An Interview with Catherine Burton
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Catherine has worked in education for over twenty years. She currently works in a Catholic Secondary School in West Yorkshire. Catherine has a keen interest in SEND, especially in Autism and Dyslexia.
What made you choose the Real Training courses over other options?
After doing extensive Google research I chose Real Training. I was impressed with how clear and easy to navigate it was. There was lots of background information about the group and also clear information for each training course they had to offer.
What was your experience of learning with Real Training?
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Real Training. My course tutors were incredibly helpful and patient. Even though they worked part-time, I always received replies to any queries I had on the same day I sent them. Talk about going above and beyond! It has been a while since I have done any training but at no point did I ever feel unsupported. The customer care team were also excellent, I had a technical issue which was entirely my fault and it was dealt with quickly and efficiently.
How has the course helped make an impact at school?
The SEN department had gone through a complete staff change prior to me starting my role, the previous two qualified assessors had retired. The school had to ‘buy in’ an assessor for the class of 2022 students as their Access Arrangement Applications had not been processed. My qualification has had a significant impact on the school. The knowledge I have gained has allowed me to audit the current documentation which has resulted in four students now having Access Arrangements in place. We also have had several students whose parents have been challenging the school about what support their child should get, the knowledge which I have obtained has allowed me to advise the SENCO on what is and isn’t allowed. We now have two other staff members undertaking the course.
How has the course helped develop you as an educational professional and what do you hope to achieve with your new knowledge/skills in the future?
Having worked in education for over twenty years I thought I had a fairly good understanding of the evidence needed for Access Arrangements and how applications are made. The course allowed me to increase my prior knowledge bank and ‘fill in’ the blanks, meaning I now have a comprehensive understanding of the process from beginning to end.