About me, my expertise, qualifications and SEND experience

I’m a qualified teacher (QTS, 2003) with over twenty years’ experience across mainstream and specialist education. I hold a BA (Hons) in Combined Honours History and French Studies from Lancaster University, and I teach History and English to A-Level, alongside Maths, Science, French, Geography, Business Studies, RE and PSHCE up to GCSE and KS3. I’m also an Assistant Examiner for Cambridge International Education, which keeps me closely in touch with what examiners are really looking for.

My specialist experience centres on autism, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), communication difficulties and specific learning difficulties (including dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and ADHD). I spent three years as Director of Learning at Moor House School and College, a specialist setting for Developmental Language Disorder, and I’ve taught at Drumbeat School and ASD Service, an autism-specialist school. I hold a Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties, a Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Mental Health, TESOL, and an enhanced DBS. I’ve also completed specialist training in trauma-informed practice, PDA, and communication approaches including Makaton, PECS and Shape Coding.

I work closely with other professionals as well as parents, and I treat parents’ views with the respect they deserve; you know your child best. Having seen things from both a parental and a professional perspective in my own life, I bring real empathy and understanding to that relationship, not just professional courtesy.

I start by understanding the child, not the label. Whether a student is autistic, has PDA, a specific learning difficulty, communication needs or social-emotional and mental health needs, I take time to understand what’s really going on for them before deciding how to teach them, and I’m careful never to assume that reluctance means ‘won’t’ when it actually means ‘can’t.’ If one way in doesn’t work, I see that as information, not a dead end, and I keep trying different approaches rather than deciding a child is unreachable. Every student learns in their own time and their own way, and I always recognise a child as intelligent even when they’re behind in their learning; additional needs often mean development speeds up or slows down unevenly across different areas, giving a ‘spiky profile’ rather than an even one. Frequent repetition and overlearning are central to how I teach, since new information often needs to be revisited many times, in different ways, before it truly sticks. I adapt my pace, language and expectations session by session, based on how the child is presenting that day, not how they presented last week.

How I teach Maths / English

In English, I focus on building genuine confidence with reading and writing rather than just chasing marks, breaking texts and tasks into manageable steps and celebrating every bit of progress. In Maths, I work hard to strip away anxiety first, since so many students who struggle with number have learned to fear it rather than find it difficult. I use concrete, visual and practical approaches before moving to abstract methods, and I always check understanding is secure before building on it.

How I help students communicate

Communication is at the heart of everything I do, shaped by my time immersed in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) approaches at Moor House. I’m trained in Makaton, PECS and Shape Coding, and I use these flexibly depending on what a child needs, whether that’s signing, symbols, or structured grammar support. For non-verbal or minimally verbal students, I make sure there is always a way for them to be heard, even when words aren’t available.

How I help students engage with learning

I’m a great observer of people and adapt readily to different personalities and moods, so I spend real time getting to know what genuinely interests each student before I plan a single lesson. I bring their interests into the work wherever I can, and I firmly protect a child’s home life from the pressures of school, so that our sessions feel like a safe, supportive space rather than another demand. Many children hate getting things wrong, or feel deeply embarrassed when they do, and I build that recognition implicitly into how I teach, so a session never feels like a test. Progress doesn’t always have to look like a worksheet — a good conversation, a well-chosen video clip, or working through an idea out loud can build understanding just as effectively.

How I make lessons fun

Learning sticks best when it doesn’t feel like a chore. I draw on educational apps, films, clips, games and other online resources alongside more traditional materials, and I’m not afraid to follow a child’s lead if a tangent turns out to be the thing that unlocks their interest. Sometimes the most valuable part of a session is simply talking something through together, with no pen or worksheet in sight. Some children respond well to reward systems, though many don’t, so I read each child individually rather than relying on one approach, and small wins are always celebrated properly, because confidence is often the real barrier standing in the way of progress.

How I help students with focus, attention and emotional regulation

I use Team Teach-trained strategies to keep sessions calm and low-arousal, watching closely for early signs that a child is becoming overwhelmed so I can adjust before things escalate. My Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Mental Health and my Gold-level trauma-informed practice training (Thrive LDN) underpin how I think about regulation, recognising that a student who can’t focus is usually communicating something, not being difficult. There is never any disappointment or blame when a child can’t do something in a given moment; that reaction only teaches a child to hide, not to try. If one approach isn’t working, that tells me to try something different, not to give up on the child. Short, well-timed breaks, clear routines and a calm, consistent manner all help students stay regulated and ready to learn.