'School Staff Thank You Scheme' reward for Jo

Jo has been nominated by her Headteacher for the Exeter Consortium ‘School Staff Thank You Scheme’ and has been selected to receive an award for the support she provides for children in her role as Teaching Assistant.

The Headteacher explained:
"Jo worked positively and tirelessly with a child last year who had very complex additional needs and was at serious risk of permanent exclusion. She provided a bespoke curriculum for him which enabled him to successfully complete the year (and even take part in some whole school events such as sports day) before moving onto specialist provision. She showed incredible resilience over the course of a very challenging year and changed the life of that young man to ensure he was safe and settled prior to his transition.
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Jo also mentors children after school each day, providing them a space to experience joy and to nurture a special bond with a key adult in school. In her own time, Jo studies to improve her own knowledge, particularly around SEND and has also created some amazing art work on items being used to enhance our playground provision." 
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About Jo and her role as Teaching Assistant
Losing my job as a designer during the pandemic led me to discover a whole new passion in working with children. When I started at St. Martin's, I learned that working with children with complex needs can be incredibly rewarding and I have since focused on improving my knowledge and skills to support the children even more.

I am extremely proud of this award for my work with a child with complex needs and for using my skills as an artist to benefitthe school too.

When I first began working with a 5-year-old boy, I realised that I needed to find creative ways to engage him in learning. He would regularly refuse to complete tasks, so I knew I needed to think outside the box to foster a connection and encourage participation. I discovered his love for Rick Astley. Recognising this opportunity, I created "Maths by Rick Astley," combining his favourite music with the learning objectives. This approach was an instant success because it appealed to his interests and helped build rapport and make learning fun. It was a success for a while but those that work with children with Special Educational Needs know that you have to continuously be creative and come up with new ways to engage them.

Despite facing many ups and downs, including periods of challenging behaviour, I worked closely with both his parents and the school to maintain open communication and ensure consistency. Through this collaborative effort, we were able to keep him in a mainstream setting where he could thrive. 

Our partnership lasted three years and it’s especially heart-warming that, before moving to a specialised provision, he took part in the whole school’s Sports Day. Witnessing him overcoming his fear and taking part in an event that he had never participated in before was an incredibly emotional moment for him, me and his family. That milestone is something that will stay with me for a long time.

These moments are what make the job so rewarding. It’s not just about the lessons they learn academically, but the ones they learn about themselves. It’s important to approach every child with patience, creativity, and belief in their potential.

St Martin’s is an environment where every child feels safe and supported and it is evident that what we do has a meaningful impact on their ability to succeed.

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​The ‘School Staff ‘Thank You’ scheme’ is open to all Exeter Consortium partner schools as listed on our website HERE and a school can nominate one member of staff per year. To nominate a member of staff from your school please use the Google form HERE. The deadline for nominations is the last Friday before each half term break.

For information about the Exeter Consortium ‘School Staff Thank You Scheme’ please contact [email protected]