About Us
Trainers:
We currently have four trainers offering courses and INSET: Rob Plevin, Fintan O'Regan, Rob Long & Dave Vizard
Rob Plevin:
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"I found Rob Plevin's workshop just in time to save me from giving up. It should be compulsory - everybody in teaching should attend a Needs-Focused workshop and meet the man with such a big heart who will make you see the important part you can play in the lives of your most difficult pupils." Heather Beames, London course attendee |
Rob Plevin is the author of 'Magic Classroom Management - How to Get The Most from the Worst Kids in School' A highly practical and down-to-earth guide for all teachers, lecturers and youth workers. He has extensive experience working with challenging children and young people, having worked in residential settings and tough schools for the last 15 years.
His lessons have been described by Ofsted as 'exemplary' and he was praised by an LEA advisor as being 'an extremely gifted and talented teacher'. Most recently he was employed as Deputy Head at a KS2/3 PRU for children and teenagers with behaviour problems including ADHD, EBD and associated disorders and was identified as a key player in the team which turned the unit round from 'Special Measures'. Prior to his teaching career he worked as an outdoor activity instructor and youth worker for young offenders and young people in crisis.
He now lectures and provides training in the UK and abroad promoting the Needs Focused Approach to behaviour management through the websites classroom-management.org and behaviourneeds.com. Coaching, INSET, resources and courses are provided for local authorities, universities and schools with a focus on providing routes to success for challenging young people and the staff who support them.
Fin
tan O'Regan:
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I know from first hand experience that Fin is deeply committed to the social and learning needs of young people. He has extensive knowledge of educational interventions for students with a variety of learning, social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. And more than this, he possesses the rare gift of being able to communicate to the widest possible audience on these matters. He has now produced a catalogue of highly accessible books for parents and professionals, and is a very lively and inspiring public speaker, who always leaves his audience stimulated and enlightened. Professor Paul Cooper University of Leicester |
Fintan is a former science teacher and was the Headmaster of the Centre Academy School from 1996 -2002.
He is currently a Behaviour and Learning Consultant and Trainer for a number of organisations both nationally and internationally. He is an associate lecturer for Leicester University, the National Association of Special Needs, Learning Works, the Institute of Education and the Education director of ADDISS.
He has written a number of published articles on the subject of Behaviour and Learning issues and he is the co-author of the T.E.S. award wining book Educating Children with ADHD (2000.)
Other publications include How to teach and Manage Children with ADHD (2001), Surviving and Succeeding in SEN and ADHD: Impact and Intervention: (both 2005), Troubleshooting Challenging behaviour and Challenging Behaviours (both 2006) and The Small Change: Big Difference series Inattention, Hyperactive and Disorganised (2008).
" Fintan is a dynamic and inspirational speaker. At the heart of everything he says is 'the child'. His insights are rich and informative, enabling teachers to improve the learning opportunities they present to children."
Professor Barry Carpenter, OBE National Director, Specialist Schools and Academies Trust.
Dave Vizard:
With over 30 years' teaching experience behind him, Dave now provides training on Behaviour Management and Teaching and Learning to schools and colleges throughout the UK. For 13 years, as a Senior Manager and Head of Upper School, he has developed a range of initiatives relating to Positive Behaviour Management. For 2 years he has held a Local Authority Advisory Post for Behaviour Management.
Dave has lectured for 6 years on the Foundation degree course for Teaching Assistants at the University of Plymouth. He has also provided 'train the trainer' training for the Learning and Skills Development Agency and has spoken at many National Conferences including those for National Association of Special Educational Needs (NASEN) and Social, Emotional and Behaviour Difficulties Association (SEBDA). He is an affiliated Behaviour Management Consultant for Teach First and inputs to their National Conferences.
He has written extensively on Behaviour Management and has 15 books published to date. Two of his latest are 'Meeting the Needs of Disaffected Students - Engaging Students with Social, Emotional and Behaviour Difficulties', and 'Behaviour Solutions: A Guide to Syndromes and Conditions'.
Dave is Chair of the National Association for School Teaching Assistants (NASTA) and Editor of their magazine - Supporting Learning.
Dave runs Behaviour Solutions, an Educational Consultancy which provides a practical and professional service in promoting positive behaviour management and looks to support schools and colleges in developing their own teaching and learning and behaviour management systems.
Rob Long:
Rob Long is a Chartered Educational Psychologist who works independently offering high quality training in schools and colleges to teachers and other professionals who are concerned with children and young adults. Rob also offers individual advice and support to young people and their families - mainly in the South West region.
Previously, Rob lectured in Psychology and Sociology before working as an Educational Psychologist for Wolverhampton and then Devon Education Authorities. During this time he managed a Primary Behaviour Support Team and also supported Secondary schools in reviewing their behaviour management policies and practice. Rob's main area of interest is supporting children who face emotional and behavioural difficulties. He is committed to developing, through training and project work, an understanding of these children and providing solutions and practical help to school staff involved with them.
Currently Rob is working with the National Union of Teachers in providing professional development courses in effective classroom management and peer coaching. He has written and had published several books to support the work and training that he provides. All of Rob's books offer teachers and support staff many practical ways to manage difficult situations. Rob's training events are renowned for the dynamic approach he has to communicating with his audience and his ability to share the commitment and enthusiasm he has in his subject. He is recognised as one of the leading speakers in his field in the United Kingdom. To attend a day with Rob Long is to experience training at its best.