Having started out as a secondary teacher I moved in to working in specialist contexts, including off-site provision for youngsters excluded from school or at risk of custody. I’ve spent most of my career establishing and managing behaviour support services for schools and services across the pre-school – KS4 age range.

My last post in LA work was as Head of the Integrated Support Service at Merton in south London. This involved my coordinating services for sensory impaired, learning difficulties, behaviour support and provision for excluded and hard to place children. For the past dozen years I have been working around the country, teaching, training, consulting and advising. An important part of my own development has been training as a Transactional Analyst in the field of education. I am a Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (TSTA) that involves offering specific training and support to trainees. In addition I have a Masters in School and College Management, Post-Graduate Diploma in SEN and a Masters in English Literature.

Several years ago my family and I moved to rural Suffolk where we run a smallholding which has a range of livestock and a campsite. This involves a great deal of work and commitment which shapes my professional perspective and schedule. Sometimes my availability is limited because, for example, we are lambing or busy with campers.

These two dimensions – farming and education – are integrated by an understanding of cultivation, a theme I have written about and which you can read here: Educator As Cultivator.