Maria Mora Blanko is a highly experienced Specialist Teacher and qualified Access Arrangements Assessor with an extensive career supporting children and young people to achieve their full potential within education.
 

Her friendship and professional relationship with Amanda (“Mandy”) began over 30 years ago in a mainstream secondary school in London, where Maria was a newly qualified teacher and Mandy was working as a Teaching Assistant. What started as a shared passion for supporting young people has grown into a lasting friendship and a continued commitment to improving educational outcomes for children and families.

 

Throughout her career, Maria has worked extensively across Inner London schools, as a specialist teacher and SENCO, developing a wealth of experience supporting pupils with a diverse range of learning needs. Her in-depth understanding of inclusive education enables her to work collaboratively with schools, families and professionals to ensure that every young person has the opportunity to succeed.
 

In recent years, Maria has specialised in Access Arrangements for examinations, providing comprehensive assessments and recommendations to ensure students receive the reasonable adjustments they are entitled to under current examination regulations. She works closely with schools to ensure that assessments are robust, evidence-based and tailored to each student’s individual needs, helping to reduce barriers and promote equitable access to learning and assessment.

Her areas of expertise include:

• Specialist teaching and inclusive educational practice.

• Access Arrangements assessments for GCSEs, A Levels and other formal examinations.

• Identifying learning strengths and barriers to achievement.

• Supporting schools to implement appropriate examination access arrangements in line with JCQ guidance.

• Collaborative working with families, schools and multidisciplinary teams to promote positive educational outcomes.

 

Maria is passionate about recognising every young person’s strengths and ensuring they are given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and abilities in a fair and supportive way. She believes that the right educational support, delivered at the right time, can have a lasting impact on confidence, independence and future aspirations. At The Wellbeing Den, Maria brings a wealth of educational expertise, a collaborative approach and a genuine commitment to helping children and young people flourish both in school and beyond.