Testimonials
Shared reflections from families, schools & colleagues.
Head of Virtual School
Karen supported the launch day of our new attachment-aware school award programme with lead practitioners from 11 schools, spanning Early Years to KS5. The group included Assistant Heads, Deputy Heads, SENDCos, Heads of Year, class teachers, intervention managers, LSAs, HLTAs, pastoral leads and Educational Psychologists.
Karen delivered a full day of inspirational attachment and trauma training and connected with each participant, creating a safe space where people felt able to share their own experiences, hopes and fears. She brought the learning to life through thoughtful, real-world examples drawn from her own practice.
Tailoring training for an audience with such a varied understanding of attachment and trauma was no easy task, yet Karen did this effortlessly. Everyone left the day with a refreshed understanding, alongside practical ideas and genuine excitement about applying the learning in their own settings.
Every school would benefit from hearing Karen speak.
Former Team Member
I had the privilege of working with Karen over the course of a year while she led a team supporting a small group of Year 11 pupils working towards their GCSEs. At the beginning of this journey, the pupils lacked confidence, had poor attendance and showed little motivation to gain qualifications.
Karen spent time getting to know each pupil and prioritised their emotional wellbeing, enabling them to access learning more successfully.
The skills I learned while working alongside Karen have been invaluable, and I continue to use these approaches with my current students. I always felt supported in my work with pupils, and Karen was consistently available to offer guidance, reassurance and encouragement. As a result, I feel far more confident supporting pupils’ emotional development alongside their academic progress.
Former Colleague
I was fortunate to work with Karen as a colleague for several years. She is a true professional, always striving to provide the best possible educational experience for pupils with challenging behaviours.
Karen is quick to recognise what is needed in a situation and goes out of her way to help. She has a particular strength in identifying when one-to-one support will be most effective, and in implementing this in ways that make a meaningful difference to pupils’ understanding and engagement.
Parent of Former Pupil
What can I say that can genuinely put our experience into words?
From the moment we were told our son would be moving to DNAC, the staff made us feel at ease. Despite our initial anxieties, they had our backs and helped our child feel safe and welcome.
In just five months, it wasn’t only our child who progressed in leaps and bounds — our whole family was nurtured and supported through one of the most challenging times we have faced. The team are adaptable, resilient, confident and consistently professional, giving our son the time and space he needed to “gain his wings” and prepare for his next journey.
We cannot thank the DNAC team enough. While our son still faces challenges at times, the guidance he received has made a monumental difference to our lives. We are sad he cannot stay longer, but this is not goodbye — we will always feel part of a very special family.
Former LA Colleague
I worked with Karen for several years while she ran an SEMH provision for children with EHCPs and those undergoing statutory assessment. What always stood out was her dedication and passion for the children in her care. Karen consistently went above and beyond to understand their needs, nurture their strengths and champion their successes.
She never gave up on a child and worked closely with the Local Authority to ensure needs were accurately captured and the right school placements identified. Karen ensured that meetings with families were positive and firmly child-centred, which was particularly important for parents who had previously experienced significant challenges within the education system.
Whenever I visited Karen’s provision, it was clear how much her staff respected her leadership and practice, and how much the children had flourished during their time there. Karen is approachable, honest and deeply passionate, and I would always seek her guidance when supporting vulnerable children.
Parent of Tutee (Maths)
Karen tutored our Year 4 daughter from September to July. At the start, our daughter felt insecure and negative about maths and was reluctant to attempt homework.
Karen struck the perfect balance between encouragement and confidence-building, helping our daughter rediscover her natural ability. She is now happy and confident in maths, which is reflected in both her attitude to homework and her school test results.
Karen took time to understand how our daughter worked best, and she genuinely looked forward to each session. The progress she made was remarkable.
Parent of Tutee
Karen supported our son with English in the lead-up to the SATs. Although he was initially reluctant to work with a tutor, he quickly built a strong rapport with Karen, who was able to judge his character and learning style effectively.
Together, they identified areas for development and worked through them using engaging, well-prepared resources. Karen was always punctual, kept us informed of progress and approached each session thoughtfully.
Our son achieved outstanding results in both English papers, which we strongly believe was directly linked to Karen’s expert guidance.
Pupil Voice
“Dear Mrs May,
I made this slide for you because I think you are the best teacher in the world!
Sometimes you can be a bit crazy… but you always help us out. You’re always funny and joyful, and you tell us to never give up.
You are always there when I need help
You always put a smile on someone’s face
You are always there when I need someone to talk to
You are always bright every day
Aaron”