ADHD & Executive Function Coaching, Training and Consultancy for Schools
Helping primary schools identify and support ADHD and executive function needs earlier, strengthen classroom practice and build a consistent whole-school approach, from individual pupils and families to staff development and strategic SEND improvement.
Practical, needs-led support for those with traits consistent with ADHD and those awaiting assessment, aligned with the direction of the 2026 SEND reforms and the move towards Executive Function as an area of development.
Where would you like to start?
Three ways in
Why now
What the 2026 SEND reforms and the Experts at Hand offer mean for your school, and why acting early matters.
Read more →How I can help
Whole-school reviews, staff training, pupil and classroom support, and strategic SEND planning.
See the support →Parents & families
Practical, non-judgemental support for families finding things difficult at home as well as at school.
Find out more →Why now
The SEND landscape is changing
The direction of SEND reform is clear: identify needs earlier, strengthen support in mainstream schools and give staff access to the expertise they need before difficulties escalate.
From September 2026, the Government's new Experts at Hand offer will begin bringing education and health specialists closer to mainstream settings, with support based on a child's needs rather than requiring a diagnosis first. The proposed SEND reforms also place much greater emphasis on executive function, recognising the importance of skills such as attention, working memory, impulse control, planning and organisation in children's ability to learn and thrive.
For schools, this creates an opportunity to act now.
Building staff understanding of ADHD and executive function, strengthening classroom strategies and embedding a consistent approach across SEND, SEMH and teaching and learning can help schools respond earlier to children who are struggling, including those waiting for or without a diagnosis.
This is not simply about preparing for policy change. It is about strengthening what schools can offer now: from individual children and families to classroom practice, staff development and whole-school strategy.
Embedding this work within the SDP, SEF and wider SEND approach helps move support away from isolated interventions towards a sustainable, needs-led whole-school model.
The goal is simple: children should not have to wait for a diagnosis, reach crisis point or depend on which classroom they are in to receive support that helps them learn and thrive.
Executive function moves into focus
The proposed SEND reforms give much greater prominence to executive function, including attention, working memory, impulse control, planning and organisation. Schools will need to understand these barriers and how to support them in everyday teaching.
Earlier support, not waiting for diagnosis
The direction of reform is towards identifying needs and providing effective support earlier. For children with diagnosed or suspected ADHD, this means responding to the barriers they experience rather than waiting for a diagnosis before putting support in place.
Experts at Hand
From September 2026, the Government's Experts at Hand programme will begin bringing specialist education and health expertise closer to mainstream settings. The aim is earlier, needs-led support and stronger specialist capacity around schools.
Strengthen your SDP & SEF
ADHD and executive function are not just SEND issues. They affect teaching and learning, behaviour, attendance, SEMH and inclusion. A whole-school approach gives leaders clear evidence of how needs are identified, staff are developed and provision is evaluated and improved.
How can I help?
Support shaped around your school
Every school starts from a different place. Support can focus on an individual child or family, a group of pupils, a particular class or year group, staff development, or your wider whole-school approach.
The aim is not to introduce another standalone intervention. It is to build knowledge and capacity within your school, strengthen support for diagnosed and suspected ADHD and executive function needs, and help you embed sustainable practice within your SDP, SEF and wider SEND and inclusion priorities.
Whole-school ADHD & executive function review
A focused review of how effectively ADHD and executive function needs are understood and supported across your school. We identify what is already working, where the gaps are and practical priorities for development across leadership, teaching and learning, SEND, SEMH, pupil voice and work with families.
Staff training & professional development
Practical, evidence-informed training that helps staff understand ADHD, neurodiversity and executive function and, crucially, what this means in the classroom. Support can be tailored for whole-school INSET, teachers and TAs, individual year groups, SEND teams or specific staff.
Individual, group & classroom support
Targeted support for pupils with diagnosed or suspected ADHD and executive function difficulties. This might include individual or small-group work, classroom observation, consultation with staff, practical strategies, modelling and support to understand what is getting in the way of a child's learning, regulation or participation.
Action planning & strategic SEND support
Turn what we learn into action. Clear recommendations and development priorities can support your SDP, SEF, SEND action planning, provision development and discussions with governors and trustees, helping leaders demonstrate how identified needs translate into improved practice.
Parents, carers & families
Support families to understand ADHD and executive function and develop practical approaches that work at home as well as school. This can include parent workshops, individual consultation and joint home-school problem solving, particularly where a child is struggling or different expectations have developed between home and school.
