SEND & Anxious Learners
If your child dreads English, freezes at the thought of an exam, or has quietly started to believe they're "just not good at it," you're not alone — and you're in the right place. I'm Sarah, and over more than 15 years I've worked with students who learn differently, and with those for whom school has become a source of worry rather than confidence. I know that behind every reluctant learner is a young person who wants to do well, and a family who wants to help them get there. My role is to take the pressure off, rebuild that belief step by step, and make English feel possible again — at a pace that always belongs to your child, never the other way round
How I Help
We build trust before we build grades. For an anxious or SEND learner, feeling safe has to come first — nothing else works until it does. So there's no rushing, no being put on the spot, and never any judgement. We start by getting to know each other, finding out what your child enjoys and what they find hard, and only move forward when they're ready. Confidence is the foundation everything else is built on.
Every lesson is shaped around your child. No two learners are the same, so I don't teach from a fixed script. I take the time to understand how your child learns best, then build around their strengths rather than dwelling on their difficulties. That might mean breaking work into small, manageable steps, using multisensory and practical approaches, weaving in their own interests, or simply slowing down and celebrating every bit of progress along the way.
Experience across a range of needs. I have wide experience supporting SEND learners — including students with dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, autism and processing difficulties — as well as those whose main barrier is anxiety, low confidence, or a difficult past experience of school. Whatever the label or the lack of one, I meet your child as an individual and adapt to what they need.
A calm, judgement-free space — in person or online. Because lessons are one-to-one, there's no comparison with classmates, no fear of getting it wrong in front of others, and all the time in the world to think. Sessions can take place face-to-face or online from the comfort of home, which many anxious learners — and those who find leaving the house hard — feel far more relaxed with. My aim is always to make learning feel calm, and even fun.
Taking the fear out of exams. So much of exam stress comes from the unknown. I help students become familiar with what to expect, give them practical techniques for staying calm and managing their time, and practise until the exam room feels less daunting and more doable. As the fear fades, confidence — and marks — tend to rise together.
Safe, qualified and completely reassuring. I'm a DBS-checked, PGCE-qualified teacher, so you can feel entirely secure in who your child is spending time with. I'll keep you gently in the loop on how they're getting on, so you can see the confidence growing too.