About Us

GCC Advisory Teaching Service

We provide specialist teaching support for children and young people with SEN, disabilities and additional needs.

As part of the Specialist Teaching and Educational Psychology Service (STEPS), we work closely with our colleagues in Educational Psychology to support children and young people with additional needs.

The STEPS Team

Specialist Teaching and Educational Psychology Service (STEPS) are a local authority team that provides specialist support to children and young people with additional needs across education settings. STEPS apply their specialist knowledge to support children and young people, schools and families across Gloucestershire.  The service brings together educational psychologists (EPs), specialist advisory teachers (ATs), sensory impairment specialists and an Assistive Technology Lending Library (ATLL).

Working collaboratively with schools, families and other professionals, the team offers assessment, advice, consultation and practical strategies to help identify and meet individual needs. They support inclusive education by helping schools adapt teaching, learning environments and resources. The service also promotes children and young people’s wellbeing, independence, participation and progress, ensuring they have appropriate support to achieve positive educational outcomes.

• The team works with partners at a strategic level to bring about systems level development.
• The team works at local systems levels to identify and address trends and patterns.
• The team works with schools to support individuals in a bespoke manner.

STEPS are advocates for best outcomes and ensure pupil and parental voice is at the heart of decision making.  We liaise directly with schools to agree and prioritise their work.

The ATS team have expertise in special educational needs teaching support including expertise in the four broad areas of need as identified in the SEND Code of Practice 2015: Communication & Interaction, Cognition & Learning, SEMH and Sensory and/or Physical. We also recognise that many children and young people have needs that cut across all the above areas and that their needs may change over time.

ATS Leadership:

Head of Advisory Teaching Service - Nicholle Lennon

Lead Advisory Teachers:

Cheltenham – Karen Hillier

Forest – Fiona Stirling

Gloucester – Rosalyn Rees

Stroud - Suzette Kearns

Safeguarding

All staff working for Gloucestershire STEPS who have contact with children (supervised and unsupervised) have had the appropriate Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check carried out by the service. This is communicated annually to Gloucestershire Schools in accordance with the requirements laid out in the DfE document: Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026.