Learning Support Department
Welcome to St Mary’s Learning Support Department
St Mary’s has a specialist department of experienced and qualified teachers trained to teach girls with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties.
Learning difficulties can provide challenges for the brightest of students. At St Mary’s girls are identified and provided with the appropriate support as early as possible in order to avoid any loss of self-confidence and to ensure that the full potential of every girl is reached.
At present there are six part time members of staff and a full time head of the department.
Meet the Staff
Rowan Kerby- B.Ed. Hons. English Literature, RSA Dip TEFL, RAS Cert Sp.LD, PGDPSE (Open) Special Education
Since qualifying, Rowan has had a varied career in education, teaching in a range of schools at both Primary and Secondary level. Although trained as a Primary age teacher, she started teaching English in a secondary school . It is during this time that her interest in teaching pupils with literacy difficulties began, so she obtained her initial specialist qualifications and set up her first Learning Support Department. She then moved to Dorset and taught as a class teacher and SENCo in various Primary schools, and then as a specialist dyslexia teacher at Clayesmore School.
Rowan joined St. Mary’s in September 2011 from Milton Abbey where she had been Head of Learning Support for eleven years. During her time there she established a large Learning Support Department and was part of the Senior Management Team overseeing teaching and learning.
Katharine McDonald – BEd (Hons) (Cantab) OCR Dip (SpLD) AMBDA: Learning Support Teacher:
Katharine graduated from Cambridge University with a BEd degree in Drama and English. She taught at The Hall School in London where she was a form teacher for several years. After taking a break to raise a family, she completed a 2 year diploma at the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre, training to teach children and adults with specific learning difficulties. She worked on a peripatetic basis as a special needs teacher in local primary and middle schools before joining the Learning Support Department at St Mary’s in September 2002.
Yvonne Atkinson BSc (Hons) (Reading) PGCE (Bath) PG Cert Literacy and Dyslexia (York) ATS: Learning Support Teacher
Yvonne graduated from Reading University with an Honours Degree in Geography with Agriculture. She completed her PGCE in Geography with Sport and Recreation at Bath University and then taught at Leweston School, Sherborne until taking a career break to raise her family. After qualifying as a dyslexia teacher with the Dyslexia Institute she gained valuable experience in the state sector before joining St Mary's in September 2007 as a Learning Support Teacher.
Gill Phillips Cert. Ed. (Rachel McMillan, London) ACP (Associate of the College of Preceptors) – degree level qualification in specific learning difficulties.
After completing her teacher training, Gill worked in Primary Schools in the London Borough of Merton, subsequently holding a post of special responsibility for the under-achievers and having a class of twenty-five children with learning and behavioural difficulties. On moving to the West Country, she studied for her ACP and taught at Chilton Cantelo School, where she set up a Learning Support Department. She joined St. Mary’s in February 2001 as a Learning Support Teacher.
Jim O'Hare BA(Liverpool) MSc(Mathematical Education) (London) PGCE.
Jim has had a lifelong career in Education, teaching in several schools and in the RAF; running a Maths. department and rising to Deputy Head in Cumbria. He was appointed Deputy Head of St. Mary's School, Shaftesbury in 1988 and retired in 2005. He is currently enjoying an "Indian Summer" in teaching part-time. In his spare time he does voluntary work in the community and at St. Mary's RC Primary School, Marnhull.
Helen Vaughan
Helen has a BSc. Hons in Zoology and a PhD in Microbiology. She had a Research Fellowship with the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food. Helen left work to bring up a family and ran a play group in her home for several years. She then worked for a tutor agency coaching English, Maths and Science. After completing a RSA Diploma in SpLD at the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre she worked as a teacher at the Grey House Preparatory School in Surrey teaching special needs as well as classroom Biology and English. She continued to work with teenagers from local schools who had learning difficulties. Helen joined the Support Unit at St Marys in 1997.
Jacky Kascow Cert. Ed (Didsbury College Manchester)
Jacky taught Maths and PE in Greater Manchester for 7 years. She then moved to Somerset where she taught Maths and was head of department before leaving to raise her children. Jacky joined St Mary’s in 1996 as a Learning Support Teacher for Maths.
Helen Hayward Bsc (Hons) Mathematics & Statistics Newcastle University, PGCE Maths & Special Educational Needs Leeds University.
Helen taught Maths at Gordon's School in Woking and then at Newland House Prep School in Twickenham before taking a break from teaching to work in the family hamper business. She then left full time work to spend more time with her young family.
Helen joined St Mary's in 2011 as a Learning Support Teacher for Maths.
