Catherine, whose background is in early years care and education,set up Access Training (Train Your School) Limited in October 1998, to meet the need for professional development opportunities in the early years sector.
Catherine has a degree in Social Administration from Birmingham University and holds the Montessori Nursery Foundation Teaching Diploma. She coordinates the training programmes for midday supervisors, welfare assistants, teaching assistants and teachers.
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Sarah has a BA Honours Degree in Broadcast Journalism and has worked for commercial radio news rooms in Yorkshire, East Midlands and the East of England.
Sarah joined Access Training (Train Your School) Ltd in January 2012, and is drawing on her media experience, in a marketing and communications role for the company.
She’ll also be setting up and co-ordinating new training events around the country.
Patricia Buxton has a Joint Honours Degree in Psychology and Biology, a Post Graduate Certificate in Primary Teaching and a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology. She taught for seven years across the primary age range including children with Special Educational Needs.
She worked for ten years as an Educational Psychologist for Manchester City Council and Cheshire County Council in schools situated in inner cities and rural locations. She ran courses for teachers on behaviour management and emotional literacy. She also assessed children with a range of special educational needs.
At the same time she also worked as a Child Psychologist for Social Services in Manchester and Cheshire and ran courses for parents on managing adolescent behaviour and for foster carers on managing children's behaviour. She advised Social workers, parents and foster carers about understanding children's behaviour in relation to attachment difficulties. She was a member of the Fostering and Adoption Panel in Cheshire.
Since 2000 she has been self employed working as a Child Psychologist Independent Expert Witness to the Courts in Child Care Proceedings.
Pat Chick has a degree in Psychology and Sociology and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (Nursery/Infant). Her teaching career extended from 1972 until 1994. She then became Coordinator of the Lancashire Parent Partnership Service (1994 - 2004).
Most of her teaching career was with young children with Special Educational Needs, with her last seven years being Head of Learning Support (SENCO) in a mainstream High School. She has vast experience of seeing the “whole child” and has worked closely with school support staff in all settings.
During her 10 years at Lancashire Parent Partnership, she regularly delivered training courses for parents, volunteer Independent Parent Supporters and professionals. She also acted as a conciliator between parents, schools and Local Authorities and coordinated a Helpline Service
Pat became an independent trainer and consultant in April 2004. She is involved in various projects which keep her up to date with the
She has delivered national workshops funded by the government and served on a consultation group for the implementation of the Lamb Inquiry Report on Special Educational Needs.
Pat regularly delivers seminars at the TES Early Years and Special Needs Education Shows. In 2006, she worked as
Pat also fits in work as a Tour Director with an Educational Tour Company and leads school tours in
Her delivery style with school support staff is warm, friendly and interactive. Participants always give very positive feedback of their session.
Vicki Dawson holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Special and Inclusive Education, a Diploma in General Counselling Skills, a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and degree in Social and Literary Studies. Vicki is also a qualified sleep counsellor. During her teaching career she taught in both Primary and Special Schools. Vicki has also worked for Rotherham Local Authority as specialist teacher assessing children with special educational needs.
In 2005 Vicki took up a post as a Project Manager for Scope, the disability charity and produced a national training package. Vicki has extensive experience of training and delivers training across the UK. She is now self-employed and works as a freelance trainer and writer. She writes training materials for Scope, the disability charity and trains their trainers. Vicki is currently writing her 7th book for publication, many of her books are around the subject of special educational needs.
Johanna is a part-time Senco at a Dorset primary school managing ten support staff (TAs). As well as being responsible for the assessment and programmes for children with Special Educational Needs within the school she also manages resources and personnel. Johanna undertakes regular training of Teaching Assistants in Literacy Difficulties, Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD. Johanna has been involved in helping to research provision for SEN amongst Dorset primary and secondary schools and also works with the County Education Department to ensure equal and high standards of resources and expertise from outside agencies. She has also been involved in setting up a training programme for TAs for NVQ L2 and L3.
Professional Qualifications
Masters in Education (Open) SEN and Inclusion (2005)
Research: Reading Difficulties in Primary Children
Associate Member of the British Dyslexia Association (2005)
Postgraduate Certificate in Literacy Difficulties (2004)
Postgraduate Certificate in Psychology (Hong Kong University) 1993
Thesis: Theory of Mind in young children
PGCE (Open) 1995
Barrister at Law (Gray’s Inn) 1975
Jenifer trained as an actor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and enjoyed ten years of professional work including long contracts with theatre in education companies. After devising and developing a project for an anti-bullying workshop, she discovered a love of education and retrained to become a primary school teacher at the University of East London.
