I created Trent & Vale Education because I believe education should be built around the young person, rather than expecting every young person to fit the same approach.

I have worked in education for a number of years, gaining experience across teaching, pastoral support, leadership and educational operations. Throughout my career, I have worked across both primary and secondary education, with much of my more recent experience focused on older children and young people in secondary school and college settings.

I began my career as a Maths teacher and have supported young people across a range of educational settings, including mainstream, SEND and SEMH environments. This has given me an understanding of the different academic, social and personal challenges that young people can face at different stages of their education.

I have worked with young people with a wide range of needs, abilities, strengths and aspirations. Over time, I’ve developed a particular passion for understanding what helps each individual learn, engage and make progress.

I’ve seen that an approach that works brilliantly for one young person may not work at all for another. I believe education should be flexible enough to recognise this and provide young people with opportunities to learn in ways that suit them.

Alongside my career in education, I’ve spent 15 years coaching a disability football team. This has given me another perspective on the importance of patience, relationships, communication and adapting the way we work to suit the individual.

Why I created Trent & Vale

Throughout my career, I’ve seen young people who are capable of so much but who struggle when education is delivered in a way that doesn’t work for them.

I’ve become passionate about finding different ways to learn and creating environments where young people feel comfortable, understood and able to succeed. For some, that might mean additional support alongside mainstream education. For others, it could mean learning at home, online, outdoors, in the community or through a combination of different approaches.

I want Trent & Vale to be a service where I can take the time to listen to young people and work closely with parents and carers to understand the whole picture — their strengths, interests, needs, challenges and aspirations.

Whether a young person is accessing mainstream education, has SEND, experiences SEMH needs, or simply needs a different approach to learning, I want to help create an environment where they can engage, develop and make meaningful progress.

For me, education is about much more than qualifications. It’s about building confidence, independence, curiosity, resilience and the skills young people need for life beyond the classroom.

I believe every young person can make progress. Sometimes, we just need to find a different way to help them get there.