Guest blog by Rob Wakeling
Rob Wakeling is an Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ maths teacher and the founder of Bow Tie Teacher. Rob and his wife Nicola contacted us to share their family’s story, and to make a generous offer to young people who are currently out of education because of their experience of PANS or PANDAS.
Why I left teaching and built the app my daughter needed
My connection to PANS and PANDAS is deeply personal. I watched my daughter lose four years of her life, including her education, to PANDAS.
My wife had to leave her teaching career and mindfulness business to become our daughter’s carer and, after twenty years in schools, I left my senior leadership role and joined her at home, fitting in private tutoring around our family’s needs.
This experience didn’t just change our family; it changed my entire professional mission. I am now dedicated to ensuring that medical barriers do not lead to educational dead-ends.
For years, I was a typical classroom teacher. I believed in the power of the school environment, until my own daughter became too unwell to even get out of bed. Watching her struggle with PANDAS was devastating. Watching her lose confidence and her belief in any kind of future was heartbreaking.
A failing education system
As a teacher, I saw the ‘educational blackout’ from both sides. I saw how the education system often fails children who are medically absent.
As a father, I felt the terrifying pressure of our Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII) journey; the suspicion, the isolation, the exhausting fight to be believed. I know how that feels. I suspect many of you do too.
I realised that for children in our community, the traditional ‘one size fits all’ approach to education isn’t just difficult; it can be a source of trauma in itself.
“I saw how the education system often fails children who are medically absent.
I am now dedicated to ensuring that medical barriers do not lead to educational dead-ends.”
Creating Bow Tie Teacher
I developed Bow Tie Teacher because I wanted to create the tool I wish my daughter had during her darkest times; the years when she couldn’t leave the house, couldn’t interact with tutors, and simply wanted to be invisible.
I knew that standard online homework platforms often caused more anxiety than they solved. I wanted to build something that felt like having an expert teacher in the room, but without the pressure of a live audience.
The platform was built around three specific needs I saw in my own daughter, and in the young people I now support:
Removing the anxiety of the unknown.
The app uses real exam data, eight years of it, to show students exactly where they are and what they need to work on. When a child can see a clear picture of their current level and a concrete path forward, the paralysing ‘fear’ of maths begins to lift.
A safe ‘lurk and learn’ environment.
Many young people struggle with being put on the spot. The platform lets students engage entirely at their own pace; watching videos, practising questions and building confidence without needing to interact or perform, until they feel ready.
Allowing for flares.
Education should never penalise a child for being ill. The app allows students to work in ten-minute bursts when they are well, and step away completely during a flare, with their progress safely saved and waiting for them when they return.
Our offer to the PANS and PANDAS community
My wife and I are grateful for the opportunity to share this guest blog, and for the support we have gained from the PANS PANDAS UK online community.
Now we want to pay it forward, by offering free full platform access to young people who are currently out of education because of PANS or PANDAS.
This is not just about an app; it is about providing a structured, expert‑led path that helps your child reclaim their academic potential, at their own pace and on their own terms, without the pressure that made school so difficult.
If this sounds useful to your family, please get in touch and we can organise free subscriptions for anyone going through these difficult times.
What we can provide:
- Full, complimentary access to our maths learning platform
- Structured support to help “bridge the gap” for students who cannot attend traditional school
- A safe, flexible environment for children to learn at their own pace during flare-ups or recovery.
And finally… our message to the students and parents reading this blog:
To the students: You have not lost your ability to learn. You have been unwell, and that is not the same thing. You just need a different kind of classroom which you can attend whenever you feel ready.
To the parents: We have stood exactly where you are standing. We recognise the weight you carry. It is our hope that this platform can take one thing off your plate, the worry about maths, so you can focus on what matters most: your child’s health and recovery.
Thank you Rob and Nicola
If you would like to write a guest blog for PANS PANDAS UK, please use this form to get in touch.
The views, opinions, and experiences shared in guest blogs belong solely to the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views of PANS PANDAS UK. The charity does not endorse, recommend, or evaluate individual products, treatments, or services. Content is provided for general information only and should not be interpreted as medical, educational, or professional advice.
