Introduction
Rachael Webster is a Lecturer in the Nottingham Institute of Education (NTU), teaching modules in the fields of Special & Inclusive Education, Early Years care and education and educational leadership and management across undergraduate professional and academic courses. She is also involved in community and industry partnership projects to promote diversity and inclusion, as well being a qualified advisory teacher specialising in PMLD, inclusive communication, sesnroy impairments, and multiple disabilities including health and care.
Before joining Nottingham Trent University in 2018 Rachael had been teaching for 13 years, with 10 years in specialist SEND settings working with learners who have complex needs and multiple disabilities in schools in Leicester and Coventry. For the last 3 years Rachael was working in senior leadership roles as a department lead and an assistant headteacher. She has worked as an advisory teacher within a MAT supporting staff working with learners who had multiple disabilities, complex needs or sensory impairments. Rachael has devised and delivered training packages to schools, MATs and local authorities.
Expert
I am an Early Years (EY) qualified teacher with a BA (QTS) Early Years undergraduate degree, a specialist postgraduate teaching qualification in sensory impairments (PG Dip SEN MSI MQ) and a Master’s Degree in education specialising in learners with complex communication difficulties. I am a specialist in communication and interaction, Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD), sensory impairments, multi-disciplinary working and early years inclusion. I have 13 years teaching experience working in the early years and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). For 9 years I held middle leadership responsibilities as a subject coordinator as well as head of department positions, before spending 3 years in senior leadership team (SLT) roles in specialist Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) schools. Prior to joining NTU I had extensive experience of classroom teaching across the age phases from 0-19 and designing and delivering training and professional development both locally and nationally. I have acted as a professional tutor for colleagues undertaking professional qualifications including early years educator and equivalent courses, the national SENCo award and accredited leadership awards requiring some tutorial support and marking.
Fields of expertise: Disability, Education, Health and wellbeing