Sade Valentine

Experienced SEN Tutor Helping Children Build Confidence, Unlock Their Potential & Succeed

Is your child finding school or learning difficult? Do they struggle to concentrate, engage, communicate their needs or believe in themselves?

Perhaps traditional tutoring hasn’t worked because your child needs more than someone simply sitting beside them and working through a textbook.

I’m Sade, a qualified psychologist with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and over 10 years’ experience working with children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

I specialise in individualised 1:1 SEN support, helping children who may find traditional teaching environments challenging. My experience includes supporting children with autism, ADHD, communication difficulties, behavioural and emotional needs, low confidence, attention and concentration difficulties, and children who struggle with motivation or engagement.

A tutor who understands the child behind the behaviour

I believe that before meaningful learning can take place, a child needs to feel safe, understood, respected and capable.

Rather than expecting every child to learn in the same way, I adapt my approach to the individual child. I take time to understand their personality, strengths, interests, communication style, learning needs and what motivates them.

For children who find it difficult to sit still, focus or engage, I can incorporate movement, visual resources, practical activities, interests and short achievable tasks to make learning feel more accessible.

For children with low confidence, I focus on creating small, achievable successes that gradually build their belief in themselves.

What I can support with

• SEN-focused 1:1 tuition
• English and Maths support
• Autism and ADHD support
• Developing attention and concentration
• Building confidence and self-esteem
• Positive behaviour and engagement strategies
• Supporting children who struggle to access classroom learning
• Developing motivation and a positive attitude towards learning
• Learning through a child’s individual interests and strengths
• Mentoring and emotional support
• School reintegration and transition support
• Developing independence and learning skills
• Supporting children who become overwhelmed or dysregulated

More than academic support

My role is not simply to help a child complete their homework or improve a test score. I want children to develop skills that will benefit them far beyond the tutoring session.

This can include learning how to communicate when they need help, manage frustration, stay with a challenging task, recognise their achievements and gradually become more independent.

I use positive behaviour management and encouragement rather than pressure, helping children understand that making mistakes is a normal and important part of learning.

I also recognise that progress can look different for every child. For one child, success may be completing a piece of independent writing. For another, it may be remaining engaged with an activity for an additional five minutes, asking for help appropriately or developing the confidence to attempt something they previously avoided.

These small steps can make a huge difference.

My experience

With over a decade of experience working within SEND environments, I have supported children across different ages, abilities and stages of development. My psychology background gives me an additional understanding of behaviour, development, motivation and the factors that can affect a child’s ability to learn.

I bring together academic tutoring, SEN expertise, positive behaviour support, mentoring and confidence-building to create sessions that are genuinely personalised.

I understand that choosing the right tutor can feel like a big decision for parents. You want someone who will not judge your child, give up when things become difficult or make them feel that they are falling behind.

You want someone who will see their potential.

That is what I aim to provide.

My goal is for every child I work with to finish a session feeling “I can do this”, rather than “I’m not good at this.”

Every child learns differently. My job is to understand how your child learns best, build on their strengths and help them discover what they are capable of.