Katie Victoria Dobson

A creative practitioner, with a focus on play based pedagogy & conceptualised learning, specialised in Special Educational Needs and Nurture, and teaching children from ages 3-12 years.

Experience of teaching children and young people with severe and complex needs in specialist provision, whilst striving for inclusion and equity. Skilled in differentiation strategies, and creating bespoke resources for across the curriculum, including sensory aids. Uniquely, one of three Nurture teachers who worked with the Argyll & Bute Psychological Services Team, supporting a variety of stakeholders including teachers and senior leaders, with whole school nurture accreditation, as well as group and individual nurturing approaches.

Providing training and mentorship in staff mental health via workshops and consultation. Nurturing children who have experienced trauma and adversity by developing relationships, and creating bespoke curriculums & environment, and providing 1-1 tuition in all curricular areas using and modelling nurturing approaches. Experienced coach and trainer, designing sustainable webinar-based training, and authoring and facilitating the popular 'The Nurture Podcast', as well as delivering online and in person nurture training and workshops to local authority schools, students on teacher training courses, and newly qualified teachers.

Throughout my professional career, I have thrived on the opportunity to experience different working environments and learn new skills, demonstrating on each occasion the ability to foster successful relationships.

Nurture Teacher - Argyll & Bute Council

(2021-09 - 2023-08)

Supporting Early Education and Childcare establishments, Primary, and Secondary schools involved in Our Children, Their Nurturing Education (OCTNE) through the OCTNE accreditation framework.

• Supporting educational establishments to plan and deliver nurture provision to targeted children and young people aged 3-18.
• Supporting schools to implement an appropriate nurture-based curriculum for targeted children and young people.
• Creating, facilitating and modelling 1-1 tuition to children and young people most in need using nurturing strategies.
• Supporting schools to assess progress of targeted children and young people.
• Providing intensive but time-limited support through coaching, consultation and building capacity in staff and schools to make targeted provision sustainable.
• Being a part of the recruitment team for new teachers.
• Developing and delivering bespoke and appropriate nurture training to stakeholders, online and in person, including parents, senior managers, teaching and support staff, university students and newly qualified teachers.
• Creating and co-presenting The Nurture Podcast, and developing and training others in webinar creation.
• Working with multiple IT systems, including Google Classroom & Workspace, Microsoft Teams & Microsoft Office to liaise and build training with colleagues and other stakeholders.

Primary Class Teacher (Mainstream and Special Educational Needs Schools) - Argyll & Bute Council

(2017-08 - 2021-09)

Teaching and researching all areas of the curriculum for children ages 3-12, including early Literacy and Math/problem solving.

• Using programmes such as Jolly Phonics, Letterland and Numicon to support teaching and learning.
• Teaching children with specific learning difficulties (SpLD's) including children and young people with a diagnosis of dyslexia, dyspraxia & ADHD.
• Creating curriculums for, and teaching children with ASD and social, behavioural and emotional needs.
• Teaching children with medical needs.
• Creating a positive, nurturing, and inclusive environment for all learners.
• Differentiating learning and facilitating effective universal, group and 1-1 intervention strategies.
• Facilitating a fun, engaging curriculum with lots of opportunities for digital learning, outdoor learning, learning through play and collaboration.
• Utilising school resources and making bespoke resources to meet learners needs and encourage enthusiasm and love of learning.
• Scaffolding learning, and using progression planners, particularly in Math & English to ensure academic progress.
• Assessing children via formative and summative assessments, including presenting children for national tests.
• Marking work, giving feedback to facilitate individual progress within zone of proximal development (ZPD), scaffolding learning to support children and develop children and young people.
• Delivering contextualised and relevant learning, to engage learners.
• Preparing for and facilitating parents' evenings. and maintaining regular and informative contact with parents.
• Preparing Long term, mid-term and short-term targets and planning, using planning formats and a variety of IT, for all curriculum key stages.
• Managing a team of 4-5 additional support for learning assistants.
• Managing and facilitating interventions for children, including but not exclusive to, 1-1 support, sensory experiences, Nessy, Fizzy, Numicon, reading interventions, occupational therapy, and educational psychology support.
• Facilitating Accelerated Reading as a universal support intervention to raise reading attainment for all learners.
• Developing and facilitating extra- curricular activities.

Advice & Information Officer (Additional Support Needs in Scotland) - Children in Scotland (Enquire)

• Providing in-depth advice and information by telephone, webchat and email on additional support for learning rights and duties.
• Utilising a variety of IT systems at any one time.
• Keeping abreast of policy, practice and legislative change relevant to children and young people with additional support needs.
• Producing and analysing data to share with stakeholders and policy makers.
• Monitoring and evaluating the impact of work and providing reports to funders.
• Contributing to the planning and development of the service to meet the changing needs of people who use the helpline.
• Co-project managing online teaching series, using Prince 2 project management framework.
• Representing Enquire at external events.

Support & Development Worker - Argyll & Bute Rape Crisis

• Facilitating the delivery of specialist support and advocacy services to non-offending women, men and young people who have experienced or are at risk of sexual abuse and/or exploitation.
• Facilitating emotional support and practical support/guidance to non-offending family members, friends, and workers from partner agencies supporting survivors who have additional complex issues.
• Working in partnership with relevant agencies to enhance responses to survivors of sexual crimes, including where appropriate the development and delivery of training inputs.

Communications Specialist - Royal Navy

• Operating and maintaining sophisticated global networked information systems, at sea & on land, to ensure consistent communications on board ships and onshore.
• Administrative and communication duties, on sea and land, including at Northwood HQ, a major British military command and control centre, housing the permanent Joint Headquarters and NATO maritime commands.
• Maintaining Royal Navy fitness standards.
• Participating in team and individual sports.

BSc (Hons) - Social Sciences with Politics & Sociology - The Open University

Professional Graduate Diploma - Primary Education - Strathclyde University

NVQ III - Health & Social Care (with children and young people) - The Open University