My small, yet ambitious team, and I are honoured to be considered for this award alongside so many other services and individuals who all have inclusion at the heart of their approaches and provision.
To know me personally, you will need to know my family are my world. I am a daughter, wife and a Mom of three. This means on some days I am a passionate rugby Mom and on others I become an adoring dance Mom! When knowing me professionally, you have to understand that the children, young people, settings and services I support and train become my extended family- treating all with the same care and dedication. Supporting all to reach their potential and experience an inclusive education is my goal.
My career began when I gained a degree in Applied Psychology from Durham University- here I had a decision to make- become an Education Psychologist or Teach? Whilst making this decision I worked as a Teaching Assistant with children with complex needs within a mainstream primary setting. I immediately fell in love with the provision and level of inclusion that can be achieved within education, witnessing the power of the ‘right support at the right time’, so opted for the Teaching pathway.
During this time, I was lucky enough to work with and alongside leaders and colleagues who modelled personalised provision to meet diverse and unique pupil needs. I had true holistic communication for the pupils and their families demonstrated to me by practitioners who already understood inclusion means all stakeholders feeling safe, accepted and valued.
Following an initial stint in mainstream education, I became a Teacher in a Specialist Resource Provision (SRP) for pupils with Autism and Speech Language and Communication needs. During this time, my pupils taught me as much as I taught them about acceptance, celebration of difference and inclusion. Using this experience and expertise, alongside my fellow SRP team, I started providing outreach for other settings within Walsall for SEND pupils.
As wider services and capacity became challenging within the borough, I had the opportunity to join a team that could support and champion inclusion for all. This service is now 10 years old and the team I have become Head of Service for. North Star Inclusion Advisory Team is a small but mighty team of just 7 professionals, who, working collaboratively with health, social care and other educational professionals aim to support as many children and young people as possible across all aspects of Special Educational Needs.
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