A bit about me…

I have been described, on more than one occasion, as being focused and driven in a quietly determined manner; someone who likes to move forward with curiosity about what is possible and thrives on creating positive change.

Having initially trained as a teacher, I quickly moved into educational leadership, taking on roles related to inclusion and strategic support (including as a SENCO and assistant headteacher), later moving into trust/ local authority wide leadership development, specifically focused on inclusion. My passion for learning and research led me to working as a University lecturer and nationally recognised researcher; focused on inclusion, neurodiversity, professional development and leadership. 1:1 coaching and consultancy is a natural, practical extension of this work. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and I continue to maintain my lecturing and research work alongside coaching and consultancy. Through all aspects of my work I firmly believe in our individual ability to change things for the better through quality thinking and planning.

It is important to me that My work is evidence based

This means I am continually exploring what works and what doesn’t; what will help us move towards our goals? I have led a series of national research projects exploring the role of inclusive leaders, including SENCOs, and the implementation of national policy and law in schools. This research has been cited by the Government to support national inclusive SEND policy change. My most recent research explored national perspectives of inclusive continuing professional development and I am currently supporting Ecorys with a research project related to the education pandemic recovery package. 

Being appropriately qualified is a priority for me. I am a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and I have completed ICF Accredited Coach training and I am an Associate Certified Coach (ACC). I also have completed a number of postgraduate degrees in the fields of leadership, inclusion/ SEND, neurodiversity, and professional practice, alongside extensive professional training in neurodiversity. I have trained in transactional analysis, and neurodiversity focused coaching, which brings a further dimension to my work. My PhD focused on the roles leaders adopted during the implementation of organisational inclusive change in relation to neurodiversity. Please visit Linkedin for further details regarding my qualifications and professional experience.

I bring a unique perspective to my work; through my professional experience I know what works in practice, and I back this up with knowing what works in theory, through my qualifications. My personal experience allows me to deeply understand and empathise with my clients. I bring all three aspects to every session.

Connecting is important to me

I love talking about all things related to neurodiversity, professional development and leadership. I regularly deliver keynotes to organisations and speak at conferences, both nationally and internationally. I write on issues related to inclusion, specifically neurodiversity/ SEND, leadership and facilitating change. More recently I stepped into the airwaves, with Times Radio. In addition to publishing peer-reviewed academic articles and commissioned reports, my book, ‘How to be a Brilliant SENCO’ was published in 2020 by Routledge. I contributed a chapter to the book ‘Leading on Inclusion’ in 2021 and a further chapter in the book ‘Psychology and Educational Inclusion’ in 2023. A book focused on how a coaching approach can lead to positive conversations within education is in the pipeline. You can hear me talk about my thoughts on organisational inclusion for neurodiversity in this recent interview. I also share my thoughts about work, life and coaching on Linkedin, instagram and x.

I live in the beautiful city of Bath with my husband, two teenagers and three cats. Like many people, I continue to strive for a better work-life balance, which I try to achieve through going to the gym, listening to podcasts, watching boxsets and persistently campaigning to add to number of cats in the house. All these elements have mixed levels of success! If you love a podcast… check out the ADHD Adults, and You’re Wrong About ADHD - some great insights.