Jenifer worked as an early years teacher in a busy inner-city primary school working throughout the primary age range but predominantly in Nursery and Reception where she also held the post of science coordinator. Through working in this exciting and challenging environment she developed sensitivity to the needs and feelings of young children combined with the ability to establish a positive relationship with parents and professionals, alongside a sound understanding of the stages of childhood development and how to present information in an enthusiastic and imaginative manner which could be appreciated by all in this multilingual school.
Jenifer moved to Cornwall in 2006 and after attending different parent and child settings subsequently became increasingly interested in alternative forms of education. After taking various courses in the methods of Rudolph Steiner she set up a Steiner inspired parent and child group. She teaches a forest school once a month for home schooled children of all ages, and regularly teaches outdoor learning at a local primary school. Jenifer has recently been asked to guest lecture on alternative education at Cornwall College.
Jenifer has real passion and commitment for teaching and learning through play.
Rik has over 25 years of experience in education, as a teacher, deputy head-teacher, governor and trainer. He has extensive experience of a wide range of special educational needs (SEN) and behaviour management in day and residential schools and “out of school” provision.
Rik is a qualified teacher with a Master’s degrees in education management, NPQH, diplomas and other qualifications in Careers, ICT, Mathematics and Special Needs He is now self-employed, training teachers, governors and support staff in SEN, ICT, governance, and a range of other school issues, including the courses offered by Access Training (Train Your School) Ltd.
Aline Macready has a Dutch Paediatric Nursing Diploma, Advanced Diploma in Childcare and Education and a Degree in Professional Studies in Education. She is a qualified Mediator. Aline is currently studying for a MSc by Research. (‘The advice giving strategies used by Allied Health Professionals in their work with parents of children with CP’)
Most of her career she has been involved with children, young people and their families, she has been a paediatric nurse, managed a crèche, been registered as a group childminder, lecturer in Health and Social Care, Program Manager for the CCE and NNEB courses, NVQ Assessor for Childcare and Education, Play work and Care. During the last 15 years she has worked as a Staff Development Officer for Social Services, Development Officer for an Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.
Aline has developed training packages and delivered workshops as well as more formal training and organised a number of conferences for parents, volunteers and a variety of professionals.
Her working experience has been extremely varied, but over the last 9 years she was the Coordinator of the Wirral SEN Parent Partnership (2000-2009). During this time she has carried many strategic roles on the one hand, and has been heavily involved with facilitating the Child Concern Model/Team Around the Child process and training. She helped to establish a Regional SEN Mediation Service and has carried out many mediations.
Aline has continued to be practically involved with children on a voluntary basis, in an out of school club, being a Basketball coach and carrying out youth work within a church environment.
Margot Pallett is a freelance Trainer and Consultant with a background in Social Work. She qualified in 1982 and specialised in working with children and their families.
She has been involved in the care and protection of children for over 25 years and worked as the Training and Development Officer for the Children and Families Service at Harrow Council for 15 years.
Margot has also been a Consultant & Training Associate for the NSPCC for many years and works with staff from voluntary, charitable, community, religious and statutory organisations across the UK
Margot designs and delivers training on all aspects of childcare and child protection and works with staff from a wide variety of childcare jobs including: Early Years staff, nursery workers, family centre staff, midday supervisors, teaching assistants, teachers, SENCOs, social workers, residential social , care workers, foster carers, childminders, health workers & police officers. Margot holds the C.Q.S.W qualification, has a B.A. (Hons) in Drama & Theatre Studies and is completing a Post-Graduate Diploma in HR Management and the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development Qualification at the London Metropolitan University.
Joanne Payne has a Joint Honours degree in Psychology with Sociology and an Honours degree in Occupational Therapy.
Joanne has worked as a rehabilitation counsellor for teenagers with head injuries and managed and advised parents /carers on subsequent changed or challenging behaviours. She has also worked as an Occupational Therapist in an adolescent and adult mental health hospital with clients experiencing eating disorders, psychosis and schizophrenia. She has advised patients, parents and carers on managing day to day challenges for these patients using positive behaviour management techniques, active listening skills and the use of positive language in order to rebuild self image and self esteem.
Joanne has worked as a Senior Occupational Therapist in a Child Development Centre with a range of children from birth to adolescence. She has assessed children with physical and mental health concerns both in their home, hospital or school and at the Centre. She has been responsible for making decisions regarding therapeutic interventions and implementing these for children with autism, aspergers syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, poor fine and gross motor skills, dyspraxia, emotional and behavioural problems. In addition she has advised trainee occupational therapists, teachers, classroom assistants, parents and carers on all aspects of child development.
Joanne is married to a Naval Officer who was posted to Cyprus for four years. Whilst she was there she took up a part time post as a Community Welfare Assistant and worked alongside Service Personnel to ensure the children and families living on the base were getting their needs met. She assisted in the repatriation of families when tours of duty came to an end. In addition whilst living there she became involved with the Youth Club and worked as a play leader. She developed and delivered courses on behaviour management and assisted in the crèche and pre-school, advising young mothers on how to effectively play with and talk positively to their children in order to enhance their children’s development and social skills.
