My experience with special educational needs
I am a qualified SENCo, with a passion for removing barriers to education for all students, but especially for students with special educational needs. I recently completed a coaching course and I coach teenagers and adults with neurodiversity. I have taught in mainstream schools for 31 years fabulous years. In that time, I have had countless students with special needs in my care. I am extremely proud of my career as an English teacher and my track record for helping all my students achieve success in my subjects. I ensure I am aware of individual specific needs, adapt my lessons thoughtfully and make them accessible to all. I have a natural ability to create and maintain strong professional relationships with my students I meet many former students who credit me for shaping their education because I spotted their learning difficulties, referred them for testing and helped them pass English. This is my life purpose. Education opens doors and creates life chances.
A bit about me
Both my sons were diagnosed as neurodivergent late in their school careers. My eldest son, now 24, struggled with writing but was only diagnosed as having dyslexia at A level. It transpired that had above average intelligence, but very low processing skills. My youngest son, now 21, struggled with anxiety periodically, but was a conscientious high-flyer. Aged 17, he told us he thought he was autistic. He had been masking for a long time and he sadly then had a severe sensory burnout that took him out of education for several years. I have seen first-hand the struggles my sons have endured -both slipping under the educational radar. When Headteacher, I wanted to further educate myself, the leaders, teachers and supporters teams around me. This led to my SENCo qualification. Schools have a duty of care to make SEND a genuine priority, identify students with SEN earlier and monitor the provision they receive. I myself am late diagnosed ADHD, with a typical female profile!
My teaching philosophy
My approach to teaching/coaching is to really try and get to know the student's strengths/weaknesses and likes/dislikes. Sometimes it's easier for some students to avoid the area they struggle with - but ultimately it has to be tackled. Therefore, I plan my lessons to be in the current pedagogical style of a three-part lesson: - a knowledge quiz on a previous topic to activate the brain - a motivate session, where I may model a skill or work through some analysis - an independent section, where the student demonstrates the skill, leading into a home-learning activity Relationship and trust building is the key to success as a tutor. I would, over time, learn my students' interests and hobbies and try and integrate their specialist subjects into lesson planning. I am told by students and staff that I am proficient in|: breaking down explanations; making topics make sense and pitching lessons for all abilities. I have a sense of humour, lots of energy and passion for my subject.
Schedule
Time zone:
Tutoring specialisation
I’m providing tutoring sessions for students with these educational needs:
Subjects Provided
Primary
Secondary
GCSE Foundational level
GCSE Higher level
A-Level
University
Primary
Secondary
GCSE Foundational level
GCSE Higher level
A-Level
University
Coaching specialisation
Specialisation
Primary
Secondary
GCSE
A-Level
University
Primary
Secondary
GCSE
A-Level
University
Primary
Secondary
GCSE
A-Level
University
Primary
Secondary
GCSE
A-Level
University
Primary
Secondary
GCSE
A-Level
University
Primary
Secondary
GCSE
A-Level
University
Primary
Secondary
GCSE
A-Level
University
Teaching qualifications
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Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)
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National Award for SEN Coordination (NASENCO) – PGCert
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Formal Coaching and Mentoring Qualifications (e.g., ILM Level 3 or 5)
Reviews
4 reviews
Rebecca
January 25, 2026
Lucas has reviewed as follows:- Miss Berry’s English tutoring has been extremely valuable. With her support, I improved from a Grade 3 to a Grade 6 in English Language. She explains topics clearly and in a way that is easy to understand, which helped me build both my skills and confidence. I have gained excellent value from her tutoring and would highly recommend her to other students looking to improve their English. Recommendation for Tutoring Support:- As a parent, I could not be more grateful for the support my son has received. Throughout his early education, he struggled significantly with English following a negative experience in his first primary school. This led to a long-standing lack of confidence and a deep dislike of the subject. As parents, we tried everything we could to support him, but despite our efforts, English remained a source of stress and self-doubt. Lucas then went for a dyslexia test which showed some significant struggles and extreme issues with his processing. In Year 10, after another difficult experience at school, he received a grade 3 in English. He was devastated. Knowing our son and seeing his true potential, we felt strongly that he deserved support that would help him rebuild both his confidence and his belief in himself. That is when we approached Sarah and the impact has been remarkable. Through her calm, patient, and encouraging approach, our son has gone from self-doubt and avoidance to finding English manageable and achievable. He is now working towards a grade 6, something that once felt like an unlikely outcome for our family. What has been most meaningful is not just the academic progress, but the change in his confidence and mindset. Sarah has helped him feel capable again, and that has made a lasting difference both in and out of the classroom. We are incredibly thankful for Sarah's dedication and support, and I would highly recommend her to any parent seeking both academic improvement and compassionate understanding for their child.
Michelle Dyer
January 26, 2026
Sarah is fantastic! My son L had such poor educational experiences and had previously failed his English GCSEs 3 times. L is dyslexic and had lost all confidence in passing the exams. Sarah offered an individualized approach and was so super enthusiastic and supportive. Really happy to say L finally passed his exam! We are so proud of him! And really thankful to Sarah.
Melanie Fuller
January 25, 2026
Our daughter started working with Sarah in September of this year as she formally entered year 11. I am writing this review in January 2026. Despite having a worked with a previous tutor, our daughter was still struggling with her confidence and some technical aspects of both English Language and Literature. Fast forward to the mid term assessments and then the December mocks and we have a different child! Happy confident and doing really well. With some direction and support from Sarah she has improved her grades to a strong 7/6 in recent tests. Sarah is simply brilliant! She has the ability to tap into the personal learning needs of Ellie which makes such a difference. Sarah also went to the effort, without prompting, to speak with the school to align with their teaching approach and strategy so not to confuse Ellie. Ellie really enjoys English now. Sarah has made such an incredibly positive impact in a very short time. Ellie genuinely looks forward to her tutoring sessions and proudly shares her progress with Sarah! She was confident about her English mock which really does speak volumes. I wish we had a Sarah for all GCSE subjects and I highly recommend her. Her teacher at school is recommending Ellie to take A Level English which was not considered in July. Thank you Sarah! We look forward to working with you until exam time!”
Samantha Jarett
January 25, 2026
"Sarah came highly recommended to us after my daughters grades had started to plummet even though she was spending hours studying. When meeting Sarah she was everything that we could have asked for and more, she was approachable, professional and passionate about all things 'English' and from day one put my daughter at ease and had a lovely rapport with her. For years we have had a niggle that something wasn't quite 'right' with how our daughter was coping with both her literacy and language skills but as she was bright and studius we kept getting told by her teachers that they wasn't concerned. After Sarah's first session she raised a concern and pointed us in the direction of a Dyslexic screening which confirmed that she was indeed dyslexic. From there on Sarah put in place a personalised plan and was with us every step of the way giving our daughter the support and techniques required to achieve her best!"
