Outreach Services

• Specialist assessments, reports and reviews for individual pupils with a wide range of needs, including learning, SEMH and neurodivergence
• Assess-plan-do-review consultancy visits to support person-centred planning 
• Access arrangements assessments

• Diagnostic dyslexia and dyscalculia assessments and reports carried out by qualified specialist teachers holding a current assessment practising certificate (APC) approved by the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC)

• Training for schools and other organisations tailored to their needs on a wide range of special educational needs, including positive behaviour management, de-escalation, dyslexia, dyscalculia, SEN support and ‘quality first’ teaching

• Consultancy on a client driven basis including SEN and behaviour audits and SENCO support for schools
  
• Signposting and advice for parents and carers

Meet the team

Julie Johnson – service lead

B.Ed (hons) NPQH 

Julie has three and a half years’ experience as a headteacher within Marches Academy Trust, with previous trust roles overseeing SEND and safeguarding. Julie spent many years as a SENCo, which supports with the direction of MAT Outreach Services. Julie is keen to further develop MAT Outreach Service by helping deliver high quality and impactful expert support and guidance to schools and services. Alongside her role with Marches Academy Trust, she's also the senior lead for SEND and Alternative Provision Change Programme.

Miriam Bristoll – specialist learning advisory teacher

BA (hons) QTS, post-grad certificate in SpLD dyslexia; associate member of the British Dyslexia Association – AMBDA dyslexia and dyscalculia, current SpLD assessment practising certificate (APC): approved practitioner status (dyscalculia)

Miriam is a qualified teacher with over 30 years of teaching experience across the primary and middle school age ranges in roles including SENCo, assistant and deputy headteacher. She has worked for MAT Outreach Services for over seven years and is able to carry out a range of diagnostic assessments for cognition and learning and specific learning difficulties - dyslexia and dyscalculia, access arrangements at secondary and non-diagnostic assessments for SEMH and neurodiversity.

Karen Harrison-Blount – specialist learning advisory teacher

BA (hons) PGCE in secondary education, QTS, certificate of competence in educational testing (CCET)

Karen is a qualified teacher working in Shropshire for over 20 years. She has worked for MAT Outreach Services for just over a year and is able to carry out diagnostic assessments for cognition and learning and non-diagnostic assessments for SEMH and neurodiversity. She's also a registered member of the British Psychology Society.

Niki McGarvey – specialist SEMH advisor

BA (hons) teaching, learning and mentoring; post-grad in attachment trauma and mental health difficulties.

Niki has over 15 years of experience in working within a specialist educational setting, specifically relating to social, emotional and mental health as a non-teaching professional and is an expert in the field of trauma related childhood experiences.  She's able to assess and evaluate barriers to learning and create specific person-centered-plans. She has worked for MAT Outreach Services for just over a year and is able to carry out diagnostic assessments for cognition and learning and non-diagnostic assessments for SEMH and neurodiversity.

Julie Saxby – specialist learning advisory teacher

B.Ed, post-grad certificate in SpLD dyslexia; post-grad diploma in SpLD dyslexia; associate member of the British Dyslexia Association; member of the Professional Association of Teachers of Students with Specific Learning Difficulties (patoss number: IF9672)

Julie is a mainstream qualified teacher with over 15 years of practice in the UK and international schools.  She's worked for MAT Outreach Services for over 13 years, and is able to carry out a range of diagnostic assessments for cognition and learning and SpLD dyslexia, as well as non-diagnostic assessment for SEMH and neurodiversity.

Zoë Williams – Outreach co-ordinator

Zoë is the co-ordinator for MAT Outreach Services. She's the first point of contact for anyone enquiring into our service, and acts as liaison between schools and the specialist advisory teachers to ensure all assessments and services are carried out.

Contact details