Clare Shaw
Head Teacher
Clare is an experienced teacher and school leader with a science background holding a BSc (Hons), PGCE, QTS and NPQH. She has spent her career working with young people for whom mainstream school has stopped working and she puts trust and relationships at the heart of everything she builds. Clare leads Futures Online. She focuses on safety, small achievable steps and helping every young person leave believing they are capable with a clear aspiration for the future.
Clare has worked with children and young people with SEND, SEMH needs and EBSA for over 20 years. In a specialist online provision, she has supported more than 2000 learners including autistic young people and those living with high anxiety. She is skilled at finding the interest that gets a young person learning again.
Clare has seven years’ experience leading remote education for children who cannot access a traditional classroom. She built a specialist online school from a small team to 14 staff and 2000 learners. She understands that live lessons can feel safer for anxious learners especially when they can join through chat before using camera or voice.
David Parkes
Futures Tutor
David brings over 20 years’ experience in leadership, recruitment and developing people across the recruitment, service and retail industries. Throughout his career, he has developed and applied coaching and personal development skills, keeping people and relationships at the heart of his work. He has worked alongside Witherslack Group colleagues since 2022 and became part of the Witherslack family in 2024, sharing their commitment to helping young people achieve their potential.
David draws on both professional and personal experience to build trust and help young people recognise their strengths. His work has included careers guidance, CV writing, interview preparation and helping young people access employment and training opportunities. As Futures Tutor, he threads preparation for work and independent living through learning, helping learners connect the skills they develop today with their aspirations for the future.
David understands that every learner starts from a different place. He takes time to get to know them, building relationships and finding practical ways to help them move forward. He enjoys seeing young people grow in confidence, make their own decisions and begin to see what their future could look like.
David Parkes
Futures Tutor
David brings over 20 years’ experience in leadership, recruitment and developing people across the recruitment, service and retail industries. Throughout his career, he has developed and applied coaching and personal development skills, keeping people and relationships at the heart of his work. He has worked alongside Witherslack Group colleagues since 2022 and became part of the Witherslack family in 2024, sharing their commitment to helping young people achieve their potential.
David draws on both professional and personal experience to build trust and help young people recognise their strengths. His work has included careers guidance, CV writing, interview preparation and helping young people access employment and training opportunities. As Futures Tutor, he threads preparation for work and independent living through learning, helping learners connect the skills they develop today with their aspirations for the future.
David understands that every learner starts from a different place. He takes time to get to know them, building relationships and finding practical ways to help them move forward. He enjoys seeing young people grow in confidence, make their own decisions and begin to see what their future could look like.
Jessica Lawlor
Lead Maths Tutor
Jessica is an experienced teacher and inclusion practitioner with over 10 years in education. Her roles have included classroom teaching, local authority inclusion and outreach, Pupil Premium leadership, instructional coaching, mentoring and one-to-one tuition. She is particularly passionate about re-engaging young people who have found education difficult to access, helping them rebuild confidence through clear explanations, achievable steps and high expectations.
Jessica has extensive experience supporting young people with SEND, SEMH needs, EBSA and barriers to attendance and engagement. She has worked across secondary education, primary intervention, local authority services and individual tuition, adapting learning to meet need without lowering expectations.
Jessica has significant experience delivering online tuition to learners with varied needs and levels of engagement. Her lessons use clear routines, visual support, retrieval practice, metacognition and low-pressure assessment, with different ways to participate including voice, chat and supported written work.
