Team Testimonials

Hi, my name is Ali Colby, I have worked at the Acorn centre for 8 years as a Behaviour Support Practitioner. Within this period, I have spent some time supporting the families of our children, which I found rewarding .

Before coming to Acorn, I have worked in various roles with children, these include being a child minder, running a mobile creche,   worked as a TA in a senior school, moving on to become a Behaviour Support Manager. I have previously trained as a baby massage therapist. I was also a Parenting Support Facilitator, running parent courses in the local area. I'm a trained Thrive practitioner.

My work with the children is focused around the training I have received, based upon a therapeutic way of thinking. I have attended numerous courses relating to children’s behaviours including Attachment, Drawing and Talking, Sand Story Skills, Sensory Processing, Protective Behaviours one and two, Step On, Understanding Autism, Safeguarding, Trauma and Speech & Language. I also have a diploma in social work and health education. I’m a qualified first aider. 

I love working with a variety of children within The Acorn Centre. While on outreach, I am keen to support children and staff in each school setting, giving them positive experiences and strategies to help in their development.

The Acorn Centre is a unique Behaviour Support Provision for children, families and schools. We are able to offer many avenues of support for the families, schools and children. It’s a lovely team to be part of, working together to give our children the best possible outcomes.

Hi I'm Anna xxx

Hi, I'm Colette...

Hi. I'm Debbie...

Hi my name is Emma and I have been the Administrator at The Acorn Centre for 2 years.

I have worked in various PA and admin roles over the years, but decided to do something that I am passionate about and deciced to work with SEN children, which I did for for 3 years.

I am now back doing admin but also have the opportunity to interact with the children at the Centre and feel very privileged to be able to do both.

Hello, my name is Fiona and I am a Behaviour Support Practitioner at the Acorn Centre. I began my career within education as a Teaching Assistant/HLTA. Within this role I was part of a Pastoral team supporting small groups of children through several interventions including managing bereavement and loss. This became the foundation for my future development in supporting vulnerable children with varying needs. This passion led me to Acorn 5 years ago; a safe haven for children and families.

A particular area of interest for me is Trauma and Attachment; how these life experiences (Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACEs) impact upon a child’s daily life and how I can support them through this. I enjoy sharing my knowledge with the children and supporting them to understand what is happening within their bodies and their brain when they become heightened.

I have gained additional experience and qualifications in: THRIVE, Autism, Sand Story Skills, Protective Behaviours, Attachment, Drawing and Talking, Counselling skills (Level 2 CACHE), as well as Sensory Processing Practitioner. Most recently I have qualified as a Heart 2 Heart Practitioner/Facilitator which is a relational approach to Attachment Play.

A therapeutic approach enhances the above skills when supporting each child along their journey.

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.

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 68 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 nearly 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!