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Improving learner outcomes

About us

We believe that all children and young people should be given the best chance to achieve well and to lead emotionally resilient and fulfilled lives.

OnLineTraining was founded in 2008 to provide flexible professional development for teachers and teaching assistants who support children and young people with special educational needs.

To date, over 10,000 schools have partnered with us to improve the confidence and skills of their teaching team and provide a more inclusive experience for pupils with SEND.

We provide a SEN training platform to education departments in Australia and Local Authorities in the UK, and we also support schools and individuals.

Our vision for children with SEND is the same as for all children and young people – that they achieve well in their early years, at school and in college, and lead happy and fulfilled lives.

Foreword, SENDCoP 2015


Our directors

Nick Maloney

Photo of Nick Maloney

Our unique approach to courses combines stimulating visuals with interactivity and humour.

Nick Maloney has been a director of OnLineTraining since 2008, and is responsible for our international IT infrastructure, course development and data compliance.

In 2002, after 35 years as a professional theatre and television actor (check out the IMDb website!), Nick began to develop an interest in website and database design.

He designed websites and data systems for the Home Office drug and alcohol in the workplace policies initiative, and for Inclusion Partnerships in a number of regions, such as South Central (SCRIP), the South East (SERSEN), London, and the South-West. He developed the original NatSIP website, and the West Sussex Drug & Alcohol Action Team’s website and event booking systems.

Nick created the framework for the original SEN online courses produced by Onlineinset in 2002, bringing humour and imagination to course designs and animations, and a comprehensive learning management system for tutors and administrators. With his team, he continues to explore new approaches in technologies and designs to produce engaging and stimulating training.

Hugh Clench

Photo of Hugh Clench

Built-in evaluation demonstrates impact on both teacher expertise, and learner outcomes.

Hugh Clench (B.Sc. (Hons), P.G.C.E., M.Ed.(Psych), C.Psychol., MPA*, AFBPsS) is a UK based educationalist and, since 2008, has been a director of OnLineTraining.

In 1978, after teaching for four years, he trained as an educational psychologist, and then worked in postgraduate teacher training for the next seven years.

He began working as an educational psychologist in 1987, becoming a senior in 1995, then Head of SEND in Brighton and Hove in 1997.

From 2000 to 2008, he was Regional Facilitator for Development in Children’s Services covering 13 UK local authorities. In this role he served on several national policy-making committees in the UK, and had a national lead on a number of initiatives, including the development of Quality Standards for SEND Support and Outreach Services.

Hugh has held several voluntary positions, and is currently chair of Amaze, an award-winning charity providing support to parents of children with SEND.



Our partnerships

Berkshire Sensory Consortium ServiceBrisbane Catholic EducationBristol City CouncilCambridgeshire County CouncilDurhamEast Sussex County CouncilHalton Borough CouncilHarris Academy PeckhamKent County CouncilLewisham CouncilLGfLnasenNational Deaf Children's SocietyNatSIP - National Sensory Impairment PartnershipOxfordshire County CouncilRoyal Borough of Greenwichtes SEN ShowUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural OrganizationUniversity of BathWokingham Borough Council

Tutor support

Online learning means that participants can log in to their course anywhere at any time, using a computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone, making it possible to fit study sessions around work and home life.

Participants don’t study alone, however, as they’re assigned a personal tutor for support and guidance from enrolment to completion date (usually 12 weeks). Participants can contact their tutor online, or arrange a phone call, to discuss any questions about their course and assignments, and will receive a response within 2 working days.

Talking in person to my tutor was most helpful, as it was easier to discuss different techniques.

– Teaching Assistant (2021)

OLT tutors

OLT tutors are education specialists who have experience of working as advisory teachers, speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and heads of service.

In addition to coaching participants through their course and assignments, they provide two virtual meetings (usually via Zoom) to help participants reflect on their learning and plan changes to their practice.

This course is very user-friendly, informative and thought provoking. My tutor has been very supportive and helpful with feedback.

– Teacher (2021)

In-house tutors

If a school or local authority enrols a number of employees on a course, they can opt to have an in-house specialist provide tutor support and become a delivery partner. In this situation, we will provide tutor training after the in-house specialist has completed the course(s) to prepare them for tutoring others. In this way, delivery partners can reduce their cost per course place by more than 50%.

