Team Testimonials

Hi, I’m Anna and I’m the Specialist Teacher here at The Acorn Centre.

I joined the team in September 2024 as the centre moved to its newly renovated location in South Oxhey. The much more spacious facilities allowed for this brand-new role for the provision, delivering in-reach group sessions based in our small classroom, alongside supporting any Permanently Excluded pupils at the centre from the DSPL9 area until a new school placement is secured.

During this time I have become a Thrive Licensed Practitioner, an approach which is grounded in child development, neuroscience and attachment theory. The intensive training course provided the tools and techniques to understand what is driving a child’s behaviour allowing me to respond in ways that help children feel safe, regulate and able to engage.

I have been a teacher for 24 years, completing a BEd degree in Primary Education specialising in English and Special Educational Needs. I taught initially in a large multi-cultural school in Barnet, before taking up various posts in Watford and Hemel Hempstead including working in deprived areas of the county and in schools with above average numbers of pupils with SEND. I taught in the Early Years Foundation Stage for 8 years and also had the opportunity to complete Level 3 Forest School training to be able to lead Forest school sessions in my settings.

My interest in working with pupils with additional needs led me to take on the role of leading Classic Boxall Nurture Groups in two different schools, undertaking specialised training at the University of Cambridge for the position. A Nurture Group is a school-based intervention run by two members of staff with a small group of pupils with identified SEMH needs with the aim to replace missing early experiences by developing positive pupil relationships with both teachers and peers in a supportive environment before re-integrating them successfully back into their mainstream classroom. Effective nurture practice follows the Six Principles of Nurture, all of which are still pertinent to my current role, especially ‘all behaviour is communication’.

In my personal life, this role led me to become a specialised respite foster carer for Hertfordshire County Council, supporting foster placements with high SEMH needs children by providing regular respite breaks for carers to enable placements to be sustainable. As part of this role I was trained in the ARC approach (Attachment, Regulation, and Competency), a therapeutic framework for delivering care alongside trauma-informed practice. I have also been a STEPs trainer for my setting (now known as Therapeutic Thinking). Therapeutic Thinking is a Hertfordshire wide theory driven, psychologically informed, whole school approach focusing on how children and young people are supported, particularly in terms of their SEND, emotional wellbeing, behaviour and mental health.

The knowledge and skills I have acquired over the years, and now as a parent to three myself, have come together to equip me for the unique role here at The Acorn Centre, and I feel fortunate to work alongside a team of experienced and dedicated professionals.

Hi, my name is Mrs Cross, and I am a Behaviour Support Practitioner at The Acorn Centre.

Supporting children to recognise their strengths and realise their full potential has always been at the heart of my work. My career in education began in a mainstream school, where I worked in a one-to-one support role with a child with additional needs. This experience gave me a valuable understanding of the importance of building trusting relationships, understanding individual needs, and creating the right conditions for children to succeed.

Joining The Acorn Centre has enabled me to extend this support to many more children across a wider platform. Working alongside schools, staff, and families, I am passionate about helping children feel seen, heard, understood, and valued. I believe that every child has something to be proud of and that, with the right support and environment, every child has the opportunity to thrive.

My practice is underpinned by a nurturing, child-centred approach that focuses on building confidence, resilience, and emotional wellbeing. I am committed to helping children recognise their own strengths, develop a positive sense of self, and overcome barriers that may impact their learning and development.

Becoming Thrive trained, as a licensed Thrive Practitioner, reinforced many of the approaches I was already using in my practice and strengthened my belief that behaviour is a form of communication. Through a relational and therapeutic approach, I support children in developing emotional awareness, understanding their experiences, and building the skills they need to feel successful both within and beyond the classroom.

The most rewarding aspect of my role is seeing children begin to believe in themselves. Watching a child grow in confidence, recognise their achievements, and realise their own potential, is what motivates me every day. My aim is always to provide a safe, supportive, and encouraging environment where every child feels empowered to flourish and achieve success in their own unique way.

Hi. I'm Debbie!

I have an extensive career supporting children aged 4-11 - I have dedicated my professional life to nurturing children's emotional wellbeing, resilience, and success in school.

My journey began in childcare management, leading an after-school and holiday club, before moving into pastoral support role in 2007.

Since then, I have worked extensively with children experiencing social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs, as well as those impacted by trauma and adverse childhood experiences.

As a qualified Thrive Practitioner, I have been proud to champion therapeutic practice at every level of education, from direct work with children to influencing strategic approaches with staff, applying my experience from a previous Senior Leadership role. My passion lies in helping schools create emotionally safe environments where every child can thrive.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is collaborating with school staff, teaching assistants, and leaders to develop a deeper understanding of children's emotional development and behaviour. Through coaching, training, and modelling relational approaches, I support professionals to become emotionally available and emotionally safe adults for the children they work with.

