Head of Pastoral Care

Fiona D’Arcy

I have a BSc in Psychology, an MA in Social Work, a PGdip in CBT and am a trained and experienced EMDR practitioner. I have worked in the NHS, Social Care and Independent Practice over the last 27 years and have a wealth of experience in working with children and their families often treating anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma and eating disorders. In addition I have delivered workshops to professionals and families which have included anxiety management, self harm and working with OCD. I have been involved with voluntary work in education for 13 years and became interested in the educational needs of children in 2008. I have been an IPSEA trained tribunal case worker for a number of years and have significant knowledge and understanding of all aspects of Special Educational Needs. Over the last 8 years I have increasingly worked with a range of families with autistic children and have recently completed training to undertake autism assessments. In addition to professional qualifications and expertise I have lived experience of the challenges that Autism brings to any family and have a passion for ensuring that any child who wishes to go to school should have this opportunity.

Head of Learning

Rebecca Sands

My experience ranging from Early Years Practitioner to classroom teacher and 1:1 SEN teacher to Manager of a team providing education to children unable to access an education setting has provided a sound and valuable foundation to the development of my skills and abilities. I am able to develop a rapport with a wide variety of children, engage each child as an individual, research, resource and provide each one with activities suited to their abilities and interests alongside the flexibility to adapt learning tasks in the moment. I have excellent knowledge of the curriculum, different teaching styles, and understanding of children’s development. This combined with my personal experience of parenting a child with autism, enables me to develop safe and secure relationships with children, provide child-centred educational provision and experiences alongside supporting each child holistically.