I have a BA (hons) Degree in Education & Religious Studies (2000-2003), MA Degree in Education (2008) and PGCE in General Primary (2004) all granted by Cambridge University.

Since Qualifying in 2004, I have acquired almost 20 years experience teaching children Aged 3-19 years, but my preference & specialism is within Early Years, Early Intervention & Special Educational Needs (SEN). I have extensive experience of teaching 1:1, small group & whole class teaching, both within a mainstream & Special Needs schools. I have also gained wide experience of different areas of school leadership and taught not only in N.Ireland but also England, Jamaica, Nepal & Bahrain (Middle East). I was specifically selected in 2008-2011, to help establish the Children's Academy in Bahrain, the first Special Needs school of its kind in the Middle East, set up in partnership with Alpha Plus Private school group.

I always aspire to keep adding to my experience & professional development. I am trained in many additional Qualifications:
Mental Health First Aid Certificate - Adult (2022), Towards a better understanding of self-regulation & BEST strategies - Sensory Integration Education (2022), Fostering Network Conference - Embedding a Trauma Informed framework & Anxiety based school avoidance workshop (2022), Ecosensory Therapy (2021-2022), Tying knots and making shelters (2022), Neuroscience and sensory integration early years conference 2022, Paediatric First Aid (2021), Understanding Selective Mutism (2020), Neuroscience & Early Intervention Early years conference (2019), Makaton levels 1-8 Foundation & Enhanced levels (2019), Paediatric First Aid (2018), Play Therapy (2016), First Aid Certificate (2015) Senior Leadership Pathways Course (RTU) (2014) Team Teach behaviour handling techniques (2014), Communication strategies for students with SEN in the classroom using Makaton, PECs and TEACCH (2014), Using PECs in the classroom to enable communication for children specifically with ASD (2013), Q-skills (2013), lifting and handling techniques (2012), Attention Autism techniques (2012), The Alert Programme to empower students to understand their sensory integration systems (2011), teaching techniques for students with Downs’ Syndrome (2011), Makaton training stages 5-8 (2011), ASD strategies for the classroom (2011), ASD sensory integration and behaviour problems identification and intervention (2010), detecting auditory processing disorders (2010), Applying the International Primary Curriculum (2009), Numicon methods in the classroom (2009), Original play and Brain gym relaxing techniques (2009), Brain gym (2008), Jolly phonics in the classroom (2008), Letterland phonics in the classroom (2008), Makaton training stages 1-4 (2008), teaching phonics in the classroom (2007), science techniques for students with SEN (2007), ASD and TEACCH methods (2006), Sports for all leadership course (2006), ELKAN certificate in speech and language development (2006), British Sign Language Introductory certificate (2006), coaching of New age Kurling and Boccia (2006).