About Me
I have always cared deeply about education and social justice. I strongly believe that every child is capable of learning and thriving with the right support.
In my time as a teacher and SENCo, I witnessed multiple complex barriers to children learning and receiving that support, but I also researched, tested, and identified a wide range of effective strategies to overcome those barriers. Now, I aim to share my knowledge and experiences to help a wider range of children and adults achieve their potential.
I am stubborn and attentive in equal measure, so am well-suited to fighting to ensure that children attain the support they deserve and are legally entitled to. Equally, we've all suffered the occasional boring training day, and I work hard to bring energy and fun to support your time learning with me.
My Lived Experience
I've always thrown myself into research each time I've been faced with a child whose needs I don't fully understand. Several years ago, I started researching the more nuanced side of ADHD to support a particular child, and recognised so much of myself in that research. I eventually sought a diagnosis and have learned so much about myself since, including the extent to which my school experiences were shaped by my early teachers' lacking understanding, and me learning how to mask later in my education. Coming from a neurosparkly family, I approach all my work through the lens of lived experience and the need to take a compassionate approach.
Professional Experience
I started my career as a teaching assistant, then qualified as a HLTA before eventually attaining my QTS and SENCo qualification. Having worked as a TA before being a teacher, I understand what effective use of TAs looks like. I also understand how TAs can often be the ones who get left behind or overlooked, despite much of SEND provision resting on them. I bring my professional experiences of both teaching and support roles to the consultancy and training I provide. I have taught in a middle school and primary school with a nursery, so have formally taught and supported learners aged 2-13. This means I have a strong understanding of different school and leadership structures, as well as where children have come from and where they're heading next. Outside of school, I taught peripatetic music lessons for several years. This showed me the power of 1:1, learner-centred teaching, which I now apply to my role as a specialist dyslexia teacher. In recent years, I taught early years music classes for children from birth to 4. This experience affected me far more than I expected, as it involved working directly with new parents and supporting them through the anxiety of parenting. Now, I teach others about teaching and learning through my role as an associate lecturer at The Open University. This role means that I have taught people from birth to 76! My lecturer role helps me stay up-to-date with research evidence, allows me to communicate with educators across the world and learn from their approaches and experiences, and forces me to constantly reflect on my practice and assumptions. More than anything, I've learned that teaching is teaching, no matter the age of your students, and with a few important principles and measures, we can make learning accessible for all.
Qualifications
MEd Inclusive Education PGDip Mental Health in Education PGCert Level 7 Specialist Teaching for Literacy-Related Difficulties PGCert NASENCo QTS BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies ADG AFHEA
My Lived Experience
ADHDers love spending all day talking about the things they care most about and, for me, that's inclusive education! You'll find my perspective and musings in various places, including:
‘Subject Knowledge and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities’ in: Aggleton, J. (2026) Developing Subject Knowledge Across the Primary Curriculum, Sage.
