The Story Behind Fern Path

Leadership training with the NCSL led to varied SLT roles including core subject lead, safeguard lead, ECT mentor and time as an assistant head. Enroute to headship, I began to reflect on what I felt truly passionate about which led me into the world of SEND. I completed the NASENDCo qualification and truly enjoyed my time as a SENDCo. Eventually, looking for a new challenge, I moved into alternative provision. I have followed opportunities that have continually deepened my understanding of children and young people, each step has given me a different perspective on education and the systems designed to support them. Each experience has brought me closer to the work I do today.

Over the years, I’ve met far too many young people who have reached a point of crisis because their needs weren’t recognised, understood or supported early enough. I’ve seen the impact this can have — not just on a young person’s education, but on their confidence, relationships, sense of belonging and belief in themselves.

I’ve also seen how truly effective leaders create supportive environments that can transform a team to move from surviving the day to shaping the future. A confident, happy team filters down to the young people we work with and builds a learning community where everybody feels seen and valued. A place where everybody feels they truly belong.

Those experiences have changed the way I think about education.

They’ve made me increasingly curious about what we could do differently, how we can notice things earlier, and how we can create support that works with young people rather than expecting young people to fit systems that weren’t designed around them. As somebody who is very much interested in systems that work for all stakeholders, I feel it is also important that those working directly with young people believe in and have faith in the systems we expect them to work with. They need to be meaningful and have real impact, not just another new initiative implemented to tick a box. 

That curiosity — and a strong belief that things should be done thoughtfully and compassionately — is a big part of why I created Fern Path.

I believe knowledge and expertise matter, but so do humility, kindness and compassion. We don’t always get it right. We need to be willing to listen, to learn, to question our assumptions and, when necessary, to change direction.

Fern Path is rooted in that belief: that better outcomes begin with seeing the person before the need, listening without judging, and being curious enough to ask, “What might we be missing?”