My Journey
The lotus flower holds great symbolic weight in many cultures, due to its unique life cycle: it grows from the murkiest of waters to bloom into one of the most beautiful and resilient of flowers.
Like the lotus, I believe that all children, including those that have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences and have developed relational trauma, have the ability to blossom and thrive when they are supported, nurtured and understood by those around them.
My passion for working with children with complex needs started at the very beginning of my teaching journey. Peterborough Primary, in Hammersmith and Fulham, was a special place to work. Being just off the Wandsworth Bridge Road resulted in a rich and varied sociodemographic, which, combined with amazing pupils and staff, gave me a solid foundation as a PCGE student, which I built upon at the school for a further four years. During this time, I was lucky to be trusted with the training of new teachers; my first taste of coaching and mentoring. I was also chosen to be the lead teacher on the then new Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning initiative. The next path in my educational journey had been clearly signposted!
Fast forward to 2006, and I joined Hammersmith and Fulham's Behaviour Support Service, initially a specialist teacher, working with primary schools across the borough to build their capacity to support children with, what was then defined, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, and later as the Teacher in Charge of the Primary Pupil Referral Unit. To say my first few weeks were a learning curve is an understatement, and I found myself more and more curious about what was behind the behaviours. I grew hungry to learn more and more, and my fascination with neurodevelopment and its role
In 2012, an opportunity arose to set up a completely new, additionally resourced provision within a mainstream environment, and I jumped at the chance. The provision, underpinned by Majorie Boxall's 'Six Principles of Nurture', provided a safe and secure learning environment for primary pupils across the borough, who were undergoing the statutory assessment process and experiencing difficulties in the mainstream environment. Based within the outstanding Hillcross Primary, in the London Borough of Merton, The Orchard was created, nurtured and developed into a wonderful place to be.
In 2016, it was agreed that The Orchard would move under the leadership of Melbury College, Merton's SEMH provision, so we picked up and moved into our own little school: The David Nicholas Assessment Centre, or DNAC, which was far easier and quicker to say!
Throughout my journey, I have had the privilege to work with, learn from and develop some amazing people, adults and children alike. I have a passion for sharing