Salli S

About me, my expertise, qualifications and SEND experience

With over 15 years of classroom teaching experience, I bring a wealth of expertise and a warm, supportive approach to primary tutoring, including extensive experience supporting children with a wide range of SEND needs, including ASD, ADHD, PDA, dyslexia, and SEMH. My qualification-backed teaching background allows me to quickly identify how your child learns best, adapting every lesson to build their confidence, reduce anxiety, and make learning a truly positive experience.

How I teach Maths

My approach to teaching maths focuses on making abstract numbers concrete, relatable, and achievable. I use a wealth of visuals and hands-on manipulatives (like Tens Frames, Numicon, and Base 10) to help children “see” the maths before they write it down, which is especially powerful for neurodivergent learners. Every lesson is personalised to the child’s pace and interests, building genuine mathematical confidence rather than just rote memorisation. Underpinning this is my rigorous use of ongoing assessment; I continuously identify precise learning gaps, track progress in real-time, and target the exact next steps needed to stretch their abilities or secure their understanding.

How I teach English

My approach to English focuses on removing barriers so that every child—especially SEND learners—can find their voice and build a genuine love for reading and writing. I use highly visual and multi-sensory techniques, such as colour-coded grammar structures, interactive storytelling, and structured word-building, to make abstract language concepts concrete. By breaking complex tasks down into manageable, predictable steps and using highly personalised, interest-led topics, I create a calm, low-anxiety environment where neurodivergent learners feel safe to take creative risks and unlock their full potential.

How I help students communicate

Effective communication is the foundation of all learning, and I am passionate about ensuring every child has a voice. For students who find verbalising their thoughts challenging—including those with ASD, selective mutism, or language processing needs—I use a range of supportive, inclusive communication tools. This includes visual prompts, structured sentence-starters, and allowing generous processing time to reduce performance anxiety. By lowering the communicative demand and creating a high-trust, patient space, I help children confidently express their ideas, feelings, and questions in whatever way works best for them.

How I help students engage with learning

I foster an inclusive, active learning environment by adapting the teaching to meet the diverse needs of every student, ensuring those with SEND, are fully supported. I ensure I break down barriers to learning by presenting information in multi-sensory formats, chunking complex tasks, and integrating assistive technologies to make the curriculum accessible. By utilising scaffolding, visual aids, and clear, structured routines, I can build confidence and independence. My approach uses flexible, person-centred strategies that allow every learner to actively participate, feel valued, and progress at their own pace.

How I make lessons fun

I can bring learning to life by injecting high-energy, interactive, and play-based elements into all lessons, ensuring that students of all abilities—including those with SEND—are fully captivated. This dynamic, low-stakes environment allows every learner to experience the joy of discovery, proving that high-quality, inclusive education is at its best when it is genuinely fun.

How I help students with focus, attention and emotional regulation

I create a calm, predictable, and supportive environment that proactively addresses the barriers to focus, attention, and emotional regulation. I view behaviour as communication and implement restorative, relational approaches to support students before they reach overwhelm. To sustain focus, I structure lessons with visual aids, “now-and-next” boards, and tactical “brain breaks” that help neurodivergent learners manage cognitive load. For emotional regulation, I integrate co-regulation techniques and tools like the Zones of Regulation or sensory accommodations, giving students a safe space to identify their emotions and learn self-soothing strategies.