Hi everyone
My name is Nicola Musgrove and I wear two different hats in the world of SEND! The most important hat is my "mum hat". I am mum to two children, both of whom have a diagnosis of Autism. My son (aged 10) attends a special school and was diagnosed when he was 5. My daughter (aged 6) attends mainstream school and was diagnosed when she was 4. They are absolutely my "why" and are the best tour guides I could ask for as I navigate through the world of autism!
My second hat is my professional life. My background has always been with children and young people. I worked for 8 years within the early years sector (nurseries and children's centres) while I was studying for a degree in Early Childhood Studies. After having my first child, I then moved in to teaching within the FE sector, working with 16-18 year olds (predominantly), teaching Childcare, Early Years and Health and Social Care, which I have done for the past 9 years. After having my second child, I went back to studying; completing a Masters in Education, with my dissertation focusing on SEND.
Most recently, I have left my teaching role in order to undertake a PhD, with the working title "What makes successful autism provision in mainstream schools?". I hope to begin this work later this year. Whilst doing this, I have also written an article for an education publication, been a guest on an education podcast and planned and delivered webinars and training sessions for various settings. I look forward to doing more of these in the near future! I am also part of the West Yorkshire Partnership Neurodiversity Deep Dive, hoping to improve services for neurodivergent children and young people.
I hope being part of the SEND network will enable me to make strong connections in order to further my knowledge, experience and research. Lovely to meet you all!
Nicola
