About Sarah

I'm Sarah Baker, the person behind SBK SEN Consulting. I'm a teacher and SENCO with experience of supporting children, families and school staff. I've also seen, as a parent, how difficult school can become when a child's needs aren't understood.

Those experiences are why I care about helping people make sense of what is happening and find a way forward together.

My route into teaching

I didn't take a straight path into teaching. I first studied hospitality and catering, worked for a while, then returned to college and discovered a love of history.

Some parts of learning came easily to me. Others didn't. Maths made sense; spelling and written work were much harder. At university, I began to understand what helped me learn: studying somewhere busy rather than in a quiet library, working on my spelling and asking someone to proofread my writing.

That experience has stayed with me. A child can be trying hard and still find something difficult. Understanding what is getting in the way matters.

My experience in schools

I began working as a teaching assistant in 2012. Supporting a pupil through Year 7 gave me a grounding in what school feels like from a child's perspective, across the whole school day.

I went on to become an Assistant SENCO and Assistant Head of Key Stage 3 before completing my teacher training. I've now taught for ten years, mainly history, and spent five years as a SENCO. I hold the NASENCO qualification.

My SENCO work has included supporting more than 160 pupils on the SEN register, including over 30 with Education, Health and Care Plans. I've trained staff, written reports, taken part in reviews and multi-agency meetings, and been involved in mediation and tribunals.

What matters to me

The biggest part of my role has always been listening. Sometimes that means hearing a parent's concerns about getting their child into school. Sometimes it's helping a teaching assistant work out what a pupil needs that day, or making time for a young person who needs someone to talk to.

I've seen how much can change when the people around a child work together. My aim is to help families and schools understand each other, keep the child's needs in view and work towards a practical next step.

Get in touch

If you'd like to talk about your child's situation or support in your school, you're welcome to get in touch. You don't need to know which service to ask for. Tell me what is happening, and we can discuss whether SBK can help.