Katie Fletcher is a specialist teacher and trainer with over 15 years of experience working in the primary education sector mainly within East Lancashire but also further afield in Greater Manchester. Before pursuing full time self-employment as owner of Balanced Education Consultancy Ltd, Katie was a full-time SENDCO of a two-form mainstream primary school which had a high instance of SEND and two SEND units attached.

“My passion for SEND began with a curiosity for understanding the neuroscience behind human behaviour. It was a natural progression for me to pursue an undergraduate BSc Applied Psychology degree at Durham University, where my third year specialised in Education and Developmental Psychology. My thirst for knowledge has continued into my career and this year I am excited to train the next generation of SENDCOs, as a part-time Associate Teacher for the University of Cumbria where I am facilitating training and mentoring for a cohort on the NPQ SEND offered by the Church of England.

As a specialist teacher with Reachout ASC, I am developing as an expert on Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). I am also a recognised Mental Health First Aider and have a passion for implementing trauma-informed relational practices and restorative justice techniques within schools to support young people. After recently being identified as being affected by Irlen Syndrome, I am now a recognised screener in the hope of raising awareness and understanding of how this can manifest in the classroom and beyond.

One of my achievements includes creating an internal alternative provision for several youngsters who presented with complex needs, Autism and Severe Learning Difficulties. This led to the commissioning of a Communication and Interaction Unit at the school where I was based. In my role as SENDCO, I supported the teaching team in developing their practice and facilitating support from external agencies where necessary. I am currently exploring the use of semi-formal curriculum pathways in order to support schools in developing effective provision for pupils who may need something different.

I have supported several pupils who have been out of education due to exclusion; overwhelm/ burnout; anxiety; and/or demand avoidant tendencies. Through collaborating with the adults around the child, I have created holistic and personalised support pathways to support successful reintegrations into school-based settings.

I had such a lovely moment recently with a young student who I noticed was becoming overstimulated in the environment. I used proprioceptive input and intensive interaction strategies to support his regulation in order to bring him to a place of calm where there was reciprocal interaction. The staff have gone on to use similar strategies following my visit and are now implementing effective techniques with him daily. This kind of outcome makes it all feel worthwhile!”