I qualified as a teacher in 2000 having originally trained as an engineer. After teaching in Nottingham, where I went to university, I moved to Hove on the south coast. I then taught in a number of schools in the Crawley area before moving to Estcots in the autumn of 2015.

Although I have only been at the school for a short time I have found it to be a fantastic place to teach with sociable children who are excited about their learning and proud of the work they do.

I have worked at Estcots for four years as a Learning Mentor and I honestly see myself as having the best job in the school!

My role is so varied that it seems to expand daily,  but the emotional and social progress of  Estcots pupils is my priority. Before this I worked in a local Secondary School and also as a HLTA at a Primary School.

I have been very privileged to work with children for the past 25 years and gained experience in mainstream settings and in Special Education as an HLTA.

I recently challenged myself by going back to University to qualify as a Plat Therapist.This has been a huge achievement for me and I have enjoyed every minute of it.

I currently provide group and individual therapeutic interventions that provide benefits to children’s well-being.

Play therapy fosters imagination and creativity and encourages confidence and concentration. It aims to enable children to acknowledge their feelings in a constructive way and give them strategies for coping with the difficulties they may face.

I feel very privileged to work with such amazing children and thank them for letting me be part of their journey through their early life.

I am lucky enough to be in a role that I relish as SENCO at Estcots. It is a role that allows me to be able to work with children across the whole school and be involved with making sure the provision that they receive is tailored to their individual needs. Additionally, to this working with families to make sure children with SEND get holistic support, both in school and at home, is central to my approach as SENCO.  My role also allows me to support my colleagues here at Estcots to provide bespoke support for children with SEND in their class by accessing a range of in school resources and interventions and working closely with West Sussex to access the appropriate outside agency for each child.

I work alongside an amazing inclusion team including our learning mentor and play therapist who are able to offer a therapeutic approach to the provision our children with SEND receive.