Our SEMH Secondary Outreach team are dedicated to providing specialised support and guidance to help secondary students thrive within their educational environments.
To learn more about the individual members of our team, their professional backgrounds, and the specific expertise they bring to our Outreach work, please click on any name in the headers below to reveal their full biography and photograph.
Lynda Morgan
I have fifty- three years’ experience in education (yes still going!) Firstly, as a primary teacher, then Headteacher of two primary mainstream schools in the county. My passion and experience since then being within SEND in particular SEMH, and working with leaders on strategic development within their schools.
I was the former Headteacher of Maplefields Academy, being privileged to set it up as a new SEMH primary provision in 1997 and extending the age range into secondary with a sixth form.
I retired from the Headship in 2015 and continue to work part-time leading the then Maplefields Teaching School Alliance and now Maplefields Training and Development.
Having trained as an Ofsted Inspector in 2005, I regularly led inspections in special schools, Alternative Provisions and Hospital Schools in the East Midlands until 2022.
I love all aspects of the work, which includes that of school improvement advisor, training and development and SEMH outreach.
Following the service level agreement with the Local Authority for primary outreach, Maplefields were quickly approached by the secondary schools to deliver a similar service.
Along with my colleagues Emma Green, Katy Afford and Helen Johnson, I love working in all 21 secondary schools in North Northants. Our secondary outreach team as a whole has great depth of knowledge and experience both at pupil and whole school level. Whilst not having all the answers, or the ‘magic-wand‘ solutions, it is a privilege and a pleasure to support colleagues and help to problem solve issues as they arise.
The secondary offer is twofold supporting work with individual students facing challenges and working with leaders to develop their whole school offer.
Long may it continue. Every day is different. Every day brings challenges but working with the students and staff in our schools brings joy!
Emma Green
I am a highly passionate specialist education professional with more than 27 years of SEN knowledge and expertise. I am a qualified Teacher and SENCo.
I have held Headship roles (9 years) to share my passion for good, creative teaching through my team whilst focussing on the strategic and leadership management. I am fully conversant with OFSTED requirements and the Education Inspection Framework
I have extensive experience working with complex, vulnerable pupils and empowering them to succeed through their barriers to learning. I have an eagerness to drive education outcomes, instil high aspirations, support progress and positive journeys for pupils with SEND to flourish in society and their futures. I advocate nurture, inclusive learning, overcoming barriers through problem solving and support strategies to empower young people. I enjoy working together to find creative solutions, problem solving, creative learning opportunities and raising personal and social development to compliment academia whilst building trusting relationships and resilience with pupils whilst celebrating small steps of success. I robustly believe in education around the whole child to include nurture, exploring all aspects of life which may impact on learning to overcome and build positive futures.
In the past 12 months, I have launched my own Consultancy business to use my experience (strategic and operational), skillset and knowledge gained working with the most vulnerable, hard to reach pupils to empower schools and staff teams to move this forward for the benefit of all.
In the past, I have specialised in Mental Health/Trauma and Attachment for Children in Care.. Over the years I have been working closely with Clinical Psychiatrists, Forensic Psychologists, Educational Psychologists, S<, OT, Camhs etc – I have learned behaviours as a form of communication and how this may impact the pupil and lives including their education. I am aware of contextual safeguarding and the impact of peer pressure. I recognise triggers, learning needs, complex needs, trauma, attachment, fight or flight/freeze and school phobias. I offer solution focussed outcomes.
Most would describe me a bubbly, honest and fair with a passion to help pupils and staff in all that I do.
I love my work!
Helen Johnson
I have just entered my 31st year in education. Fifteen of which were spent at Maplefields Academy (2000-2015), I have taught in mainstream primary school and schools where the pupils have complex and significant cognition, learning, communication, physical, sensory needs as well as social, emotional and mental health needs. At the centre of everything I do is “the whole child”. I have worked with some amazing staff and families, the children and young people I have worked with have been awesome. I am excited to return to Maplefields and look forward to working with teachers, support staff, families and children in the Outreach Consultant role.
Katy Afford
With a teaching background that includes primary, secondary and SEN provision, I am experienced in working with young people with challenging behaviour and school non-attendance. This is further strengthened by 12 years of teaching and leadership experience in an independent college within a tier 4 secure adolescent psychiatric hospital. In this specialist provision, I gained a wealth of experience and understanding of complex mental health. I have learnt how adverse life experiences contribute to poor mental health and how educational attainment can be impacted. I have worked with young people and have heard their stories, I understand the role that education can play both as a potential contributing factor, exacerbating poor mental health and as a means of rebuilding their confidence and creating hope for the future. I am trained in trauma informed practice and have worked with wide range of additional needs and challenging behaviours.
I have taught part time the last 7 years and had the opportunity to build a more holistic understanding of young people’s mental health having held roles within the local authority, Youth Offending team and within the NHS. These roles have given me enormous insight into family dynamics, safeguarding, bereavement, financial hardship and housing issues; factors which affect health and wellbeing, educational attainment and employment prospects. This insight is invaluable in understanding why many young people struggle with their mental health and school attendance and it informs my practice working with them to help young people achieve their potential.
