a fast-paced learning environment, which is tailored to the pupil's own academic interests, and hobbies (e.g. chess, computing, gaming), and provides numerous purposeful learning activities of short duration can make a difference in a short time to the pupil's visible level of attainment in the classroom, or in a school setting.

My skills and experience in supporting students to transition to new schools and new environments: I have 16 years' experience of working closely with teenagers and young adults who are making significant transitions from one educational setting to another, perhaps from school to college; from day school to boarding. Through social stories, mind-mapping, drama activities, training in assistive technology and through identifying objects of reference or training in Makaton, I prepare young people to recognise for themselves the benefits of moving on in their lives to new experiences, and new environments.

My specialist experience teaching social skills and communication for classroom interactions with pupils and educators: I work with students to build knowledge and understanding of different social situations, through conversational practice, language modelling and role play. Studying how to present oneself and perform during different social interactions is an integral part of effective learning , and I plan and develop individual learning programmes for students with this in mind. I can provide context, and guidance on research, to develop the student's understanding of a particular dramatic monologue, to enhance their spoken performance of it, and I can offer guidance on how to learn lines, and develop confidence with a huge variety of communication strategies in how to be assertive in a classroom learning environment, with many pupils and educators, and undertaking study for many different subjects.

My skills and experience helping students to manage their stress and anxiety: I develop an holistic approach to guiding the pupil towards personal stress and anxiety management, through observation and assessment of them, and positive questioning to ascertain regularly the changing triggers which are causing stress and anxiety with schooling (for example) and preparation for key exams. Practical measures can help, where appropriate, in terms of target setting, developing timetables, and establishing a routine with a regular reminder of small successes building to larger successes: a 'coaching' approach, if you will, as well as 'tutoring' for attainment. Regular communication, incorporating updates, recommendations and feedback as part of a team with parents/guardians, could allow for earlier awareness of triggers for stress and anxiety, and a considered alteration to activities and academic assessment timings, without halting progress.

My skills and experience boosting students’ self-esteem and confidence.  I present a positive mindset, building and reinforcing students' sense of self and confidence in their own potential to attain highly in academic terms. In part, this involves widening individual students' sense of the world around them, and, perhaps, how they can measure attainment differently, and gain a different perspective on it. Carefully considered challenges to student negativity, through 'chunking' achievements in academic subjects, sports and hobbies, builds self-esteem and confidence over time, as does clarifying a student's 'learning style' and varying or adjusting the learning activities over time. Increasing a student's awareness of social groups and how they operate, can also clarify for them how to focus on building their own successes while acknowledging the successes of others. Often, natural leadership capabilities can emerge as a result. 

My skills and experiences teaching non-verbal students: I have worked with children and young adults with a range of communication needs for many years. I have a patient, adaptable approach to developing person-centred activities which gradually build and foster progress. This is particularly effective with teenagers and young adults, who are predisposed towards building their own futures and gaining independence and confidence. Through structured sessions and varied activities, which incorporate careful observations of how the young person is responding to the activities and change to the activity wherever and whenever is helpful, the young adult/teenager develops confidence in their capabilities, and uncovers their own potential. I have extensive knowledge and experience in a range of strategies to foster communication: eye contact; flash cards; social stories; music lessons; movement; painting and drawing; puppets; identifying objects of reference; story-boarding are among some of the many possible activities.

My skills and experience in integrating music into tutoring sessions: I integrate playing music into activity sessions to develop awareness of different moods and emotions, to build enjoyment through movement, and to encourage self-expression, concentration and creativity through listening and choosing favourite pieces of music, playing rhythms (playing drums and other percussive instruments), and singing and vocalising in conjunction with creating art, e.g. drawing or painting.