Access educational support when you need it most.
Every day I hear a new story of a child waiting months (and sometimes, years) to access the support they desperately need. By the time the waiting list is over many children have been excluded, mismanaged and are facing emotional breakdowns.
This is not acceptable. I have made it my mission to provide immediate support and access to assessments within a month.
Children can also be referred to the Learn to Shine school CIC to attend bespoke educational and therapeutic sessions. See more in our curriculum and Art workshops sections.
Meet Our Team
Nicola Carey-Shine
Head of Psychology
Nicola is a qualified teacher with over 19 years’ experience in education across a variety of roles. She quit her role in mainstream education and management when she became disillusioned with the system, shortly after her son was born. In addition to teaching, Nicola qualified with a Psychology MSc and MBPsS. She is a senior fellow of the ACCPH, and is highly trained in speech and language development. Her expertise is often sought by a range of publishers, and she is an approved AQA Psychology examiner.
Nicola passionately advocates the voice of vulnerable and disadvantaged children, particularly those who are still seeking diagnosis, with the motto: ‘No child left behind’. Nicola also has lived experience of SEN living in a fully neurodiverse household, and uses her condition of ADHD as her superpower. Stevie the red-fox labrador is her shadow!
Karen Stanley
Head of English
Karen has 20 years’ experience as a teacher and Assistant Headteacher. She has been a DSL and much of her career was dedicated to children with SEN, EBD and life in the care system. She has worked extensively with children outside of mainstream education, helping them to access education in unique ways that meet their complex needs. Karen has an MSc in Environmental
Conservation and is Forest School trained – she is a huge advocate of the power of nature for education and mental health and wellbeing. Karen is a curriculum expert for educational providers, helping them design creative programs that are not only aligned to the National Curriculum, but also provide optimum opportunities for personal growth. Karen is also a 14 times published and bestselling author. Karen is an animal lover, particularly of her best friend Mabel the boxer dog!
Dr. Rachel Gow
Rachel V. Gow, Ph.D is a Nutritional Neuroscientist, Neuropsychologist and Neurodevelopmental specialist with expertise in a range of mental health conditions and associative learning and behaviour differences. Dr. Gow is also Registered Nutritionist (under the category of Science).
Dr. Gow has approximately 18 years of research and experience in psychological research in child/adolescent and adult clinical populations, and has published 22 peer reviewed papers.
Dr. Gow is the founder of Nutritious Minds Trust. The aim of the trust is to advocate for all types of learning and behaviour differences and empower young people to reach their highest potential through psychological, educational, nutritional support and community projects.
Ruth Beedle
Head of Mathematics
Ruth has over 12 years’ experience in teaching, qualifying as ‘Outstanding’ in the accelerated teacher training programme. Teach First is an influential charity founded to address socio-economic educational disadvantage directly. It aims to harness the energy and drive of outstanding graduates to enable inspirational teaching in challenging circumstances across England and Wales. Ruth has extensive experience as an intervention teacher and has coached and mentored new Teach First graduates, SCITT trainees and Schools Direct candidates. Ruth has lived experience to our journey as a mum to two neurodiverse children with complex needs. She also has a beautiful lurcher called Betsy!
Phil Reed
Head of PE
Phil has 16 years of teaching experience as a qualified teacher to a wide range of age groups. He has held a decade of experience in SLT (senior leadership team) in mainstream education, and been a Deputy Headteacher for 5 years.
Phil is a father of four children, and has in-depth, lived experience of our journey into SEN education with his eldest child. Phil is passionate about ensuring everybody is able to access and enjoy physical education, at their level, and benefit from the self-confidence it brings. Phil is also an avid tennis player.
Tara Proctor
Lioness and school ambassador
Tara Proctor is a former English footballer and England international captain. Tara passionately believes that all children, of all abilities and gender should be able to gain confidence and achieve their potential. She has been a loyal supporter and ambassador since 2018. She has provided huge inspiration for the disadvantaged children at Learn to Shine school and have even taught them some nifty tricks!
Sharon Jackson
Associate Director, Neurodiverse parent
Sharon is a passionate advocate for families living with disabilities. She is particularly knowledgeable about policy, support and procedures from social services and fetal alcohol syndrome disorder having adopted children with the condition. Sharon runs the ‘Much laughter’ CIC which supports children and families with the condition through the medium of comedy.
Sharon uses her condition of dyslexia as her superpower.
Your journey is as unique as you are.
- INTIAL CONSULTATION
After an in-depth initial assessment, we will arrange an in-person assessment using a range of interviews, observations and clinical thresholds. Assessments are available to children and adults.
Autism
2. ASSESSMENT
Immediately afterwards you will be given the ‘headline’ results, followed by a summary results letter. This is then followed by your in depth, and totally bespoke report, tailored to you or your child’s needs.
ADHD
3. FOLLOW UP SUPPORT
These reports can then be provided to kick start support. Previously, reports have triggered appropriate classroom support, access adjustments, and in some cases, a complete training overhaul for the school.
