About us
We believe that all children and young people should be given the best chance to achieve well and to lead emotionally resilient and fulfilled lives.
OnLineTraining was founded in 2008 to provide flexible professional development for teachers and teaching assistants who support children and young people with special educational needs.
To date, over 10,000 schools have partnered with us to improve the confidence and skills of their teaching team and provide a more inclusive experience for pupils with SEND.
We provide a SEN training platform to education departments in Australia and Local Authorities in the UK, and we also support schools and individuals.
Our vision for children with SEND is the same as for all children and young people – that they achieve well in their early years, at school and in college, and lead happy and fulfilled lives.
Foreword, SENDCoP 2015
Directors
Nick Maloney
“Our unique approach to courses combines stimulating visuals with interactivity and humour.
Nick has been a director of OnLineTraining since 2008, and is responsible for our international IT infrastructure, course development and data compliance.
In 2002, after 35 years as a professional theatre and television actor (check out the IMDb website!), Nick began to develop an interest in website and database design.
He designed websites and data systems for the Home Office drug and alcohol in the workplace policies initiative, and for Inclusion Partnerships in a number of regions, such as South Central (SCRIP), the South East (SERSEN), London, and the South-West. He developed the original NatSIP website, and the West Sussex Drug & Alcohol Action Team’s website and event booking systems.
Nick created the framework for the original SEN online courses produced by Onlineinset in 2002, bringing humour and imagination to course designs and animations, and a comprehensive learning management system for tutors and administrators. With his team, he continues to explore new approaches in technologies and designs to produce engaging and stimulating training.
Hugh Clench
“Built-in evaluation demonstrates impact on both teacher expertise, and learner outcomes.
Hugh (B.Sc. (Hons), P.G.C.E., M.Ed.(Psych), C.Psychol., MPA*, AFBPsS) is a UK based educationalist and, since 2008, has been a director of OnLineTraining.
In 1978, after teaching for four years, he trained as an educational psychologist, and then worked in postgraduate teacher training for the next seven years.
He began working as an educational psychologist in 1987, becoming a senior in 1995, then Head of SEND in Brighton and Hove in 1997.
From 2000 to 2008, he was Regional Facilitator for Development in Children’s Services covering 13 UK local authorities. In this role he served on several national policy-making committees in the UK, and had a national lead on a number of initiatives, including the development of Quality Standards for SEND Support and Outreach Services.
Hugh has held several voluntary positions, and is currently chair of Amaze, an award-winning charity providing support to parents of children with SEND.
Associate director
Richard Skelton
“To really understand one area of need, you have to know the whole child.
Richard is a compassionate Child and Educational Psychologist, continuing to work across a wide range of age ranges within nursery, primary, secondary, and specialist settings. Although Richard has a particular interest in areas of cognition and learning, he endeavours to maintain a holistic approach whereby “to really understand one area of need, you have to know the whole child”.
Richard integrates psychology within all elements of training design to enable highly engaging, impactful, and accessible courses. He is passionate about empowering professionals to have all the resources they need to have the greatest positive impact for all children and young people.
Meet the team
Billy Blair
Graphic Designer and Front-end Developer
Billy is OLT's graphic designer enforcing the company's branding throughout. With many years of experience he designs for multiple formats such as print, websites and videos. In his spare time he is a keen gamer in the VR space.
Maria Buttuller
Marketing Campaigns Manager
Maria is the driving force behind OLT's marketing campaigns. With over a decade of expertise, Maria spearheads our brand strategy, oversees communication channels and nurtures our social media presence.
Maria is passionate about seeing the impact OLT can have on children with SEND and is at her best when collaborating with the talented individuals of the OLT team. Off the clock, Maria finds solace in the art of printmaking and cherishing moments with her beloved cat Bruce.
Rob Gordon
Chief Technical Officer
Rob is our Chief Technical Officer and combines his Physics degree with a passion for software engineering, to drive our technological innovation. His leadership ensures top-quality service for our customers. Outside work, Robert is an avid golfer, sports enthusiast, and enjoys music, movies, and books. He also loves walking his collies, Fawkes and Jive. Robert's diverse interests and dedication to excellence make him a key asset to our team.
Finn Smythe
Full-Stack Developer
Finn is our Full-Stack Developer and is the creative force behind OLT's animations and course design. With over a decade of experience, he crafts engaging multimedia courses and oversees local and cloud infrastructure, ensuring seamless operation. Passionate about educational impact, Finn supports OLT's mission to transform learning with cutting-edge technology. Based in Norway, he enjoys cycling, hiking, and swimming.