Qualifications and experience

Qualifications

• Supporting Learners with Special Educational NeedsUniversity of Nottingham, 2012
• Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) statusSheffield Hallam University, 2008. Assessed against the national HLTA professional standards, which cover planning and delivering learning, assessing progress, and working with pupils who have additional needs.
• Level 3 NVQ in Children’s Care, Learning and DevelopmentCACHE, 2007
• Certificate in In Service Education: facilitating the independence of children with visual impairment and complex needsUniversity of Worcester, 2006
• Managing the Behaviour of Children, 0 to 8 yearsNational Open College Network, 2005
• Child Development (Psychology), infancy to adulthoodNational Open College Network, 2004
• GCSEs including English and Mathematics1996

Experience

I have worked in schools since 2003, almost all of it with children who need something different from the standard classroom offer. I have taught whole classes and small groups, worked one to one with children on individual education plans, run nurture groups, delivered targeted phonics, planned and led Forest School sessions, and used Makaton and PECS with children who do not communicate with words. Along the way I have worked alongside speech and language, behaviour support and other outside services, and written and contributed to the annual review reports that sit behind many children’s support.

• Higher Level Teaching Assistant, SEND · primary school, Gloucestershire2022 to present. Day to day support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, individually and in small groups.
• Higher Level Teaching Assistant · infant school, Staffordshire2010 to 2022. Taught whole classes and small groups across all year groups; worked one to one with children on individual education plans, contributing to planning, assessment and target reviews; ran targeted phonics assessment and teaching in Year 1; led nurture sessions; supported children with challenging behaviour; helped plan and deliver the Forest School programme, including sessions for parents and the community.
• SEN Teaching Assistant · secondary school, Staffordshire2009 to 2010. Supported a Year 7 pupil with complex needs through the move to secondary school, including medical support, adapting resources and liaising with support services and parents.
• SEN Teaching Assistant · Church of England primary school, Derbyshire2003 to 2010. Supported children with physical, emotional and behavioural needs; implemented programmes advised by outside services; compiled annual review reports; ran small group learning; introduced the Positive Play Programme with the county behaviour support service.

My experience includes children with speech, language and communication needs, visual impairment, and profound and multiple learning difficulties, and I have completed autism awareness training.

Training and professional development

• Safeguarding and child protectionRenewed every year through my school role, in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.
• Autism awarenessContinuing professional development
• Speech and language support for 5 to 11 year oldsContinuing professional development
• Makaton and PECSUsed in practice with non verbal children and adults
• Positive Play ProgrammeDelivered in partnership with Derbyshire Behaviour Support Service

Checks

• Enhanced DBS check with children’s barred list checkKept current. I am happy to show you the certificate when we meet.