The success is in the story. Everyone who meets our son will always comment on how lovely, well-mannered and friendly he is, he has just graduated from University with his degree, they say we must be very proud. Yes, we are incredibly proud parents but so much more so because he has achieved this whilst living with Autism. The majority of people we meet believe that autistic children are “Rain-Man Savants” so they want to know how or why things changed for our son. We always tell them the same thing as we can pinpoint it exactly, it was the day Keighly Murphy (who had just taken a class in an ASD Inclusion Unit) saw our son (aged 12) through a classroom door and knew he was trapped inside himself and had so much more to give, we are thankful every day for that one moment.We wish that every child and young adult with SEN needs could find a Keighly Murphy …… she has the attributes you would want to find in any Teacher or Operations manager but in addition has the ability to connect with our young SEN people in such a positive and life changing way. Here are a few of my very limited observations.
For us, she introduced activities that the children could participate in easily, this was along with the academic necessities, our son achieved over and above what anyone ever imagined and this was driven by Keighly and her belief in him. Importantly for us, there was loads & load of social skills development and communication development which kept him engaged he was often eased out of his comfort zone but he never even noticed that, this helped him to gain knowledge and enjoyment from life experiences which would have passed him by before. This helped him make positive progressions in all aspects of life.
Keighly took on the task of developing a strong team around her and they all worked on the underlying principle of knowing how to make your young person feel comfortable and secure, from that point onwards they were able to apply a strategy on how to get the young person to expand their comfort zone and bring them out of themselves. However, Keighly knew that one size doesn’t fit all and she would always tweak the plan for each young person so they could progress at their own pace and retain that level going forward, you knew above all your child was always her and her team’s first consideration. She would work closely with parents so they could follow the same strategies at home whilst our unit followed the basic academic curriculum of any school the emphasis was to add a level of confidence and independence to our children as they became young adults.
I feel the difference lies with Keighly in her teaching and Philosophy, she has the ability to carry out what she preaches, helping to release each young person’s potential, giving them the confidence, reassurance and support they need to meet their goals. They get the helping hand & guided support they need, but ultimately their achievements are their own and when they know that they feel so very proud of themselves and our son is a testament to that.
Jenni & Dave Huke
Whilst working with Miss Murphy we noticed a truly unrivalled improvement in our child both behaviourally and in terms of their intellectual enrichment. Miss Murphy was very easy to work with and would always be open to take on board ideas and suggestions of how to improve the quality of the time spent with my child. Miss Murphy granted my child a previously unrecognised level of Independence, it helped them to shine and show off their true capabilities giving them the ability to progress in life like never before. Whether it was assisting with school tasks or identifying the needs of the child and implementing tasks to assist with the nurturing of my child's experience of school or helping my child develop vital social skills Miss Murphy is certainly a teacher to behold.
Mr and Mrs Graham
In my opinion when you run a business, the deciding factor in it’s success is the right person or people running the show which can be overlooked, so that’s the success in the story as for all the student in her class. Anonymous
You have helped shape our son into the young man he has become. He is now due to start a HNC in Computer Science in September and I am so proud. We have always thought highly of Miss Murphy, she went above and beyond for us both. She is one of the teachers that along the way will not be forgotten. I am sure anything she puts her mind to will be a success.
Rachel
As far as teachers go Miss Murphy was brilliant, as well as being supporting, fostering an environment conducive to education. She was also an overall great person with a with an outgoing and approachable personality. She gave me the trust to become more independent and develop my social skills both within in school and gave me the confidence to develop them outside of school hours. Miss Murphy was similar to a mentor, she helped me come to terms with issues both within school and outside of school and see the value in myself as a person. I feel that without Miss Murphy's support what and remarkable guidance I would genuinely not be where I am today. One big thing that Miss Murphy did for me was assisting me in finding what I wanted to do. After upper school I pursued a business diploma in college and I'm now on track to get very impressive grades, without Miss Murphy's ability to instil confidence in me I don't know if I would have been able to do it without her.