It was really useful to go through this course prior to other staff at my school so that I can support them in their understanding and we can have a common language to talk about a child's needs.

– SENDCo (2021)


Tutor profiles

Naomi Forster

Naomi Forster
As someone who has participated in self-guided study, in-person courses, webinars, and distance learning, I really appreciated OLT’s accessible and flexible approach to training. The inclusion of videos alongside textual content was a welcome change. I also liked the fact that I could engage with it for just a few minutes or dedicate longer periods of time, depending on my schedule and availability.

Naomi is a qualified Teacher of the Deaf and Qualified Teacher of Multi-Sensory Impairment with over 20 years of experience teaching in schools and supporting schools and families as a peripatetic teacher. She is also the parent of a child with a disability, and has seen the huge impact effective support in school has on her child’s life. She lives and works in London, enjoying the rich diversity of inner-city life.

Relevant qualifications

  • Currently pursuing a Masters in Multisensory Impairment
  • PGDip (Ed) Teaching Hearing Impaired (deaf) Learners
  • PGDip (Ed) Teaching MSI (deafblind) Learners
  • CACDP BSL NVQ level 3, CACDP BSL Stage 2, CACDP BSL Stage 1

Rod Markham

Rod Markham
For me I see many advantages of OLT, not just its accessibility and flexibility. It has, at its heart, the philosophy of inclusion, encouraging and enabling staff to adapt their practice to meet the needs of the pupils and young people they support. Feedback from participants has frequently mentioned the powerful and sustainable impact the course had on them, and on their learners through the review and evaluation of SMART goal setting over time. I feel privileged to tutor these highly sought-after courses.

Rod is a former Educational Psychologist (EP). During his time working as an EP for a London authority, he developed an interest in Autism and took on a specialist role. This led to him training as an OLT tutor, delivering courses within the authority to 550 members of staff. Rod has tutored participants from nursery to post 16 settings, with a wide range of staff, including teachers, mealtime supervisors, Learning Support Assistants, Inclusion Managers, SENCos, Speech Therapists, advisory teachers and EPs.

  • 16 years as a mainstream primary and secondary school teacher in Inner London schools
  • 8 years in a key stage 4 Pupil Referral Unit
  • An Educational Psychologist from 1999 to 2023

Relevant qualifications

  • TCert, Adv. Dip. Ed. (SEN), BA (Hons), MSC, HCPC registered

Gwyneth McCormack

Gwyneth McCormack
The OLT Vision Impairment (VI) course is a positive experience, which provides a clear structured introduction to the breadth of knowledge and skills required to support the successful inclusion of children with VI. OLT training provides a creative and interesting way to further your understanding of the specific and individual needs of children with visual impairments. The videos offer excellent examples of good inclusive practice.

Gwyn is a qualified Teacher of Visual Impairments (BPhil. Spec.Ed. V.I. Distinction) Qualified Teacher Status (Cert.Ed.). She is an enthusiastic, passionate, committed and motivational individual, with a wealth of experience and knowledge in the field of education and visual impairment. She has a clear understanding of inclusion from the School, Service, Child and Family perspectives.

  • Six years as a mainstream secondary school teacher
  • Eleven years as a Teacher of Visual Impairments in a Peripatetic Support Service supporting children and young people, 0-18 years old
  • Five years managing a Local Authority, Peripatetic Support Service for Children with Visual Impairments

Relevant qualifications

  • Cert Ed, BPhil.Spec.Ed.VI (Qualified Teacher of VI status)

Leighton Reed

Leighton Reed
OLT courses provide an excellent learning platform to develop and enhance knowledge and skills in relation to sensory impairments.The videos and case studies are relevant and thought provoking and support the learning process all the way through making it interactive and fun!

Over my teaching career I have held many posts - head of service(s), advisory teacher and classroom practitioner. Throughout that time I have sought to emphasise and celebrate the importance of continuing professional development and have worked closely with universities and voluntary agencies to support placements, course development and training.

Relevant qualifications

  • B.Ed. in Special Educational Needs
  • Certificate in Hearing Impairment
  • Diploma in Visual Impairment
  • M.Sc. in Educational Management

Kim Webb

Kim Webb

This tutor's details will be added in the near future.

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