Linda joined Ambitious about Autism in August 2013. She has worked with autistic people or people with disabilities for the last 20 years. Linda is a qualified post-16 SEN lecturer and spent the first five years of her career working in Further Education (FE) colleges. She then moved into the charity sector where she set up and managed a number of services to develop the skills of autistic people and those with learning disabilities. These services included independent travel training, supported employment, and a variety of lifelong learning and social enterprise schemes. Linda is motivated by her belief in the abilities of people with learning disabilities and how support can help them to reach their full potential.

I joined Ambitious about Autism in January 2024 following three years' experience as a Business Manager in education at maintained schools in Brighton, covering finance, HR, premises, estates, health and safety and IT. 

Previously, I was employed by American Express for 30 years in numerous roles, including project management, IT service delivery, incident, problem and change management and contracts management, working with large companies like DELL/ IBM. I worked across international locations, managing teams and individuals. 

I joined St. John's College in Nov 2022 and am very pleased to be working with a team of dedicated and skilled professionals across the college. My specialist areas are in safeguarding, mental health, ASC, and quality assurance.  I believe that every learner has the potential to learn and grow. As SEND teachers, it is our responsibility to understand each of our learners, their strengths, interests and challenges so we can nurture and facilitate their growth. 

When I am not at college, I volunteer as a theatre lighting designer and can also sometimes be found in my campervan called Angus, exploring the Sussex Downs.

I have worked at St. John’s College for over 25 years with my main roles being within the children and adult residential care services. I joined St. John’s College in 1998 as a care worker, and have since held various roles including team leader, care manager and behaviour lead. I am now the head of learner services, overseeing the residential provision and nursing team at St. John’s College. 

As well as providing consistently high-quality care and support for young people, one of my passions is to support young people who may display behaviours of distress, supporting teams to gain a greater understanding of these behaviours, their functions, and each young person as an individual and ensuring an improved quality of life for each young person who attends St. John’s College. 

I joined St. John’s College in August 2024 and have enjoyed getting to know learners and their families. I have been a special educational needs teacher for over 15 years and helping learners reach their full potential is my passion. I am a qualified SENDCo, Specialist Teacher and experienced leader of SEND provision covering many sectors including mainstream, specialist, primary, secondary, and adult provision.

Prior to this role, I have led SEND provision in a centre for learners with social communication needs, was SENDCo of a secondary school and was the learning support manager of a large online homeschool. I enjoy seeing learners thrive and encourage others to have high expectations for the learners we support. When I am not in college, I enjoy musical theatre, music gigs, and reading.  
 

I joined St. John’s College in 2005, as a learning support worker, and have since held various roles including teacher, vice principal, and head of therapy. I am now the Head of Autism and Learning Support, overseeing autism practice across our education and residential services. I am the Autism Education Trust’s lead trainer for Brighton and Hove, and I am an Intensive Interaction trainer.

I gained a Master of Education in autism from the University of Birmingham. I am now studying for a PhD in psychology at the University of Sussex, investigating the experiences of autistic learners who display extreme demand-avoidant behaviour.

Sue became Head of College in June 2025 and has many years’ experience in further and adult education SEN provision. She is committed to creating inclusive learning environments and is especially passionate about supporting young people to become more independent and to move into paid employment.
Sue has developed a range of programmes including supported internships, traineeships, and inclusive apprenticeships, helping learners build skills, gain experience, and achieve their aspirations. Since 2024, she has also served as a trustee as safeguarding lead for a charity.
She is dedicated to ensuring learners grow in confidence, independence, and life skills, preparing them for bright and successful futures.