Mitchell
I was a student of Keighley Murphy at Sharnbrook from 2013-2016. I can more than attest to what an amazing teacher she is, both as a former student and as one of her most problematic students.I often had trouble grasping certain subjects and would frequently refuse to complete any work, but throughout the entire process she was incredibly patient and helpful. Mrs. Murphy is a kind, gentle, patient, and just an all-around amazing person. She is highly skilled at finding new ways to help teenagers navigate through school life, especially those of us on the autistic spectrum and other neurological disorders. Without her, I highly doubt I would have made my way through upper school. I struggled a lot with mental health a lot during those years, and frequently lashed out. I was an extremely difficult student to deal with, as I could become aggressive and sometimes just shut down and refuse all work. Despite what she had to deal with, she always was there for me, offering support and understanding. Mrs. Murphy made a major impact on my independence and social skills. She turned me from a borderline sociopath to a functional member of society. She always encouraged me to be independent, interact socially and engage with the world around me instead of shutting down. Thanks to her, I am now a normal 19-year-old that is capable of forming friendships, positively interacting with society, attending mainstream college, working, and performing all the normal daily activities in life, completely independently. Ms. Murphy has been such an incredible source of overwhelming positivity in my life. She has helped me overcome so many challenges, such as my behavioural issues, my struggles with mental health, and my issues as an LGBT person. She is one of the most supportive and understanding people I have ever known. The amount of time, effort, and resources she has put in to supporting me and other like me, is staggering. Keighley is one of the most dependable people you will ever meet. Ms. Murphy changed me to such an extent that I am now attending mainstream college independently, without any problems whatsoever. 10 years back, those who knew me believed that I would never be able to attend a mainstream school or college, and without the help of Keighley, I probably would not have.Overall, Ms. Murphy is just awesome. I cannot possibly thank her enough for all she has done for me, and I am so unbelievably grateful that I had the immense privilege of having her as a teacher.
Charlie
Miss Murphy is genuinely the kindest and most caring person you could ever meet
Natasha
Miss Murphy is a great person, who was able to understand me in times of need and support. From my GCSE studies, preparations for exams, and Sixth Form, Miss Murphy helped me improve on my social skills, being more independent and overcome challenges. Last year, I received a 2:1 at university. Without her, I would not have got to where I am today.”
Kurtis
Miss Murphy aided me in my learning through providing clear and suitable lesson goals and objectives for a person like me. Over the years she taught us, making sure we always knew what was happening in the lesson. Miss Murphy was an absolute sweetheart – incredibly kind and understanding. I was able to become confident in numerous areas thanks to her teaching, It was in Miss Murphy’s provision that I learned how to make tea for the first time in my life. I was able to become much more sociable thanks to what I was taught at Miss Murphy’s provision and was able to begin overcoming my social anxiety. I had times of early depression, anger and figuring out exactly what I was in life. I learned how to be a better person. Thanks to her teaching I’ve been able to become more confident in my skills and have made several advancements in the field of Hospitality and Catering since leaving School and am trying to get a job in the Catering industry.
H
Miss Murphy supported me mainly at the end of my GCSEs and into sixth form, when I was recently diagnosed with a rare genetic nerve disorder and autistic. I found the transition from GCSEs to sixth form really challenging, and if it wasn’t for the support of Miss Murphy, I don’t think I’d have been able to continue it at all. Even when things were more settled, I found sixth form tough and was going through a lot emotionally outside of class too. But Miss Murphy was always there for me, and her office became a safe space where I could be open about my emotions and never feel like I would be judged. Her support was valuable to more than just my education, but my entire outlook on life and mindset too. If it wasn’t for Miss Murphy’s support in some of my darkest times, I don’t know if I’d even be here today, let alone be where I am.
Right now, I am a second year University student who is on track to achieve a first or high 2:1, which is a world away from the young woman I was, who felt I couldn’t even finish my A-Levels at points. Last year I was even awarded a British Citizen Award in Parliament for helping others. My life is a world away from what it was then, but even on the days I would sit crying in her office, Miss Murphy always believed in me, always helped me, and always pushed me to keep going, no matter what. She helped me build the resilience that got me to today, and will keep pushing me through life, which is something I’ll never forget.
Miss Murphy is genuinely the kindest and most caring person you could ever meet, and she is so passionate about helping students. She has also inspired me to help others and is one of the main reasons I am so determined to improve the lives of people like myself! If you had told me back then that now I’d be achieving highly at University, have an officer role in my Students Union and have helped so many people, I would have laughed, but Miss Murphy helped me get there and never gave up. I have even been considering becoming a SENCO, so I can make the difference that she did to my life, to others like me who just need someone to believe in them too! This year I am the Accessibility Officer at my University so I fight for the rights of our disabled students and I managed to push the Uni to take on a no-detriment policy which has helped.
Natasha