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Curtis
Curtis
Finding the formula for a neuroinclusive tribe
Finding the formula for a neuroinclusive tribe
The Director Team
The Director Team
Curtis Shaddick | Founder & Lead Director (Tutor & Club Lead)
Curtis Shaddick | Founder & Lead Director (Tutor & Club Lead)
Curtis is the driving force behind Somerset Tribe CIC, combining a deep passion for inclusive education with years of hands-on tutoring and club leadership. As a specialist tutor, he designs and delivers engaging STEM tutoring sessions that unlock children's curiosity and build confidence. Committed to creating accessible spaces, Curtis co-founded school-based neurodiversity initiatives to ensure every young person has a safe space to thrive. (Scroll down to see more of my journey below!)
Kathy Pinches | Deputy Director (Volunteer)
Kathy Pinches | Deputy Director (Volunteer)
Kathy brings a wealth of educational governance and financial oversight to the team. A former accountant and Middle Years teacher in Frome, her leadership experience includes serving as a staff governor at her former school and as a trustee for the charity We Hear You (WHY) in Frome.
With a background in Biology, Kathy is a passionate advocate for STEM. Throughout her teaching career, she championed school STEM clubs and ran an incredibly popular Shakespeare club. Believing deeply in inclusive education, Kathy co-founded a school neurodiversity celebration club alongside Curtis to provide a vital voice and supportive environment for neurodivergent pupils.
Suzanne Kingston | Parent Director (Volunteer)
Suzanne Kingston | Parent Director (Volunteer)
Suzanne ensures that the voices, needs, and perspectives of local families are at the absolute heart of our strategic decisions. As a Frome resident and neurodivergent parent of a neurodivergent family, she brings invaluable lived experience, empathy, and advocacy to our director team, keeping our community focus firmly centred in real-world family needs.
Our Specialist Tutors
Our Specialist Tutors
Oleksandr (Sasha) Matlak | Chess Tutor
Oleksandr (Sasha) Matlak | Chess Tutor
Sasha is an accomplished Chess Master and elite trainer originally from Kyiv, Ukraine. Having lived and worked in Wells, Somerset for the past three years, he has dedicated himself to developing local talent and injecting fresh competitive energy into regional chess. Sasha instructs at after-school clubs across the county, previously leading a very popular club in a Frome School becoming a familar face to many of our attendees at the Frome Junior Club on Tuesday afternoons & leads the Wells Junior Chess Club on Wednesdays evenings
FIDE Arena Grand Master (2019)
English National Master (2024)
2-Time Champion of Somerset (Frome 2023, 2024)
Chess Champion of the West of England (Bristol, 2024)
Ratings: 2235 (FIDE) | 2314 (English Chess Federation)
Learn more at: chesswithsasha.com
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Founder & Director: Hi, I am Curtis Shaddick (MChem, PGCE, QTS)
I am a Master of Chemistry with a PGCE in Secondary Science and QTS. Outside of the classroom, I am a fan of fantasy books, a keen hiker, and a homeowner. I have a deep love for travel, geography, and maps. I can identify any flag and capital city in the world, which I now recognise as a very autistic, and very joyful, trait.
I was diagnosed as Autistic in September 2019 during my teacher training. That day felt like a massive "aha" moment. It was a relief that finally explained so much of my life up to that point.
During my eight years as a Science teacher across several Bristol and Somerset secondary and middle schools, the mask gradually came off. All of my colleagues, and most of my students, were actively aware that I was Autistic. I took great pride in being an openly neurodivergent educator, but recently, I have had to leave the job that brought me so much pride and enjoyment.
My departure from mainstream teaching in February 2026 was due, in part, to autistic burnout. However, this period of recovery has also been a period of intense learning.
The Journey Continues: Recognising the Full Picture
The Journey Continues: Recognising the Full Picture
My understanding of my own neurodivergence didn't stop in the classroom. Given the high prevalence of co-occurring Autism and ADHD, and through recognising many, many of my own traits, I highly suspect I have co-morbid ADHD and/or Dyspraxia.
Since leaving the classroom, I have recently started the (notoriously long!) diagnostic pathway for ADHD to confirm this. This ongoing process of self-discovery has only deepened my empathy for those currently navigating the "SEND-betweener" space or waiting for their own assessments. I understand the patience, the frustration, and the profound importance of finding support while you are still "in the middle" of the journey.
📝 The Autistic Catalyst
📝 The Autistic Catalyst
I recently started a blog called The Autistic Catalyst, where I share the raw and honest details of my journey, my experiences in the education system, and my philosophy on neurodiversity.
[Click here to read "The Autistic Catalyst"]
Find Your Tribe
Find Your Tribe
One of the absolute highlights of my career was founding the school's neurodiversity lunchtime celebration club. The children themselves named this club "Find Your Tribe." It was designed as a safe environment within the school where they could unmask and be themselves, far away from the sensory chaos of the lunch hall and the yard. Seeing the students thrive in that space confirmed what I have always believed: neurodivergent individuals do not need "fixing"; they need an environment that allows them to function.
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