On Saturday 7 June, Canterbury Christ Church University proudly welcomed back over a hundred distinguished alumni and guests for our 10th annual Alumni Gala Dinner. The milestone celebration honoured their invaluable support and contributions to the University since graduation.

The Alumni Gala Dinner plays host to the Alumni Awards ceremony, in which our best and brightest nominees are recognised as winners in one of five categories. One such winner was Nicola Carey-Shine (Graduate Teacher Programme, 2009, MSc Psychology, 2021), in the inaugural Equity and Inclusion Impact category.

Nicola served as a Deputy Head and special needs teacher for over a decade until, frustrated by the lack of support for neurodiverse children, she resigned and sold her home to set up a small school dedicated to offering such students a safe space and a brighter future. Her transformative work includes helping mute children communicate verbally, fighting for educational adjustments, early intervention for SEND students and winning educational tribunals.

Nicola’s passion, determination, and kindness enable her to connect with children and families, with her opinion sought by publishing giants like Usborne, the BBC, ITV, and the NHS. In 2023, her work with charities to train teachers and families on neurodiversity was recognised with a National Diversity Award from a pool of over 90,000 nominees the UK-over.

We previously featured Nicola back in September, which you can read to get her full inspiring story in her own words. Read on below for her reflections on her win.

How did it feel to learn you’d been nominated for an Alumni Award?

It felt wonderful to hear, and especially so the fact that it was for ‘Equity and Inclusion’, something that hangs very precariously in the balance right now. I was, and am extremely proud to draw attention to those terms and why it is so essential to retain them in our world.

How does it feel to have won?

It’s special. The phrasing on the certificate made me cry as the wording referenced the families I support. That means a lot to me because through my work my students and their parents become an extended part of my own family.

Talk us through what you do; why is the work you do so important?

My qualifications at CCCU have led me on a very interesting path. After qualifying as a secondary school teacher, I spent a decade in an extremely large secondary school. I witnessed the world of education change drastically under destructive government directives. Many are leaving the profession feeling heartbroken and powerless as schools became run as binary business models. I then wanted to use my MSc Psychology to challenge the way many young neurodiverse people are let down by a lack of training, insight and in growing cases, compassion. If the ‘status quo’ is failing, then it MUST be challenged and acknowledged. Accepting that with the appropriate tools, pedagogy and environment the child will thrive, yet there are still children disappearing through the cracks, is not just a wasted opportunity, it is morally unacceptable.

If anyone reading is thinking of working in your field, what advice would you give them?

Keep passionate, but be prepared to grow a very thick skin. Nearly everyone entering this field does so out of vocation and love, but I have seen the reality of the job break many people. In my opinion, there is NOTHING more rewarding than seeing a child suddenly light up with a confidence that will then carry them through life; the highs are incredible. However, do not make the assumption that those in positions of power, all the way to the top of the legal chain, are going to be as conscientious or veracious as you would assume. When you feel like a drop facing against an ocean, and the ‘ocean’ represents an establishment that does not always have children’s best interests at heart, nor the proclivity to adapt, it can be soul destroying. In years to come there will be malpractice revealed on the level of the post-office scandal, but for now, this work requires deep resilience to be the voice of dissent.

What is your fondest memory of your time at CCCU?

After the restrictions and isolation (barring my two excitable, neurodiverse babies climbing on my head during lectures!) of the Covid pandemic, I felt a real joy being able to walk back into an actual classroom, holding a coffee and being able to properly see everyone. I think for neurodivergent people, tones and social cues are much harder to read over videos (although sometimes it was much more practical to be online!). I shall look back over the whole period with a curious eye as it was a completely unique time for the country, let alone whilst studying a MSc!

What are your goals for the future?

A specific irony of my own ADHD symptoms still haunts me. During the height of the pandemic and my MSc, I had not been able access any childcare at all, until one weekend I managed to lock myself away in the shed uninterrupted. Following a passionate period of hyperfocus on my MSc Research, I was advised I had produced enough work for a Doctorate, but due to word limits much of this had to be removed. I am a deeply passionate speaker, advocate and educator in SEND, 6 days a week, so it feels impossible, but I would dearly love to have had that Doctorate. This would add particularly helpful gravitas when I have been belittled by authorities who are challenging SEND families’ urgent needs.

Historically, I have been invited to advise charities, the NHS, and various publishers and broadcasting about the problems SEND children face. However, my long term goal is to author my own ‘SEND Education manual and toolkit’ for nationwide use in schools and neurodiverse homes. For over three years I have been gathering real-life anecdotes and my troubleshooting advice into a notebook. ONE day that WILL all be synthesised into a book designed to make a difference on a limitless scale. Sadly, I think I am entrenched in a fight that will last my lifetime.