About Us

Nicola holds a BSc (hons) degree and a PGCE in secondary education and has been a qualified secondary school teacher for over 25 years. She is also a qualified specialist teacher and dyslexia assessor, holding a Level 7 PG Cert in Teaching Children with Literacy Difficulties (Dyslexia). As a result, she is familiar with a range of standardised assessments often seen in professional reports.

Nicola has previously taught for a number of years in specialist independent settings for children and young people with autism and anxiety. She has been an Access Arrangements Assessor and has held responsibility for managing the full annual review process, as well as advising and training staff in the implementation of SEND provision.

In 2018, Nicola completed SEND legal training with IPSEA and then volunteered with their Tribunal Support Service for the subsequent two years. The training that she received from IPSEA has been invaluable in terms of helping her to develop a thorough understanding of the SEND legal framework, including the Children and Families Act (2014), the SEND Regulations (2015), the Equality Act (2010) and the SEND Code of Practice (2015). By learning about, and immersing herself in the SEND framework, Nicola has been able to help many others in their own SEND journeys.

Nicola has supported numerous families, by empowering them to understand the SEND and EHCP processes, in order for them to secure suitable provision for their SEND children. She has submitted requests for assessment, attended mediation meetings with local authorities, and has worked on all types of appeal (including Refusal to Assess, Refusal to Issue and Section B, F and I content appeals). Nicola has spent many hours going meticulously through reports and documents in order to identify what should be in an EHC Plan and to check that the wording is compliant with the SEND legislation. She has read and become familiar with a significant number of types of report from a range of different services including Occupational Therapy, SALT, CAMHS, Educational and Clinical Psychology, to name but a few.

Nicola has direct personal experience of ‘the system’. Both of her children have had EHCPs for a number of years and attend specialist settings. The road travelled to get them to this point has been challenging for many reasons, but her experiences have very much shaped the person she is today and her intense motivation to want to help others to have more positive experiences.

"I am incredibly passionate about SEND and it gives me great personal satisfaction to be able to support so many families in their quest for securing the appropriate special educational provision that their children are entitled to. I welcome the opportunity to support you on your SEND journey."