Stuart

ABOUT ME, MY EXPERTISE & SEND EXPERIENCE

With an infectious curiosity and genuine passion for learning, I bring a warm, empathetic approach to developing relationships with young people who’ve struggled in traditional education. I’ve spent 20+ years working with neurodivergent and twice-exceptional learners – the children and young people who don’t fit the standard mould – and I absolutely love what I do.

Initially, it was a steep learning curve, but through dedicated training, self-directed learning, and hands-on experience, I adapted my teaching to truly meet the unique needs of autistic learners. I’ve worked across specialist SEN schools, PRUs, EOTAS provision, and intensive one-to-one interventions with learners experiencing school refusal, trauma, and complex presentations including PDA, ADHD, and twice-exceptional profiles.

What makes my approach different is that I draw on a genuinely diverse background. I hold QTS and degrees in mechanical engineering and computing, but I’ve also spent 20+ years practicing tai chi (teaching for 6 years), integrating applied improvisation and had  a career across creative industries, the arts, comedy, and community work with refugees. Each discipline genuinely serves my teaching. Engineering gives me hands-on STEAM credibility. Improvisation makes me responsive and adaptive. Tai chi informs my embodied regulation approaches. The creative arts provide routes into learning when academic entry points fail.

I focus on personalized learning, tailoring everything to meet both academic and personal needs. Building trust is absolutely key – I connect with students through their interests and design engaging activities like computing, game design, robotics, stop-motion animation, coding, and even coaching stand-up comedy when that’s their thing. My approach is about ongoing relationship-building, creating an environment of gentle engagement, continuous feedback, and genuine curiosity about who each young person actually is.

I take safeguarding and professional boundaries seriously I believe strongly in inclusion and creating diverse learning experiences without borders – education that genuinely fits the child, not the system.

HOW I TEACH STUDENTS WITH AUTISM, ADHD, PDA & TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL PROFILES

My approach centres on relationship first, curriculum second. With neurodivergent learners, trust takes time, consistency, and genuine curiosity about who the young person actually is.

I begin by following each learner’s interests. If they’re obsessed with Minecraft, we use Minecraft. If they love drawing, we start there. Academic content gets woven through what already engages them.

For autistic learners, I use clear structures, visual support when helpful, and regulation-focused approaches including Fantastic Autistic framework tools. I’m comfortable with PDA presentations and use low-demand, collaborative language rather than directive instructions. For ADHD, I integrate movement throughout sessions as part of learning, not as breaks. For twice-exceptional learners, I provide intellectual challenge through hands-on problem-solving without requiring things they struggle with. I use humour, play, and improvisation as core teaching tools.

HOW I TEACH MATHS

I’ve taught maths for 20+ years across all levels from basic numeracy to GCSE+. My engineering background gives me genuine fluency with mathematical thinking and real-world application.

I use mastery approaches to build understanding, emphasizing conceptual understanding over rote learning. For learners who struggle with abstract maths, I use manipulatives, visual models, and hands-on activities – LEGO to explore fractions, building projects for geometry. I integrate gamification and for tech-interested students, incorporate coding, CAD modelling, and 3D printing.

For neurodivergent learners who find maths stressful, I present it as exploration rather than performance. Mistakes become information, not failures.

HOW I TEACH ENGLISH

I draw on improvisation and performance experience to make English engaging through drama, storytelling, role-play, and spoken word activities.

For creative writing, I start with each learner’s interests. Science fiction fans write space stories. Gaming fans develop character backstories. Once engagement is there, we develop craft through work they care about.

For neurodivergent learners who find writing demanding, I offer alternatives – voice recording, typing, collaborative writing, graphic novels, or software that reduces executive function load.

HOW I HELP STUDENTS COMMUNICATE

Communication is about connection, not compliance. I create space for learners to communicate in ways that work for them – verbal, written, visual, through making, or collaborative activity.

Some of my most meaningful conversations happen while making things together – shared activity reduces social pressure. I teach communication skills through real practice, not worksheets, working on self-advocacy – how to express needs, ask for help, set boundaries.

HOW I HELP STUDENTS ENGAGE WITH LEARNING

Engagement starts with relationship. If a learner trusts me and feels genuinely seen, they’ll risk learning.

I build engagement through genuine curiosity. What lights them up? What makes them laugh? I start there, every time. I use hands-on, experiential approaches – making, building, experimenting. I integrate technology strategically – coding, robotics, digital design, animation.

