About Candy Clarkson

For over 40 years, I have worked with people with the whole range of SpLDs, in: inner-city comprehensive schools, an independent senior school, a special school for students with moderate, severe and profound learning difficulties and physical disabilities, a specialist unit for ASD students, a Pupil Referral Unit, Further Education colleges, universities, adult literacy classes and a residential home for ex-offenders.

I have 35 years' highly successful school and adult teaching experience, preparing students for 11+, Common Entrance, GCSE, ‘A’ Level and a variety of academic and vocational qualifications, from basic skills to higher professional level.  During this time, I was consistently rated by OFSTED as a 'good' or 'outstanding' teacher of Secondary English.  I have served as an assistant national examiner for AQA GCSE English Language and Literature, pioneered several national literacy initiatives, regularly planned and delivered INSET (whole school staff training) on various aspects of SpLD.  More recently,  I designed a year long, skills based course and produced all the strategic, management and learning materials for successful certification by LANTRA.

I have held a variety of teaching and senior management posts, including those of lecturer in adult, further and higher education, secondary English teacher 2ic, head of sixth Form, SENCO and assistant headteacher.  I further qualified and for 13 years have practised as a specialist assessor for SpLD (dyslexia).  

For the past 15 years, I have worked as a self-employed, specialist assessor for access arrangements, regularly commissioned by schools and colleges nationwide, to act as their appointed assessor and I authored the book, 'Access Arrangements in Examinations - a coffee companion for SENCOs'.

To ensure that I can always give my clients the best possible service and advice, I attend continuous professional development courses and keep up to date with the latest research and developments in Special Educational Needs and provision. 

I hold the following qualifications:

• MA Organisation, Planning and Management in Education (Distinction)                              Dissertation: 'Managing Disruptive Behaviour in Education'.
• NASENCO - National Award for SENCOs
• PGCE (Secondary English and Drama)
• CertEd (Further Education)
• BA (Hons) English Literature and Philosophy
• Full professional membership of PATOSS and The Dyslexia Guild
• Assessment Practising Certificate (The Dyslexia Guild)
• DBS Update Service
• Professional Indemnity and Public Liability Insurance
• RSA Diploma SpLD
• OCR Level 7 Teaching and Assessing Learners with SpLD