About

helping children unlock their potential

 
 

my journey with dyslexia

I absolutely love my work and apply a supportive, encouraging and enthusiastic approach to each child. I experienced dyslexia myself as a child and struggled to access parts of the school curriculum, making me feel ‘less than’ in many situations. I had difficulty reading in front of a class, learning information for tests and exams, finding words, spelling and structuring sentences.

This experience set me on the path to teaching children with learning differences because I want to support them in overcoming self-doubt and low self-esteem by unlocking their potential. In 2010 I embarked on a two-year diploma to teach and assess children with learning difficulties.

As an adult, having worked through my challenges with dyslexia, I know I feel more confident when I am prepared for a situation, so planning is key for me and I start working on projects way ahead of time. I’ve also learned that visualising really helps me to learn new information and see through problems. Brain dumps and list writing are essential to get everything out of my head! 

Since my diploma, I have worked with hundreds of children with a range of learning needs, so I can tailor lessons to support each child’s specific profile. I also understand the different cognitive difficulties a child may be experiencing so I not only support them to access the curriculum but also provide strategies that they can use in the classroom to overcome their challenges. My lessons are child-led, helping them build their confidence and finally feel a sense of agency over their learning and motivation to succeed.

 

how I work with your child

My mission is to help children reconnect to their naturally inquisitive minds; this is the key to reigniting their love of learning. By shining a light on your child’s true potential I aim to reignite their curiosity and passion for learning. 

My initial objective is to create a safe environment for your to identify their strengths, so they can grow and develop at their own pace. Some of the most popular learning styles and strategies that I see fall into three categories:

  • Visual - for example using images, visualisation, comic strips, mind maps, timelines, colours, and drawing 

  • Kinaesthetic - for example including movement, play and dance moves to their favourite tunes!

  • Auditory - for example singing songs, putting ideas to music, creating rhymes and recording their own voice 

  • PARENT FEEDBACK

    “We cannot thank Gemma enough for the work she did with our daughter Kaira over the past two years. Gemma has been encouraging, positive and fun; Kaira always looks forward to her lessons. But most importantly Gemma has helped improve both Kaira’s English and maths significantly; Kaira has become confident in all subjects and now belongs in the top of her class!”

  • PARENT FEEDBACK

    “My daughter was lucky enough to have Gemma's support in English and maths during her time at junior school. Together, they would steadily go over topics covered in class, checking that everything had been understood. She benefitted hugely from Gemma's ideas to aid comprehension, strategies to help with maths problems and games to make learning fun. Gemma's caring approach and gentle encouragement increased my daughter's confidence no end and she has started senior school with a solid foundation in both subjects.”

  • PARENT FEEDBACK

    “Gemma has provided our daughter with additional Maths and English lessons both in school, at home and on zoom, regularly over the past 2 years. These lessons with Gemma have helped enormously, as they have provided the much needed extra time and patience to consolidate her learning. Gemma's style of teaching and gentle approach has given Millie the confidence that she needed. Gemma has taken the time to really get to know her as a person and understand her specific learning needs. This has been instrumental in helping Millie to see her own strengths and to have a real desire to learn. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Gemma to any parent.”

my specialisms

I have over ten years of experience in the following areas:

  • Supporting and teaching children with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia and ADHD

  • Diagnosing dyslexia – suggesting access arrangements, supplying recommendations for school and parents

  • Identifying co-occurring specific learning difficulties and providing the necessary referrals for further diagnosis

  • Training teachers and other professionals to teach and diagnose children with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties

 

what happens now?

The ultimate goal of my teaching sessions with your child is to provide them with a strategies toolbox tailored to how they like to work, for them to apply when tackling new concepts and methods throughout their time in education. I am not only here to support your child and give them lasting learning strategies, but also to provide you with information and insights so that you can understand your child’s way of working and reinforce any techniques they are learning. Curious to find out more about how I could support your child? Please get in touch to book a free consultation and let’s get to know each other.

my qualifications & experience

A brief outline of my previous qualifications and experience is below. I also undertake continued professional development on various topics related to all SpLDs. Some recent examples are:

  • The Dyspraxia Learner - physical and literacy traits and strategies 

  • Specific Learning Difficulties and Visual Difficulties 

  • Reading and writing speeds and SpLD assessment 

I am also a member of PATOSS - the professional association of teachers of students with specific learning difficulties.

Previous Qualifications and Experience

September 2013 – July 2014: Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre

OCR Level 7 Diploma in Assessing and Teaching Learners with Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia) – Awarded Distinction 

September 2012 – July 2013: Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre

OCR Level 5 Diploma in Teaching Learners with Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia) – Awarded Distinction 

St James Junior School
1:1 support for children with specific learning difficulties (ages 6-11)

The Fulham Study
providing 1:1 support for children with specific learning difficulties outside of school hours (ages 6-14)