My Work In Education
I am a specialist teacher and a lead practitioner, working with children with complex needs.
I believe in a growth-minded approach in everything I do for my pupils and their families. I aim to remove the existing barriers, including the ones that may have been created through various assumed beliefs.
I believe that each child is unique and follows their own unique developmental pathway, especially if they are neurodivergent.
No-one knows their true potential so no-one should assume their limitations.
What is important is to let them follow the pathway that is best suited to their needs and monitor progress, adjusting accordingly and not putting a ceiling on their abilities. It is important to let them develop organically with the correct support and teaching methods, evolving with them and planning for the next steps accordingly.
In the past I successfully led various educational settings catering for pupils with SEND.
Between 2016 and 2018, I managed an additionally resourced provision for pupils with developmental language disorders as well as other additional needs. At the same time I was SENCo and Inclusion Manager, supporting children with SEND both in the ARP and mainstream settings. My aim was to provide targeted and specialist support where it was needed.
From 2019 to 2024 I was Head of KS3 and Professional Development Lead in a special school for pupils with severe and complex needs.
I successfully developed and implemented pre-formal and semi-formal pathways for pupils with complex needs across different settings, focusing on their schematic thinking, prior knowledge and cognitive abilities.
In the past I designed and implemented a tailored approach to teaching reading to pupils with complex needs who were mostly non-verbal.
I focused on teaching phonics, doing precision teaching and developing comprehension skills. This approach contributed to accelerated progress in reading and resulted in improved articulation for some pupils who were non-verbal at the start of the programme.
I also mentored and coached professionals working in specialist settings and facilitated professional development sessions and opportunities in various educational settings.
Currently, I am working with families of young people with SEND, educational providers, local authorities and other professionals.
I design, implement and monitor learning pathways for pupils with SEND. I plan bespoke learning sessions and packages for pupils with SEND, based on their starting points, schematic thinking, sensory processing and cognitive abilities.
I absolutely love what I do!