Meet the Team
"If students don't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn."
Kate Silcock
Founder of Flourish
English Specialist
Well-Being and mindfulness coach
Kate Silcock is a mum of two girls, a qualified secondary English teacher, a well- being and mindfulness coach and the founder of Flourish.
After teaching English for 14 years across schools in Wirral and Cheshire, Kate was eager to combine her passion for teaching with promoting positive mental health and well-being and left her role as a teacher to begin Flourish. Kate has worked with young people as a coach, tutor, teacher and mentor for the past 18 years and has led them to success, both personally and academically, gaining continuous sets of outstanding results at GCSE and A level, with both higher achieving students and students working below national average. Kate is extremely passionate about instilling a growth mindset and positive self-belief in all the young people she works with.
Josh Slade
Maths Specialist
Putting the 'cool' into maths, Josh is a fully qualified and experienced maths teacher who has taught in schools for ten years and privately tutored for eight.
Josh is passionate about helping others to not just achieve in maths, but works hard to help students exceed their predictions and expectations in maths.
Josh has been KS3 Coordinator, Deputy Head of maths and Head of maths and believes that all students deserve the right to be taught maths in a fun, engaging and accessible way. Josh takes great pride in ensuring his sessions are well planned, structured and personalised to achieve maximum impact for each of our students. Josh works with students on a 1:1 basis and in group capacity.
Trish Devonshire
Primary Specialist
Trish is a mum to her little girl and an experienced fully qualified primary school teacher who has been teaching for 14 years. She has taught across all year groups in the primary setting, predominantly in Lower Key Stage 2. During part of this time she also held the role of English lead.
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Prior to teaching, Trish was a Learning Support Assistant supporting children with additional needs to access the curriculum both in a mainstream school setting and through tailored programmes in home-school settings.
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Trish is passionate about building children's confidence in learning and is always working to improve their self-esteem and enthuse their love of learning. She has a particular interest in developing personalised lessons and strategies to encourage all children to fully engage with their learning.
Trish is an advocate of promoting positive mental health and well-being in young people.
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'I believe the success in children achieving their full academic potential begins with building a strong sense of self by developing a confident assurance of themselves as individuals'
Ben Grinyer
Primary Specialist
Ben is an experienced and fully qualified primary school teacher. Ben has taught in an 'Outstanding' primary school for the last eight years and has experience in teaching maths and english across all year groups within the primary setting. He has a thorough knowledge in the curriculum requirements. Ben makes learning fun and tailors each lesson to the needs of the child(ren), ensuring all children, even those disengaged with learning, make excellent progress. Ben works either in a 1:1 capacity or within a group setting. Ben engages the students with fun and eductaional games to help improve their confidence when speaking in front of peers and thinking on the spot, particularly, in maths sessions.
When Ben isn't teaching or tutoring, he can be found playing the bass guitar for a local band.
Andrea McLoughlin
11+ Specialist
A highly experienced Primary school specialist with 20 years teaching experience. Andrea is an integral part of Team Flourish. With a passion for creating exciting and engaging lessons and a love of nurturing children’s potential, Andrea has been tutoring children across the Wirral for years. Her main teaching areas are: 11Plus and Entrance Examinations, English and maths. Andrea is able to make even the dullest of topics exciting with her creative flair and passions for seeing students progress. The students make exceptional progress in Andrea's sessions and always leave with a smile.