Dyslexia
Practitioner, parent.
Education is my life’s work, to which I devote 6 days a week, the whole year round. For over the last 19 years I have worked in mainstream education. Before that, at the age of 16 I worked as a Kent Test teaching assistant, which sparked a life long love of watching children succeed. After completing a BA (Hons), I returned as an SEN intervention teaching assistant in an extremely large London school, where I was successfully endorsed to undertake the Graduate Teacher program to become a qualified secondary school teacher. This swiftly led into leadership (Deputy Headship), and working with children at high risk of exclusion, often as a result of undiagnosed (and frequently, mismanaged) learning difficulties. It would anger me to witness either willfully ignorant or poorly trained staff escalate what SHOULD have been a manageable situation. This would inevitably lead to exclusion or school refusal. My hands were tied and I could not bear it. Whilst my first born was 12 weeks old, I quit my job to create a holistic provision for children with SEN. I wanted an authentic space, away from managers preoccupied with wishing to rank children in one rigid stream. In between nursing my baby and his naps, I taught myself how to make a website and continued to teach my mainstream students at their request in relaxed surroundings (with their parents having lots of baby cuddles, such was our sense of family). This slowly grew into bespoke educational services, life-skill workshops with inspirational neurodiverse speakers, and advocacy for families fighting for support. I was oversubscribed within months. During the pandemic I retrained in Psychology with a British Psychological Society accredited MSc, and am now a Senior Fellow of the ACCPH, and provide a specialist ADHD clinic. I also undertook a range of Speech, language and Occupational therapy training, (obtaining Distinctions), which has informed my work with numerous children who arrived to us mute. There is no greater feeling than hearing a child speak for the first time (sometimes, ever) and be able to advocate for themselves. After two relentless years saving and caring for my mum, we sold our house and put our life savings into a piece of land that has become our ‘magical’ forest for my students (aged 3 – 85). We now have a safe space caring for animals, growing produce and (messy) activities for learners who struggle with traditional schooling. The transformation with the right education, is unbelievable. It is my privilege and joy. My work has led to winning numerous National awards (from 90,000 nominees), appearing on the BBC and ITV, and advising for publishers Usborne, the NHS and a variety of special needs charities. In every interview or award ceremony I attend, I dress as ‘Wonderwoman’ as a nod to my students, my superheroes; ‘truth, love and Justice’. My attire was quite an amusing sight on the BBC breakfast news bulletin! I have built extensive experience working with and supporting children with Autism, PDA, foetal alcohol syndrome, Selective Mutism, ADHD, Dyslexia and complex emotional and behavioural difficulties, with significant results.
As a child, I struggled with undiagnosed ADHD and it was my parents who championed my education. My mum in particular, (who tragically died recently) fought to ensure I was given the chance to reach my true potential. This had deep impact on my psyche and my passion for making sure all children access every opportunity they deserve. I think without my parents pressing that I was gifted and a creative problem solver (but terrible test taker!) my educational life path would have turned out very differently.
My motto is ‘no child left behind’. Every family I have worked with knows I will not stop until their child is fulfilling their true potential. I always remind my students that I failed my 11 plus (non-verbal reasoning let me down) but now I am a ‘Master of Science’ with a ‘Genius’ IQ. For now, the system is messed up, but not them, and they deserve to shine their light.
2023
National Diversity award winner (ITV)
Benefact Movement for Good award winner
2022
BBC Make a Difference award – Together category
2021
Kent Women in Business awards: Business Woman of the Year winner
The Co-op: Local Community Award winner
Kent Women in Business Awards: Women in Education Runner up
2020
Kent Women in Business awards: Creative Arts award winner
2019
MPower National Business Awards: Inspire award winner
2018
Kent Women in Business Awards: Mumpreneur of the Year winner
Build skills
Our ‘Enrichment days’ allow all students, of all ages and abilities to access fun, practical lessons and life skills. Past workshops have included heart dissections and pumping lungs with our own Dr., learning to play steel drums and handling artefacts from the actual Jack the Ripper murder scene! Students have been inspired by Para-Olympic gold medalists and England Captains, showing that whatever disabilities you have, you can still be a winner!
Learning to cook together
experimental:
using vibrational sound therapy
Client Testimonials
S.Collier
Nicola is a miracle maker! My son was COMPLETELY non-verbal. Less than a month later he can say 8 key phrases to help him communicate! Fantastic is an understatement; the time, effort and patience she puts into her pupils shows how much she goes above and beyond. After our first consultation felt like a weight had been lifted instantly I felt heard, reassured, and confident that everything would be okay. Reggie is interacting so much more than before. He absolutely loves his sessions and has established a great bond with her! Thank you!
J.Hills
A genius balance of achieving the best and enjoyable learning. Nicola is a fabulous (one in a million) teacher. Planning & adapting lessons to suit the very individual needs of her pupils [whilst still meeting the criteria required].
Don’t be duped by the lovely relaxed and informal atmosphere, Nicola is very professional, and every effort is made to get the very best from her students.
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