I taught for 40 years in mainstream schools, in Further Education and in Special Education. I was head of three special schools for dyslexic students. I founded and, for nineteen years ran, Mark College, a school for dyslexic boys, which received several awards including the Department of Education's "Highly Effective School" certificate and Beacon School status, the ISA's "Award for Excellence" and a National Training Award.

I have written several books based on my classroom research including "The Trouble with Maths" which won the NASEN/TES "Book for Learning and Teaching" award in 2004. The second edition of "Sum Hope", now titled "Dealing with Dyscalculia: Sum Hope²", was published in September 2007.

I run training courses for teachers across the UK and have lectured on learning difficulties in maths in over 25 countries worldwide. I was Chair of the 3rd International Conference of the British Dyslexia Association. I was co-founder and then Chair of the Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexics (CReSTeD). Currently I Chair Dyslexia Action's Education Advisory Committee.