My 5 year old son is attending Mind in Motion sessions with Gemma, and he looks forward to the time together all week long. He struggles with disregulation, trying new things (like clubs and food), and the ability to name his feelings, often resulting in long and traumatic meltdowns at home. Gemma is helping him understand the feelings he has, where the emotions come from and how we can work through them together. He loves being active, and doing these activities through movement and sport really engages him in the conversations. I love that the sessions get him moving, either in the gym setting or outdoors, but not in a competitive setting, which he can often find overwhelming. Thank you Gemma for supporting our family to navigate this time, we are all learning how important these activities are.
"I created Compass Learning because I believe every child and family deserves to be seen, understood, and supported on their unique journey."
Meet Gemma
Gemma is a specialist teacher having spent nearly 20 years working with children and young people both in mainstream and specialist education settings. She began her career as a secondary PE teacher before moving into specialist education and leadership roles.
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She developed a passion for supporting children with complex SEND, neurodivergent profiles and social, emotional and mental health needs.
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With both personal and professional experience, this provides her with valuable insight into sensory based, trauma-informed approaches and the realities many families face when navigating education and support systems.
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​Gemma knows that for many children, movement, nature, practical experiences and having fun help children build confidence, develop skills and experience success in ways that work for them.
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Gemma combines educational leadership, specialist SEND and wellbeing knowledge and a deeply relational approach to create inclusive support that is practical, realistic and genuinely personalised.
Founder of Compass Learning
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Qualifications and Experience 18 years Specialist teaching 7+ years SEND Educational senior leadership Neurodiversity Coach Relational practice leadership Mental Health leadership Team Teach trainer PGC Special & Inclusive Education NPQSL PGCE Secondary PE
We believe
Every child deserves to feel understood, valued and successful
Behaviour is communication
Connection and regulation come before learning
Neurodiversity should be understood, respected and celebrated
Support should be personalised rather than standardised
Families and schools achieve the best outcomes when working together
Small changes can have a significant impact on a child’s confidence, wellbeing and future success
Identity and belonging support inclusive environmentsÂ
Who we are
Compass Learning is a specialist education and wellbeing service supporting school age children and young people, with particular expertise in neurodivergent learners and complex Special Educational Needs (SEND) and Social & Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) needs.
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Compass Learning was created to provide personalised, relational and evidence-informed support for children, young people and families who may be struggling to access, engage with or thrive within education. We recognise that every child is unique and that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work
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Our aim is to help children and young people develop confidence, self-understanding, emotional wellbeing, communication skills and positive relationships with learning. We work alongside families, schools and other professionals to create support that is tailored to the individual child’s strengths, needs and aspirations.
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Compass Learning bridges the gap between education, wellbeing and family support by bringing together personalised and that are, sensory-informed approaches and practical strategies that help children thrive at home, school and within their community.