Toria is the Equity and Diversity lead at Thomas A Becket Junior in Worthing, a Primary Evidence Lead Educator for Durrington Research School, the OU UKLA Reading for Pleasure Lead for West Sussex and a class teacher.

She is in her 21st year of teaching and has held a number of roles across the primary sector during that time. In June 2020 she was awarded a fellowship by the Chartered College of Teaching for her commitment to education.

Toria is passionate about preparing young people for the world that lies ahead of them and believes that if educators collaborate and learn from each other, the life-chances of young people will be significantly improved. In February 2020, she created #TinyVoiceTalks as a platform for the quieter voices in education to be heard. She believes that we all have a voice – we just need the right platform. From that date, the #TinyVoiceTalks community have come together every Tuesday on Twitter to find their voices and enable others to do so too. In August 2020, she launched a podcast of the same name to enable quieter voices to speak about big issues. Toria has spoken to educators about significant issues such as ‘coming out’, ‘inequality’ and ‘disability’. She hopes that by having these conversations, it will enable educators to better understand the young people they teach and know how to support and prepare them for their future.

Recently, Toria has become an anchor presenter for Teacher Hug Radio and has her own show ‘Origins’ and is a presenter on Teacher Hug Book Club. Toria’s love of books and of teachers as readers extends further and she created Tiny Voice Book Salon in November 2020. This monthly show on YouTube is an opportunity for authors and educators to come together, discuss a theme and share their love of books. Children’s authors and educators are dedicated to improving the lives of young people and this show gives them an opportunity to collaborate on themes such as ‘Diversity’, ‘Family’, ‘Journeys’ and ‘authentic representation’.

Above all else, Toria is a mother and wife who recognises that without the unwavering love and support of the family she adores, all her achievements mean very little. She is also a passionate full-time class teacher and her pupils matter most amongst all her other projects. The last year has certainly been challenging for all educators, however Toria believes that even with these challenge there are a myriad of opportunities to connect and to learn from each other.