I firmly believe that positive behaviour and a strong school culture are built through relationships, understanding, and emotional connection. By promoting whole-school approaches that prioritise wellbeing, attachment awareness, and trauma-informed practice, I help schools create inclusive environments where both children and adults can flourish

Hi, my name is Fiona Ford - I am a Behaviour Support practitioner at The Acorn Centre

My role is grounded in a deeply therapeutic and relational approach, shaped by many years of supporting children and the adults around them. I transferred to a career within education 20 years ago as a Teaching Assistant and HLTA, where I was also part of a pastoral team offering emotional support, including work around bereavement and loss. These experiences formed the foundation of my commitment to understanding children’s internal worlds and responding with empathy, attunement, and safety.

For the past eight years at the Acorn Centre, I have worked within a nurturing environment that values connection, co‑regulation, and the belief that behaviour is a form of communication. My specialist interest lies in Trauma and Attachment, exploring how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) influence a child’s wellbeing, relationships, and daily regulation. I am passionate about helping children make sense of what is happening in their bodies and brains when they become heightened, empowering them with emotional understanding and tools for self-regulation.

Alongside my direct work with children and families, I am committed to supporting school staff in developing trauma‑informed, relational practice. I regularly collaborate with teachers, teaching assistants, pastoral teams and school leaders to ensure each child has every opportunity to feel understood, supported, and able to achieve their full potential whether this is based within the learning environment or at The Acorn Centre. This includes modelling strategies, offering reflective conversations, and helping staff apply therapeutic approaches that promote emotional safety, consistency, and connection. I value the opportunity to walk alongside staff, helping them feel equipped, understood, and supported in their roles whilst they are supporting children that have reached us here at The Acorn Centre.

My practice draws on a wide range of therapeutic and relational frameworks. My training and experience include THRIVE (a trauma-informed approach to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people), Autism and ADHD, Protective Behaviours, Attachment awareness, Sand Story Skills, Drawing and Talking, Counselling Skills (Level 2 CACHE), Interoception and Emotional Regulation, Mental Health awareness and Emotional wellbeing. I am also a trained Autism and SEND Sensory Needs Practitioner and a qualified Heart 2 Heart Practitioner/Facilitator—an attachment‑based approach that uses play to strengthen connection and promote emotional safety.

A therapeutic lens shapes every aspect of my work. I believe in meeting each child exactly where they are, offering a calm, attuned, and trusting relationship in which they can explore emotions, repair ruptures, and build resilience. Whether supporting children directly or empowering the adults around them, my focus remains consistent: holding each individual’s story with respect and creating the conditions for healing, growth, and positive relationships.

DDP Level 1 and Trauma Informed (Beacon House), Centre for Healing. 

I’ve worked in schools since 2015. I started as a volunteer in a primary school listening to children of all ages read. I then became a Midday Supervisor's Assistant for 5 years, which meant looking after children during lunchtimes and out on the playground. I really enjoyed this role as I was able to be creative with the children through play. As my creativity had been unlocked I decided to train as a Children’s Counsellor.

I worked at The Acorn Centre previously as a Therapeutic Play Practitioner and I left this role to concentrate on my training. In July 2021, I qualified as an Integrative Children's Counsellor using the Arts, trained at The Institute For Arts In Therapy And Education in London.

I use play and Art to allow the children to open up and express themselves freely. The child is given a confidential space to manage their thoughts and big feelings in a safe way. By using 7 forms of Art to connect their mind and body, this visual language supports the child to safely explore their internal and external worlds, with the aim of improving their emotional well-being. I’ve had experience working with young people with Autism and children who have a variety of mental health issues including anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, bereavement, grief, loss, family breakdown, attachment disorders, trauma, abuse and self harm. The Counselling process offers a safe environment where these difficulties can be explored creating long lasting life changes and psychological shifts. 

I am also a registered SandStory therapist, trained by Lara Kasza and enjoy using this medium to allow children to express themselves. SandStory Therapy is a very gentle therapeutic approach enabling the child to tell their story in the sand, combining the therapeutic use of sand, water and symbols to support the child through their therapeutic journey. Story telling is a way of connecting with the child’s unconscious and can be very powerful especially with children who find talking and expressing themselves difficult.

To summarise, I am an Integrative Creative Child Counsellor who works primarily with primary-aged children at The Acorn Centre. My practice is Trauma-Informed and grounded in the belief that 'behaviour' is a form of communication, where for a child, words are often hard to find. 

Using creative, relational, and child-led Art-based approaches, to support the child to express themselves. I aim to support our children to feel safe, seen, heard, and understood, helping the child to make sense of their emotions, experiences, thoughts and encouraging them to listen to the messages from their bodies. 

My work typically draws on a 'Bottom-Up' approach to regulation, recognising that children often need to experience safety and co-regulation before they can access reflection, self-awareness, self-regulation, and learning. 

I am also a Parent-Child Practitioner, trained with Trauma-Informed Schools UK (TIS) and I am passionate about supporting the wider family relationships around the child. I run our parent groups each week at The Acorn Centre at our Acorn and Oaks sessions. 

