Francesca qualified as a Primary and Early Years teacher in 2000. She has worked in a number of settings and has been specialising in autism, complex needs and challenging behaviour since 2012.

Francesca’s passion for special educational needs & disability (SEND) stems from her desire to better help and support her autistic son. ‘My core belief is that children should be at the centre of everything we do’.

Francesca is an experienced senior leader in the Independent Special School sector. She holds a Masters degree in Autism and the National SENCO award. Her studies have led her to undertake research on a range of topics such as the benefits of outdoor learning, the use of mindfulness-based stress reduction and the development of the Social Moral Spiritual & Cultural (SMSC) curriculum in special schools.

“I am thrilled to be part of the team at Eagle House School (Sutton) and am very excited to be working in a setting that so skilfully combines education and therapies.”

Victoria has an LLB Law degree then did her PGCE in RE, which gave her a passion for promoting tolerance, respect and understanding. She has led RE, humanities, collective worship and SMSC in a specialist provision.

Victoria has worked across a number of autism-specific settings including mainstream school and a residential behaviour and mental health provision. Victoria has focused on understanding and working with challenging behaviour, sensory, and speech and language needs. She was previously a deputy head in a special needs post 19 provision.

She strongly believes in providing holistic education, working closely with therapy input, to enable young people with autism to achieve their best and live active and happy lives.

“I enjoy working with our skilled and dedicated staff and observing our pupils progress and achieve.”

After studying at Oxford University, Adele pursued a career in the fashion industry. After leaving work to have a family, she became involved in autism when her daughter was diagnosed as having ASD at the age of four.

“We were very lucky that Nell started at Eagle House aged five and we benefited from the expertise and support of the school. Nell’s twin brother and older brother really appreciated the sibling support offered and the regular workshops and coffee mornings allowed me to learn about different approaches and techniques for dealing with an autistic child, as well as meeting other parents in the same situation.”

When returning to work, Adele was keen to take on a role that would involve giving other families like her own, the support and information needed to help them make the best decisions for their child with autism. “I was delighted to be given the opportunity to work at Eagle House Group and feel that the experiences I have been through as the parent of a severely autistic child really inform my approach to the role of Parent Liaison Officer – whether offering practical advice or giving parents information on where to find further support.”

The education, health and social services systems can seem really daunting for the family of a child with autism. By offering advice to families in selecting a school and helping them through the SEN process, Adele wants to make them feel supported and well informed when making important choices for their children.

Starting her career in Computing, Yvonne returned to education and studied for her degree.

Yvonne has worked in educational settings for over 16 years, including working as a Learning Mentor and Personal Advisor. This experience has given her the opportunity to impact positively on young people’s lives.

Within school, Yvonne supports pupils and families, and is proud of her work in instilling a sense of pride and motivation in to their lives, guiding them in appreciating their self-worth.