Tom Pyne

Tom has had a distinguished career as a teacher, trainer, adviser and consultant for children with special needs, and has particular interests in adoption and therapeutic work to address and overcome early disadvantage.

After initially working in mainstream primary education he was for 18 years a school leader in the BESD (Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties) sector.

It was during this time that his interest in the implications of attachment and trauma research for education grew. He was a founding director of Catchpoint Consultancy and is esteemed for his work there in helping educational staff understand the impact of early life trauma and support children and families in practical ways. This training and consultancy work is taken up and highly evaluated by schools, authorities and other groups with no direct link to Catchpoint.

Other areas of Tom's work include Positive Handling training (Team Teach) and, through his role in the National Union of Teachers, promoting the understanding of the employer's role in supporting staff working directly with primary trauma.

Arising from this he is now used by a number of schools for regular supervision of staff.