About us

As an education professional with 25 years experience, I have worked with young people from Reception to Year 13 in a range of different settings.

These include mainstream and specialist provision; Independent, Local Authority and Academy Trusts.​

My doctoral qualification, my experience as a practitioner and as a recognised Autism Education Trust Trainer, has enabled me to raise awareness, promote good practice and support school leaders development of their vision of inclusion for young people with autism and SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities).

My background, Chartered Psychologist registration, training and qualifications in child psychology, development and difference enable me to develop in-depth psychometric profiles of a young person's strengths and challenges.

This allows me to individualise support programmes and interventions that enhance inclusive practice and policy development in education.

Ellie is a highly skilled and compassionate Support Worker with specialised training in assisting neurodivergent individuals. In her role at Edvocation, Ellie plays a critical part in ensuring the seamless operation of both the team and client services. Working remotely, she supports the Edvocation team, helping to maintain a smooth and efficient workflow while providing essential assistance to clients.

If you're reaching out to the enquiries inbox, Ellie will be the one to assist you!

My personal and professional interest and knowledge around SEND matters, inclusion practice has developed from the experiences I have gained through teaching and working  in mainstream schooling. This has included children who have experienced adversity and trauma, as well as those with clinical diagnoses, such as Autism, ADHD, ADD, and/or Specific Learning Difficulties, for example Dyslexia and Dyscalculia.

I have a sociological background and my passion over the past 16 years and more of working in education has been to support children, their families, and school staff to ensure each child's achievements, aspirations, and needs are recognised and provided for. This remains at the heart of what I do and the ways I draw upon my qualification and expertise in educational practice, leadership, SEND, and interest in neurodevelopmental, specific learning difficulties, and social, emotional and mental health.

Since gaining my teaching qualification in 2006, I have worked in both large town-based and small rural primary schools. I am experienced in teaching across nursery and primary age ranges, although my heart lies in the early years. I have held senior leadership positions as an Early Years Lead and as Key Stage One Lead. I am an experienced SENCo. and Senior Mental Health Lead, and I hold the National Award for Special Education Needs Co-ordination [NASENCO]. I have gained my Post Graduate Certificate

in Inclusion and Vulnerable Learners, and I now balance my work with Edvocation alongside my role in initial teacher education at the University of Chester.

Eira is an individual with both professional and personal experience with mental health, ASD and ADHD. Eira has worked with the NHS since 2021 in mental health moving to children's neurodevelopmental services in March 2024. Eira has a certificate of higher education in psychology and has began their degree in early childhood studies with the Wrexham University.

Eira has worked for us on and off helping create and present presentations and officially joining the team March 2024 as a Project and administrative Co-Ordinator.

Alongside their professional experience Eira brings their own unique personal experience to the service. As and individual with late diagnosed ADHD and ASD their personal life experience, pre-diagnosis, allows us to clearer see the difficulties young people face when living a life undiagnosed.

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Sarah began her teaching career in a Shropshire primary school in 1988, & has worked in a wide range of settings & roles since. After 9 years as a primary class teacher, subject leader and SLT, Sarah moved into special education in 1997, scratching a longstanding SEN itch!

As Y6 Form Tutor, subject leader and individual specialist teacher in an independent special in Lancashire, Sarah taught young people with extremes of challenging behaviour and a wide range of complex SEN. Here, Sarah developed skills of tenacity & resilience, & learned the essence of meeting individual needs through identifying and removing barriers to learning.

From 2006, Sarah jointly led a nurturing secondary provision for disaffected Y11s, supporting mental health & pastoral needs, delivering catch-up, overseeing coursework & exam preparation. Subsequently, as an Individual Specialist Teacher, Sarah delivered bespoke home education programmes for young people (Y1-11) with medical, behavioural & SEMH needs - including those in local authority care - not able to access school. Importantly, Sarah was often the only professional with access to the family home, providing educational, social and pastoral support to young people and their families.

Within the same service, Sarah led the Access Team within a Tuition Centre, successfully integrating disaffected and phobic young people back into an educational environment.

As non-teaching SENCo, SLT & strategic lead for SEN across 2 primary schools since 2015, Sarah has led training for federation staff & has a thorough knowledge of the SEN Code of Practice, SEN process & procedure. Sarah has provided support and advice to new and aspiring SENCos, and has served as Parent Governor.

Sarah’s ethos encompasses person-centred approaches, positive relationship building with parents/carers and colleagues, excellent communication skills, and above all, a clear vision of inclusion, high expectation & ambition for young people with SEND.

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Jacob is a former member of the Autism Education Trust Youth Panel and inputs his views and experiences of his unique way of understanding the social world to help develop educational policy and practice.

Jacob is an inspiration and testament to the achievements he has made from the battles he has faced by 'being different'.