Ken Rock spent the first twenty years of his career as an Environmental Health Officer in general public health and law enforcement. He specialised in food safety, health & safety and health promotion and spent six years as a Principal Officer with one of the largest district councils in England formulating and administering food hygiene and health & safety enforcement policies. He was involved in several multi-discipline health promotion initiatives and an exhibition mounted by his team received a national merit award for home safety.
Since leaving local government 20 years ago, Ken has worked as a health & safety and food hygiene consultant dedicated to providing a high quality, professional service and delivering excellent value. He has a vast range of experience in developing practical risk assessments and safety monitoring schemes and claims to have worked everywhere from a primary school to a nuclear submarine! His training courses contain many practical group exercises and genuine examples of both good and bad practices. As a trainer, Ken has developed courses from 10 minute shop-floor tool-box talks to 2 day Boardroom "refreshers" and is an approved trainer for CIEH, RSPH and HABC qualification courses for Level 1 to Level 4 Awards although he has lectured at Master degree level.
Ken is both a Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner and a Chartered Safety & Health Practitioner; he is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health, a Chartered Member of the Institute of Safety & Health and a Member of the Chartered Management Institute.
John began his career as Front line Paramedic for the London Ambulance Service. During his fifteen year career he was quickly identified as having great motivational and training skills. He spent the last four years supervising new trainees and delivering team building training.
It was during this time period that he also obtained a BSc in Human Biology and a Masters in Biological Sciences.
He won a PHD scholarship to carry out research on Malaria in KingstonUniversity, Surrey and actually lectured part time whilst researching.
He decided that he enjoyed the teaching aspect so much that he took his PGCE in Secondary Education and began a new career in teaching. He taught Science in many challenging schools in London, Liverpool, Manchester and Chester.
From the start of his teaching career he was identified as having fantastic classroom management. It was not long before he was actually running training sessions on behaviour management and teaching strategies. He began coaching Newly qualified teachers (NQT). He started to put together his unique training ideas and concepts focussing on three principles, “Boundaries, Rewards and Sanctions.” He believes that well-structured innovative lessons go hand in hand with classroom management.
He then wrote and delivered innovative training programmes for other areas of professional development which include safeguarding, every child matters and SEN learners.
He now works as a consultant delivering his bespoke, innovative, interactive training courses nationwide.
Nicola is currently implementing the Family Values Scheme in a number of settings throughout
- Quick, Easy and Effective Behaviour Management Ideas for the Classroom (Jessica Kingsley,
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- Tackling Behaviour in the Primary School (Routledge Publishers, 2012
Maureen has over 20 years’ experience of teaching in primary schools, including supporting children, parents, teaching and support staff as SENCo. She also co-ordinated parental involvement and ran courses for parents and volunteers, many of whom progressed on to further qualifications and employment as support staff. She then worked as Teacher Adviser for
For the next five years, Maureen actively promoted the recruitment, professional development and career progression of support staff, as Teacher Adviser for
Maureen has been working freelance since January 2011 and continues to deliver training to support staff using an approachable, informal approach. She also supports the development of study support and parental involvement in schools.
Maureen is a qualified teacher with a Post Graduate Certificate in Special Needs and an M.A. in Education and is now enjoying the challenge of working towards her Doctor of Education which has a focus on listening to the views of teaching assistants on their classroom practice.
She then moved into the independent school sector, becoming Second in Department with responsibility for Geography at Key Stage 5 as well as teaching Religious Studies. In 2002, a further move to Gloucestershire followed, where she taught ICT at a mixed comprehensive school. She was then invited to take part in a Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 transition project organised by the LEA, became a key player in the school’s primary school liaison initiative, sat on the Key Stage 3 Teaching and Learning Committee and, along with the Head of ICT, led the Making Technology Accessible Team. In 2004, she returned to teaching at a girls’ grammar school.
After the birth of her daughter, Emma then also became a Teacher Consultant and Primary Geography Champion with the Geographical Association. She has been responsible for the delivery of CPD sessions to Geography and Humanities Coordinators in primary schools, offered face-to-face support to teachers at Key Stages 2 and 3 as they review the curriculum in operation in their establishments and led sessions at Geography conferences held by the Department of Education at the University of the West of England. Presently, she is involved with Pearson Education’s School Improvement Division, creating a number of teaching resources and lesson plans to support the launch of their new and highly innovative virtual learning platform. In addition, she continues to deliver a range of seminars and workshops to PGCE students, NQTs and experienced teachers, largely at primary and Key Stage 3 levels.
