My professional experience has been shaped by working in schools actively strengthening how they support both students and the adults who work with them.

I began my career as a learning support assistant in specialist andinclusive school settings, working closely with students whose learning, behavioural, and emotional needs highlighted the responsibility of schools to coordinate support across all aspects of a student’s development. In these contexts, progress depended less on individual effort and more on the quality of the systems in place and the culture that surrounded them.

When I moved into teaching roles in similar settings, I noticed clear patterns. When support was coordinated, clearly owned, and part of everyday practice, systems supported culture and culture, in turn, sustained the systems. This created conditions where students made progress and staff were able to continue their work with clarity and confidence. When systems were less coherent, both students and teachers felt the effects, and the culture would suffer.

Finally, as a school leader, this understanding of how systems and culture shape experience extended beyond classrooms. I worked alongside teachers and leadership teams making day to day decisions about how schools organise support and respond when systems are under strain. I saw how leadership decisions shaped whether support was shared through systems or carried by individuals.

Looking back, what has stayed consistent for me is a focus on identifying where systems can be strengthened to better support people.

That perspective shapes the way I work with schools, with a focus on clarity, consistency, and collective responsibility.