MA (Management), PGCE, BSc Hons

Fin is one of the leading behaviour and learning specialists in the UK. He is currently an SEN and Behaviour Consultant for the Schools Network and an associate lecturer for Leicester University, the National Association of Special Needs, Tribal Education and the Institute of Education.

He is currently the Vice Chairman of UKAP and a member of the European ADHD Alliance. He has been the chairperson of the European ADHD Taskforce, and is a current member of the Special Education Consortium and the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee.

Fintan trained as a secondary science and PE teacher after studying Zoology and Genetics at Sheffield University and remains fascinated by the impact of nurture and nature on human development. He was the Headmaster of the Centre Academy School, regarded as the first specialist school within the UK for children with ADHD/ODD from 1996 -2002. Prior to that, he was a Deputy Head Teacher, the Head of the Science Department and a Science/PE teacher in London, Newcastle and Washington DC. Throughout this period he worked with a range of students and parents. This experience helped to develop a balanced perspective of the issues facing schools, teachers and families regarding behaviour and learning differences.

The SF3R behaviour and learning model developed by Fin forms the principles of his approach regarding proactive short term and long term solutions to behaviour and learning success. He states, “Although it is true that no two children are the same, structured and flexible systems and strategies will yield similar successful outcomes.”

Fintan is an internationally acclaimed presenter and consultant in behaviour, learning and motivation working both within the Education and Health sectors. As well as providing his expertise to audiences within the UK, he has presented throughout Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, Australia and New Zealand.

His publications include the; the T.E.S. award winning book Educating Children with ADHD as well as How to teach and Manage Children with ADHD, Surviving and Succeeding in SEN and ADHD, Impact and Intervention, Troubleshooting Challenging behaviour , Challenging Behaviours, The Small Change: Big Difference series; Inattention, Hyperactive and Disorganised and the recently published Successfully Managing ADHD.

Rachel has extensive practical experience of teaching, enhanced by a wide theoretical base in Specific Learning Disorders (SpLD). The training and advice she delivers to teachers and lecturers is founded on solid research which informs manageable strategies to enhance the learning of children and young people.

 She is an experienced presenter delivering key note speeches, presentations, and training nationally to audiences in all areas of education as well as, Local Authorities, parents and students. In addition she delivers training for the public and private sector to promote and provide a dyslexia friendly working environment including work with the police, prison and fire service and environmental agency.

 Rachel is an associate lecturer for ManchesterUniversity, the British Dyslexia Association and co-director and co-founder of US-L (Understanding and Supporting Learning). She has published many articles and reviews for the British Dyslexia Association, Nasen and private companies. Her work also includes providing 1:1 support for children and adults with a SpLD in schools, universities and employment.

 As the Inclusion Consultant in Learning Difficulties and Disabilities with strategic lead for dyslexia Calderdale Local Authority (LA) she led the LA to achieving the Dyslexia Quality Mark. She also co-ordinated the LAs involvement in the government project, ‘No to Failure’  and worked closely with Primary and Secondary Schools training and advising them to achieve the Dyslexia Quality Mark.

 Rachel’s passion to make a positive contribution to improving the teaching and learning experience of children and young people with a SpLD is evident in every presentation she delivers. 

Sue has worked in the field of SpLD since gaining her qualifications in the 1990s. She is a Senior SEND Advisor for Stoke-on-Trent LEA, is a facilitator for the National SENCO Award for SERCO and Wolverhampton University and regularly undertakes SEN reviews in both primary and secondary schools. She continually updates her knowledge in the field of dyslexia and uses this and her experience to support schools, individual teachers, SENCOs, parents, professionals and pupils. Sue undertakes training in all areas that affect the inclusion of pupils with SpLD in the classroom and leads on the Stoke-on-Trent dyslexia friendly schools initiative together with her team of specialist teachers. She has recently been awarded a master’s degree with the Open University on researching educational leadership and management.

Sue was elected to the Patoss Board in 2010 and her current board responsibility is membership.

Judy has been working in the field of dyslexia for over 35 years having trained originally with the Dyslexia Institute under Dr Harry Chasty & Kathleen Hickey. She is an experienced teacher, teacher trainer and assessor. She is a long standing member of the British Dyslexia Association Accreditation Board. She has been programme leader for a number of postgraduate qualifications in SpLD, including one for tutors working in FE/ HE at Manchester Metropolitan University.   She has delivered extensive training in the UK and in the US, Egypt, Luxembourg, Geneva. Judy led an OCR certificate under the Rose Review funding, has delivered specific sessions for a rage of university PG courses, and has worked with a number of LAs to deliver INSET.  She has spoken at several BDA International Conferences on alternative approaches to spelling and vocabulary development.

Judy is a member of the Patoss CPD team delivering training on a range of topics and until recently led the development and co-ordination of the Patoss CPD programme. Currently Judy works independently as a consultant, assessor and teacher of learners with dyslexia. 

Dr Dominic Griffiths (AMBDA) is a Senior Lecturer in Inclusive Education and Special Educational Needs at Metropolitan University. Dominic has thirty years’ experience teaching in primary, secondary and special schools, he has been a specialist dyslexia teacher and local authority advisor for SEN. He teaches on the MA in Specific Learning Difficulties,  teaches units on the BA (Hons) in Inclusive Education and Disability Studies and leads the SEN option for trainee teachers on the BA (Hons) primary education. Dominic’s PhD thesis was on ‘The Provision and Use of Reading Support in GCSE Examinations’. He has a research interest in the training of teaching staff to promote inclusive practice and has published and presented at conferences on the subject.

Beccie is the Head of Service at Rushall’s Inclusion Advisory Tea – a unique service which supports schools to ensure that their pupils with special educational needs exceed their potential across four different local authorities: Walsall, Birmingham, North Warwickshire and Staffordshire. The service offers support for individual pupils, bespoke INSET session, coaching, mentoring, SENCo support and a busy calendar of training and conference events. Beccie set the service up in partnership with Rushall Primary School and, to date, the service has supported 200 individual pupils and 120 different schools. 

Beccie remains very ‘hands on’ in the classroom and is passionate about being at the chalk face to teach teachers and children in order to practice what she preaches. She has over 16 years of experience of teaching children and young people with special educational needs and is a qualified specialist dyslexia teacher having gained a Post Graduate Certificate in Specific Learning Difficulties – dyslexia, AMBDA and Masters degree in Equality and Diversity in Education.