For school refusers and learners recovering from trauma, I go slow. We prioritize rebuilding confidence over covering curriculum. Academic progress follows once emotional safety is established.

HOW I MAKE LESSONS FUN

I bring performance background into every session. Different voices, characters, improvised scenarios bring concepts to life. I’ve taught maths using a USSR-era persona encouraging “great success in mathematics” – students love it.

I use music, video, storytelling, visual humour. I draw cartoons, create silly analogies, deliberately introduce absurdity when it helps learning stick. I give learners creative control – they choose project topics, design challenges, direct how we explore concepts.

Fun doesn’t mean chaotic. Structure and clear boundaries enable more playfulness. When learners feel safe, they can be silly, experiment, and take risks.

HOW I HELP STUDENTS WITH FOCUS, ATTENTION & EMOTIONAL REGULATION

I create structured but flexible environments with clear routines and visual support. I break tasks into manageable chunks with frequent check-ins. Instructions are concise, delivered one step at a time.

I integrate movement and sensory support throughout sessions. I’ve taught tai chi for 6 years (practiced 20+) – physical engagement is core to my practice. For emotional regulation, I teach breathing techniques, body awareness practices, and mindfulness approaches drawn from tai chi and qigong. I model calm presence and respond to dysregulation with co-regulation rather than demands.

I use positive reinforcement consistently, celebrating progress and effort, not just outcomes.

WHY FAMILIES CHOOSE TO WORK WITH ME

I’m told by families that I bring a combination they rarely find – deep expertise in neurodivergent learning alongside hands-on STEAM capability, embodied regulation practice, and genuinely responsive, child-led approaches.

I work with the learners others find most difficult. Not because I have magic solutions, but because I have patience, genuine curiosity, diverse skills to draw from, and commitment to relationship-building over quick fixes.

I create learning experiences that feel different from school – more collaborative, playful, hands-on, and responsive – while maintaining structure, professionalism, and clear outcomes.

Parents often say their child looks forward to sessions in ways they haven’t looked forward to learning in years. That’s what I’m aiming for – rebuilding positive associations with learning, confidence in their own abilities, and genuine engagement.

to sessions in ways they haven’t looked forward to learning in years. That’s what I’m aiming for – rebuilding positive associations with learning, confidence in their own abilities, and genuine engagement.

ABOUT ME, MY EXPERTISE & SEND EXPERIENCE

With an infectious curiosity and genuine passion for learning, I bring a warm, empathetic approach to developing relationships with young people who’ve struggled in traditional education. I’ve spent 20+ years working with neurodivergent and twice-exceptional learners – the children and young people who don’t fit the standard mould – and I absolutely love what I do.

Initially, it was a steep learning curve, but through dedicated training, self-directed learning, and hands-on experience, I adapted my teaching to truly meet the unique needs of autistic learners. I’ve worked across specialist SEN schools, PRUs, EOTAS provision, and intensive one-to-one interventions with learners experiencing school refusal, trauma, and complex presentations including PDA, ADHD, and twice-exceptional profiles.

What makes my approach different is that I draw on a genuinely diverse background. I hold QTS and degrees in mechanical engineering and computing, but I’ve also spent 20+ years practicing tai chi (teaching for 6 years), integrating applied improvisation and had  a career across creative industries, the arts, comedy, and community work with refugees. Each discipline genuinely serves my teaching. Engineering gives me hands-on STEAM credibility. Improvisation makes me responsive and adaptive. Tai chi informs my embodied regulation approaches. The creative arts provide routes into learning when academic entry points fail.

I focus on personalized learning, tailoring everything to meet both academic and personal needs. Building trust is absolutely key – I connect with students through their interests and design engaging activities like computing, game design, robotics, stop-motion animation, coding, and even coaching stand-up comedy when that’s their thing. My approach is about ongoing relationship-building, creating an environment of gentle engagement, continuous feedback, and genuine curiosity about who each young person actually is.

I take safeguarding and professional boundaries seriously I believe strongly in inclusion and creating diverse learning experiences without borders – education that genuinely fits the child, not the system.

HOW I TEACH STUDENTS WITH AUTISM, ADHD, PDA & TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL PROFILES

My approach centres on relationship first, curriculum second. With neurodivergent learners, trust takes time, consistency, and genuine curiosity about who the young person actually is.

I begin by following each learner’s interests. If they’re obsessed with Minecraft, we use Minecraft. If they love drawing, we start there. Academic content gets woven through what already engages them.

