I believe every child’s educational needs are special
When parents find me, usually by word of mouth, they are frustrated and despondent. Years of ineffective support, coupled with decreasing motivation and self esteem, have begun to affect the whole family unit. I am here to help you turn this around.
Your love and care is so important when your child is navigating school and SEN. You should not be carrying the mantle of learning support, homework help, school activist, medication specialist and then a shoulder to cry on. It is just too much.
I call myself a consultant practitioner. I am interested in creative solutions for parents and young people working with educational differences. While I respect labels, I can go deeper than that, looking at the scholastic issues created by the underlying cognitive differences and in particular, their interplay. I go beneath diagnosis to identify and create working solutions to support young people and their families: I don’t just meet you and hand you a report. All children’s educational needs are special. Cognition is a spectrum, and children may fit a diagnostic criteria - or not. This shouldn’t determine the need for highly individualised support.
As a consultant, I can help you to navigate the school years. I can help you to write knowledgeable emails which tend to get schools moving. I can help you to understand the long term trajectory for your child, based on their unique profile, and support you on that journey. I can give you the real tea about exams, qualifications, schools and support. Best of all, I can help you make the best choices for your child.
After 20+ years, I still love to teach. I have a soft spot for teens. Best, I understand how to deliver complex information simply, using language they can understand. My teaching is imaginative, my delivery is lively and I have a knack for seeing latent potential and scaffolding teaching to achieve this potential. My kids know that I am ambitious for them, and the respect I earn by seeing past their ‘problem’ can translate into unimaginable success.
I hold a BA (Hons) in Applied Linguistics and Education and an MA in Special and Inclusive Education. I am an assessor and specialist teacher and hold QTS. I have lectured for UCL/IOE and won DfE grants to upskill parents. I have worked with both state and independent schools, and have been both a school SENCO and an primary school intervention specialist for a large academy chain. I hold a diploma in humanistic counselling. As of 2024, I am studying for a PhD as part of the UCL Unit for Stigma Research, examining children’s experience of educational stigma in primary school.
Testimonials
I think some people are put on this earth to light the way for others. Sam, 11
Read more testimonials below from students, parents, schools and professionals I have worked with.