I first started thinking about assessment accessibility through conversations with students who were trying to make sense of their own results. Again and again, I was working with children and young people whose understanding was far stronger than their written work suggested. They could explain an idea in discussion, notice the important point in a … Continue reading What Is an Assessment Really Measuring?
learning
Inclusion into What? SEND, SATs and the Structure of the Education System
In recent years, the language of inclusion has become central to education policy and practice. The emphasis is often placed on ensuring that more children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), are able to access mainstream schooling. This shift reflects an important principle: that all children should have access to education alongside … Continue reading Inclusion into What? SEND, SATs and the Structure of the Education System
School Anxiety and Autistic Children: Rethinking Where the Problem Lies
A new systematic review suggests that school anxiety in autistic children is shaped not only by individual experience but by school environments, expectations, and a lack of belonging. A newly published systematic review on school anxiety in autistic children and young people is one of those papers whose argument is more important than its title … Continue reading School Anxiety and Autistic Children: Rethinking Where the Problem Lies
A New Resource: Understanding the Phonics Policy in England
Over the past decade, the phonics policy in England has reshaped how reading is taught in primary schools. Systematic synthetic phonics is now the central approach used in early literacy instruction, and the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check has become a familiar feature of the education landscape. At the same time, discussion about phonics policy … Continue reading A New Resource: Understanding the Phonics Policy in England
Now Listed in the National Autistic Society Autism Services Directory
I’m very pleased to share that I am now listed in the National Autistic Society Autism Services Directory as a specialist literacy tutor for autistic and neurodivergent learners. You can view my full profile in the National Autistic Society Autism Services Directory. The National Autistic Society directory is a trusted national resource used by families, … Continue reading Now Listed in the National Autistic Society Autism Services Directory
Supporting Autistic Girls in the Classroom – Published in Teaching Times
I’m pleased to share that my latest article, Supporting Autistic Girls: Practical Strategies for Inclusive Teaching, has been published in Teaching Times. The article explores a pattern that many teachers recognise but don’t always name: the quiet, compliant girl who appears to cope, yet may be working harder than anyone else in the room simply … Continue reading Supporting Autistic Girls in the Classroom – Published in Teaching Times
Teaching GCSE Descriptive Writing for Autistic and Neurodivergent Students: Why Structure Matters
Descriptive writing at GCSE English Language is often framed as a creative task. Students are encouraged to “paint a picture with words”, “engage the reader”, and “use imaginative language”. Yet for many learners, the difficulty is not a lack of imagination – it is knowing how to organise their ideas, where to begin, and how … Continue reading Teaching GCSE Descriptive Writing for Autistic and Neurodivergent Students: Why Structure Matters
When Praise Turns: Heremod and Modthryth in Beowulf
One of the most difficult ideas for students of English to grasp is that meaning is not located solely in events, but in how those events are described, framed, and judged. At GCSE level, this sits at the heart of language analysis: writers shape reader response not just through what happens, but through voice, viewpoint, … Continue reading When Praise Turns: Heremod and Modthryth in Beowulf
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