For autistic learners, I use clear structures, visual support when helpful, and regulation-focused approaches including Fantastic Autistic framework tools. I’m comfortable with PDA presentations and use low-demand, collaborative language rather than directive instructions. For ADHD, I integrate movement throughout sessions as part of learning, not as breaks. For twice-exceptional learners, I provide intellectual challenge through hands-on problem-solving without requiring things they struggle with. I use humour, play, and improvisation as core teaching tools.

HOW I TEACH MATHS

I’ve taught maths for 20+ years across all levels from basic numeracy to GCSE+. My engineering background gives me genuine fluency with mathematical thinking and real-world application.

I use mastery approaches to build understanding, emphasizing conceptual understanding over rote learning. For learners who struggle with abstract maths, I use manipulatives, visual models, and hands-on activities – LEGO to explore fractions, building projects for geometry. I integrate gamification and for tech-interested students, incorporate coding, CAD modelling, and 3D printing.

For neurodivergent learners who find maths stressful, I present it as exploration rather than performance. Mistakes become information, not failures.

HOW I TEACH ENGLISH

I draw on improvisation and performance experience to make English engaging through drama, storytelling, role-play, and spoken word activities.

For creative writing, I start with each learner’s interests. Science fiction fans write space stories. Gaming fans develop character backstories. Once engagement is there, we develop craft through work they care about.

For neurodivergent learners who find writing demanding, I offer alternatives – voice recording, typing, collaborative writing, graphic novels, or software that reduces executive function load.

HOW I HELP STUDENTS COMMUNICATE

Communication is about connection, not compliance. I create space for learners to communicate in ways that work for them – verbal, written, visual, through making, or collaborative activity.

Some of my most meaningful conversations happen while making things together – shared activity reduces social pressure. I teach communication skills through real practice, not worksheets, working on self-advocacy – how to express needs, ask for help, set boundaries.

HOW I HELP STUDENTS ENGAGE WITH LEARNING

Engagement starts with relationship. If a learner trusts me and feels genuinely seen, they’ll risk learning.

I build engagement through genuine curiosity. What lights them up? What makes them laugh? I start there, every time. I use hands-on, experiential approaches – making, building, experimenting. I integrate technology strategically – coding, robotics, digital design, animation.

For school refusers and learners recovering from trauma, I go slow. We prioritize rebuilding confidence over covering curriculum. Academic progress follows once emotional safety is established.

HOW I MAKE LESSONS FUN

I bring performance background into every session. Different voices, characters, improvised scenarios bring concepts to life. I’ve taught maths using a USSR-era persona encouraging “great success in mathematics” – students love it.

I use music, video, storytelling, visual humour. I draw cartoons, create silly analogies, deliberately introduce absurdity when it helps learning stick. I give learners creative control – they choose project topics, design challenges, direct how we explore concepts.

Fun doesn’t mean chaotic. Structure and clear boundaries enable more playfulness. When learners feel safe, they can be silly, experiment, and take risks.

HOW I HELP STUDENTS WITH FOCUS, ATTENTION & EMOTIONAL REGULATION

I create structured but flexible environments with clear routines and visual support. I break tasks into manageable chunks with frequent check-ins. Instructions are concise, delivered one step at a time.

I integrate movement and sensory support throughout sessions. I’ve taught tai chi for 6 years (practiced 20+) – physical engagement is core to my practice. For emotional regulation, I teach breathing techniques, body awareness practices, and mindfulness approaches drawn from tai chi and qigong. I model calm presence and respond to dysregulation with co-regulation rather than demands.

I use positive reinforcement consistently, celebrating progress and effort, not just outcomes.

WHY FAMILIES CHOOSE TO WORK WITH ME

I’m told by families that I bring a combination they rarely find – deep expertise in neurodivergent learning alongside hands-on STEAM capability, embodied regulation practice, and genuinely responsive, child-led approaches.

I work with the learners others find most difficult. Not because I have magic solutions, but because I have patience, genuine curiosity, diverse skills to draw from, and commitment to relationship-building over quick fixes.

I create learning experiences that feel different from school – more collaborative, playful, hands-on, and responsive – while maintaining structure, professionalism, and clear outcomes.

Parents often say their child looks forward to sessions in ways they haven’t looked forward to learning in years. That’s what I’m aiming for – rebuilding positive associations with learning, confidence in their own abilities, and genuine engagement.

to sessions in ways they haven’t looked forward to learning in years. That’s what I’m aiming for – rebuilding positive associations with learning, confidence in their own abilities, and genuine engagement.