Ruth is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and plays several instruments. She holds a teaching diploma and home educated her own children for several years, becoming skilful at tailoring lessons to suit each individual within a group.
She studied maths to A level as it is a subject she is passionate and enthusiastic about. Her goal is to transmit this enthusiasm to her students. Ruth has experience of teaching children with autism and has a sound understanding of the condition. Ruth’s caring and sensitive nature makes her the ideal tutor to support students who come to us with very real fears of mathematics. Her knowledge and understanding of the subject also makes her the perfect coach to challenge those who are extraordinarily gifted in the subject. Ruth is also a professional artist and designer. Mainly working with pencil, watercolour, acrylic and graphic design, Ruth has made a successful career out of not only selling her work, but also allowing others to follow their creative paths.
Ruth is the exams officer at SAFE and is integral to the day-to-day running of assessments, data sharing and organisation of exams administration.

Lisa has worked in schools as an administrator and also as learning support for a number of years and is now SAFE’s admissions facilitator after sending her own child to the centre three years ago. Lisa understands the fears and concerns families may feel when making the transition from school to home education and does her uttermost to help families come to an informed and supported decision. Lisa is a friendly ear for those who feel lost and confused in the world of SEND education.
Lisa is a valuable asset to the team, ensuring centre records are up to scratch, reward schemes are followed through and makes sure students who may feel too anxious to enter a class have someone to chat to. Lisa helps families with everything from impartial DLA form advice to signposting to local workshops and training sessions.

Mick graduated at the University of York with a BSc in Television and Film Production, specialising in screenwriting. He seeks to bring his enthusiasm for story and style to GCSE English Language students.

After completing a degree in English and Sociology, Maggie trained as a Secondary English and Drama teacher. She cut her teeth in a large all-boys comprehensive in South London then moved on to learning about the challenges to learning that many children with disabilities encounter daily by working in an all- age special school.
Ten years of working in an alternative educational unit teaching all subjects and supporting teenagers who had dropped out of full-time education was underpinned by studying for an MA in Emotional Factors in Teaching and Learning.
Working on the wards and in pupils’ homes as part of the educational provision in a large London hospital taught Maggie that learning and teaching is valuable no matter what the medical and psychological circumstances may be. She still loves English and Drama but has a sneaking interest in most things to do with the world about us.
Maggie also works as a part-time exam invigilator and plays lots of traditional music in Folk Clubs and Irish music sessions on whistle and fiddle.

Awaiting biography

Awaiting biography

Awaiting biography

Awaiting biography

Having graduated with her initial teaching degree, Alison taught for ten years at a South London primary school where she became the science coordinator, responsible for the whole-school science curriculum. Her teaching was also recorded by the local authority as a professional development resource for other London schools. During this time she acted as an educational consultant on projects for the UK Government’s Intellectual Property Office. Following this, Alison led the home-education of her sons through their GCSEs, and professionally tutored a number of other children. She ran several community science and arts programmes during this time, leading groups of children to a number of John Muir Awards and prestigious science prizes. She also obtained a Master of Science Degree (Distinction) and is cited in published public health research. During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, she supported children’s education by marking science and humanities GCSE papers. Alison believes that children should directly engage with science in practical ways, and sees science education as an essential tool in developing critical and independent thinking. In her spare time, she performs renaissance music, takes part in educational living history, studies ancient languages and is an enthusiastic volunteer for English Heritage.

Hannah combines a gentle, approachable, nurturing manner with a wealth of experience of working with children with SEMH difficulties and neurodifference. Her degree in psychology led her to go into the field of SEND education, and allows her valuable insights into the struggles experienced by her students. She has worked at  both Riverside School and the Bethlem and Maudsley Hospital School, and brings the experience and knowledge she gained in these two very different provisions to her planning and implementation of therapeutic sessions and interventions at SAFE.