Building capacity & connecting practice
The aim is to leave your school stronger, not dependent on external support. Through coaching, modelling, staff development and access to wider examples of inclusive practice, I can help leaders and staff develop approaches they can sustain, evaluate and refine themselves.
Flexible support, built around your school
There is no fixed package. Support is tailored around your pupils, families, staff and school priorities. You might need a one-off consultation about an individual child, a parent workshop, support for a particular class or year group, a whole-school INSET, or a longer programme combining several elements.
No off-the-shelf package. Support starts with what your school needs.
Supporting parents and families
When things are feeling difficult
Supporting a child with ADHD, suspected ADHD or executive function difficulties can be exhausting. Parents often come to support feeling overwhelmed, worried about their child and questioning whether they are getting things right. When home and school are both finding things difficult, it can sometimes feel as though every conversation is about what has gone wrong.
My starting point is different. We look together at what might be sitting behind the difficulty, what your child is communicating through their behaviour and what already works for them.
There is no expectation that families should have all the answers. The aim is to help you understand your child better, identify practical strategies that fit your family and build confidence in supporting them without trying to change who they are.
For children, the message is equally important: you are not a problem to be fixed. We are going to work out what helps your brain work best.
What could be different?
The aim is not simply to know more about ADHD. It is to translate understanding into changes that children, families and schools can actually experience.
For children
Understanding themselves better, recognising what helps them learn and regulate, developing personalised strategies for attention, organisation and managing overwhelm, and building confidence in their own strengths and abilities.
For families
Making sense of behaviours that have previously felt confusing, having practical strategies that work in everyday life, reducing conflict and anxiety around recurring difficulties, and feeling more confident about how to support their child.
For school staff
Moving beyond generic ADHD strategies to understand what is getting in the way for a particular child. Teachers and TAs can develop practical approaches they can use consistently in the classroom, with greater confidence around executive function, emotional regulation and supporting children with diagnosed or suspected ADHD.
For schools
Moving from individual adjustments and isolated interventions towards a consistent, needs-led approach in which children are identified and supported earlier, families and staff work together, and effective ADHD and executive function practice becomes embedded within SEND, teaching and learning and whole-school development.
The outcome I am working towards is simple: children who understand themselves and feel more successful, families who feel supported rather than blamed, and schools that feel confident about what to do next.
About Kerry
Experience from the classroom to whole-school inclusion
Over twenty years across primary classrooms, SEND leadership, national inclusion assessment and mental health training — brought together in one practical offer for schools.
SENCO & primary education experience
Accredited SENCO and qualified primary school teacher with over 20 years' experience, including work across Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon. I understand the realities of implementing SEND support in busy mainstream schools, not just what good practice looks like on paper.
National inclusion expertise
Assessor for the Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM), working with schools nationally to evaluate inclusive practice and whole-school provision. This provides first-hand insight into how different schools successfully embed inclusion across leadership, classrooms, SEND, SEMH and the wider school community.
ADHD & executive function specialism
Training as an ADHD and executive function coach through an ICF-accredited programme, with certification due July 2027. This specialist knowledge complements my SEND and teaching experience, helping schools understand what may sit behind difficulties with attention, organisation, task initiation, working memory, regulation and learning.
Mental health education & training
Education Tutor at King's College London, training Education Mental Health Practitioners and contributing to curriculum development. This brings together education and mental health perspectives, with a strong focus on early intervention, evidence-informed practice and supporting children within the environments where they live and learn.
Whole-school mental health & SEND leadership
Experienced school-link lead working with Mental Health Support Teams, reviewing whole-school provision, identifying gaps and helping target support where it can have the greatest impact. This means individual pupil needs can be considered alongside staff development, families, SEMH provision and wider school priorities.
Professional knowledge informed by lived experience
Professional expertise is complemented by personal experience of neurodiversity. This brings an additional understanding of how neurodivergence can affect children and families beyond the classroom and reinforces the importance of practical, respectful and individualised support.
This combination matters. I understand the child, the classroom and the family, but also the systems around them: SEND, SEMH, staff development, school improvement and whole-school inclusion.
Testimonials
What people say about working with Kerry
Colleagues from schools, universities and clinical practice on what it is like to work alongside Kerry.
Get in touch
The first step is a conversation
Whether you're thinking about a single INSET day or a term-long programme, tell me a little about your school and what's on your mind — I'll come back to you to arrange a chat.
contact@adhdexpertsathand.com