Richard Nettleton

I joined SEN Legal in February 2018 as a Paralegal before starting my Training Contract and becoming a Trainee Solicitor. I qualified as a Solicitor in November 2020.

 

Prior to joining SEN Legal, I obtained an LLB Second Class Honours, Upper Division (2:1) from Bangor University where I studied between 2009-2012. I then went on to work in management roles for a major retailer for 8 years primarily based in stores around East Anglia.

 

I have always had a strong interest in Special Educational Needs which started at a young age due to my brother’s needs. This interest clearly grew further when I received my own diagnosis of Dyslexia on the 14th March 2004.

 

I was always acutely aware of the difficulties that I faced as a child particularly in relation to reading, writing & spelling, which other children did not seem to experience. A school was a place I went to everyday and just tried to survive the workload and either blend into the background of a mainstream class or create enough of a distraction that my academic struggles would not be noticeable and therefore I would not be criticised. The diagnosis of Dyslexia was truly one of the best things that has ever happened to me, as it allowed for tailored strategies to be put in place which began to make school more enjoyable for me and I doubt I would have gone to University without it.  

 

My own personal journey having special educational needs, often allows me a unique insight into the minds of the young people we represent, from the perspective of having my own special educational needs and that of living with someone who has special educational needs, and the struggles they can face accessing the education system.