I started working at TreeHouse School in April 2009 as a Qualified Teacher. Although it was a challenging experience to adapt my practice to such a unique setting, TreeHouse School is an amazing, inspiring and exciting place to work. Every team member is completely committed to achieving the best outcomes for the pupils, and this feeling filters into everything we do.

My background is in teaching pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorders within a variety of settings, including special schools, mainstream schools, and in specialist units within mainstream schools. The wonderful facilities, staff and structure at TreeHouse School means that there are a number of significant differences in how the Qualified Teacher role operates, compared with these settings. The following are several examples of these differences:

• The principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis are integral in the design and delivery of every teaching programme. I was initially overwhelmed by this, as ABA is such a rich, thorough approach. However, staff training (particularly in ABA) is such a focus at TreeHouse School, that I have never felt unsupported to fully integrate this into my teaching. In addition, ABA promotes such sound practice that I feel like I have developed as a teacher through embracing these principles
• The multi-disciplinary approach at TreeHouse School means that I am often meeting with a variety of colleagues in different professions. It’s really rewarding and enriching to receive (and give) guidance in relevant areas of expertise. For example, I would work with an Occupational Therapist to plan a handwriting programme, therefore using their knowledge of fine motor development, and the skills of the pupil, and using my knowledge of handwriting as a part of the English subject area
• As a teacher, I am allocated to a Phase rather than a particular class. Within that Phase I work across classes and with particular students based on their particular needs and personalised curriculum

My timetable is different each day of the week, but a typical day might include:

08:30 Gather resources for the day
08:45 Whole school briefing / Information sharing
09:00 Planning time – writing a P-Level report
10:00 Wider Curriculum topic work (‘Leisure and Pastimes’) with small group
10:30 Break supervision
10:45 Break
11:00 Teaching and Learning meeting with a Phase 3 class support team (consisting of ABA Consultant, ABA Supervisor, Speech & Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist)
12:15 Lunch
13:00 Lunch club or 1:1 enrichment opportunity
13:45 Community trip to local shops with small group of pupils
15:30 Planning time – writing Risk Assessment for vocational opportunities at local garden centre for 6th form pupil
16:00 Training on new Sickness/Absence procedures

I really could not overstate how rewarding teaching at TreeHouse School can be. Every day is different, challenging, inspiring and every day I feel I grow as a professional. And every day, I work within teams who are incredibly skilled and absolutely dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for all pupils. Good reason to come to work in the morning!