The child is at the centre of everything I do, and it is my belief that when a child feels safe, both within themselves and in their relationships at home and school, change becomes possible. 

I feel very privileged to be part of the team at The Acorn Centre.  

Hi, I’m Sarah, and I am the Provision Lead at The Acorn Centre.

My role is to support pupils with SEMH (Social, Emotional, and Mental Health) needs within our Tiered Behaviour Support Service in DSPL9, based at The Acorn Centre. I lead a small team of staff supporting 71 primary schools across DSPL9.

I have extensive experience working with children with complex SEMH needs, specialising in creating nurturing, structured, and inclusive environments where pupils can thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

I am passionate about developing innovative strategies within mainstream schools to promote positive behaviour and emotional regulation in children who may be at risk of exclusion. I work closely with school staff, families, and external agencies to ensure every child receives tailored support that meets their individual needs.

My background has always been in Primary Education, with over 20 years of experience. I began my career in Finchley as a class teacher and subject coordinator, with a strong passion for supporting children who struggled with behaviour by building positive relationships and trust.

In 2011, I relocated to Bushey to raise my growing family and spent 12 years working in a local school as a class teacher, subject leader, and more recently as SENCO, gaining the NASENCO award. The school had high levels of SEMH needs, and I worked collaboratively and creatively with the team to reduce pupils’ risk of exclusion.

My passion has always been supporting children with complex needs and challenging behaviours, approaching behaviour as a form of communication that can be understood and supported with the right provision for each child. My SEN knowledge around ASD, ADHD, dyslexia, sensory processing and anxiety is extensive and supports my current role due to many children supported by our service having underlying and overlapping needs - often going undiagnosed. 

My passion and knowlede has been further informed by personal experience. Having supported my nephew, with SEND needs, through a permanent exclusion, I gained first-hand insight into the profound impact exclusion can have on children, their families, and school staff. Through this experience, I developed a deep understanding of the SEND landscape in Hertfordshire and the opportunities and services available to support children during unsettled times in mainstream school. When initially supporting my nephew to reduce his risk of exclusion, I explored every creative avenue for bespoke provision within his mainstream setting prior to his exclusion. Post-exclusion, his journey followed a path through Alternative Provision and specialist settings to ensure his needs were met effectively.

The skills and knowledge I gained from this journey, combined with my SENCO training and experience, have enabled me to offer advice and strategies widely across DSPL9 for children at risk of exclusion.

I look forward to continuing working with the DSPL9 team to support children, families, and school staff in implementing the best SEN provision for pupils with SEMH needs.

Hi I'm Stass!

I joined the Acorn Centre in November 2024, following their move to a new location and hearing about the provision for the first time. The new space created the opportunity for my role as a Behaviour Support Assistant. Since joining, I have had the privilege of working alongside specialist teachers and behaviour support practitioners to create a positive, therapeutic and nurturing environment for children who experience difficulties with self-regulation, emotional regulation and behaviours that may be challenging or arise from distress. 

What makes The Acorn Centre so special is the individualised approach we take. We recognise that every child is different and that behaviour is often a form of communication. Rather than simply focusing on the behaviour itself, we work to understand the needs behind it and provide children with the tools, strategies and relationships they need to feel safe, understood and successful. Most importantly, we support children to develop strategies that they can take with them and apply within their own school environment. 

Our support extends beyond the specialist setting. We also provide support within children's own school environments, collaborating with teachers and support staff to share practical strategies that can make a meaningful difference to a child's day-to-day experience. By helping school staff understand a child's individual needs and how best to support them, we can create greater consistency between settings and give children a much better opportunity to succeed. 

I have three years' experience working with children with Special Educational Needs across Key Stages 1 and 2. My first year was spent volunteering as a Teaching Assistant and 1:1 tutor in a primary school, supporting children of different ages and with a range of needs. I have subsequently spent two years at the Acorn Centre, where I have continued to develop my knowledge, skills and confidence within specialist behaviour support role. 

Working with children of this nature requires patience, empathy, consistency and a willingness to continually learn. At The Acorn Centre, I have been fortunate to access a wide range of training and resources, including Paediatric First Aid, as well as becoming a Thrive-licensed practitioner. Alongside this, there are ongoing opportunities to develop my understanding of behaviour, regulation and therapeutic approaches, allowing me to continually adapt and strengthen my practice. 

The most rewarding part of my role is seeing the difference that the right support can make. A child who may initially struggle to engage, regulate or communicate their needs can, with the right environment and consistent support, begin to build confidence, develop new strategies and experience success. These moments may seem small, but for a child, their family and their school, they can represent a significant step forward. 

I am proud to be part of a team that looks beyond behaviour and sees the individual child. The Acorn Centre provides not only specialist support, but also knowledge, guidance and practical strategies to the schools and professionals around each child. By working together, we can help children feel understood, develop their independence and, most importantly, recognise that they can achieve much more than they may think they can. 

A child will do well if they can. 

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