Valuing Minds

We are proud to announce our recognition as Business Leader 2025 at the Business Buzz Awards !🏆 This achievement reflects the dedication and leadership of Nicola and the entire team, whose hard work made this award possible.

This week we are saying a temporary farewell to two of the team who are starting their respective materity leave. Hope all the years of studying child development theory come in handy in practice!

Last summer, we volunteered with Sustrans, helping cut back leaves, bushes, and overgrowth to keep local routes safe and accessible for the public. A small effort that makes a big difference for the community! 🚴‍♀️ 🚶 🍃

Some lovely feedback from the mother of 3 year old L . . .

"We'd just like to thank you all so much for your help with L's assessment, the whole process was made easy to understand and everyone has been knowledgeable. A major thank you though to both Yasmin and Holly who came out to see Logan, both ladies were friendly and approachable. They were incredibly professional and knowledgeable, and the consequent report is thorough and describes Logan accurately. It is going to help us tremendously in getting the correct support and placement for L, so we cannot thank you enough. It's worth noting as well that our current settings SENCO mentioned yesterday, how well written the support and advice is, and how that will lend to L getting the education he deserves."

Thrilled to share that we've been selected as a finalist at the Business Buzz Awards 2025! 🎉 This is a fantastic achievement. Congratulations to Nicola and the team for making it happen!

Some lovely feedback from the mother of an 11 year old:

"We have had the privilege of working with Nicky for over four years, and her support has been truly invaluable to our family. She has taken the time to really get to know us and understand our child’s unique needs, offering not just professional expertise but also genuine compassion and care throughout.

Nicky has supported us through two SEND Tribunals, and her guidance, clarity, and calm reassurance at every stage made an incredibly difficult process so much more manageable. Her reports are detailed, insightful, and always focused on what is best for the child. Thanks to Nicky's support we were able to secure the right secondary school placement.

We are so grateful for everything Nicky has done for our child and for us as a family. Her knowledge, dedication, and thoughtful approach have made a lasting difference, and we would wholeheartedly recommend her to any family seeking support on their SEND journey."

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Some more lovely feedback:
"Many thanks Nicky and thank you for producing such a helpful report and for your excellent input as a witness at the Tribunal at such short notice."

What are some of the keys to unlocking pupils motivation and engagement? Read our latest blog to find out:

- Valuing Minds In this blog, Olivia Riddle looks at key principoles underlying pupil motivation and steps teachers can take to enhance their students' level of motivation .....and engagement in the learning process.

All change at Valuing Minds. Sadly, yesterday we said goodbye to , who has left us to begin her Doctorate in Child and Educational Psychology to become a fully qualified Educational Psychologist. We look forward to celebrating with Dr Riddle in due course.

And at the same time, we welcomed Holly Aylen to the team as an Assistant EP. Holly holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology with criminology and has a variety of different experiences in the educational psychology landscape. She has experience working with young people both in a professional work environment and through a volunteering background as well. Holly’s most recent role involved working in safeguarding for a young people’s charity. She is particularly interested in understanding the challenges that children and young people face in today’s society and has a passion for helping these individuals learn and develop coping strategies. Holly currently lives in Hertfordshire with her husband. Holly enjoys being outside in nature, skiing and walking!

Curious about Pathological Demand Avoidance? (PDA) 🧠 Check out a beginner's guide from Melissa Skana, Assistant Educational Psychologist, to better understand this distinct profile and how best to support those with PDA:

Beginners guide to Pathological Demand Avoidance - Valuing Minds Pathological Demand Avoidance is a distinct profile of autism - we look at strategies to support young people with PDA

If you would like to learn how to make your Christmas neuro-diverse friendly, check out our latest blog by Melissa, Assistant EP:

How to make your Xmas neurodiverse-friendly - Valuing Minds Melissa Skana of Valuing Minds looks at the problems that can occur over the festive season and ways to make your festive season neurodiverse-friendly