Leadership
Principal-Mr Gareth Howells-starting September 2023
Assistant Principal / SENDCO - Mrs Claire Upston
I have worked in education for 23 years – 16 years as a classroom teacher and 8 years as a qualified SENDco. I have had the privilege to work with the full age range of 3 to 16 years having worked in Nursery, Infant, Junior and Secondary schools. I have also worked in mainstream and specialist settings.
I am passionate about identifying the barriers that some students experience which prevents them from engaging fully in education. I believe that it is crucial for all parties involved to work together to identify and overcome these barriers, with the voice of the child or young person and their parents/carers at the heart. I have experience of working with students with all types of special educational need, with a particular interest in the area of social, emotional and mental health difficulties. I qualified as a Trauma and Mental Health Informed School Practitioner 3 years ago and this knowledge is now integral to my ethos, leadership and work with students. I have led two previous settings to embed Trauma Informed practices into their whole school ethos, processes and policies and I work 1:1 with students to help them process and work through their Adverse Childhood Experiences.
I am a mum to two sons, aged 18 and 13 years and spend many an hour watching and driving to and from hockey matches. I enjoy walking and spending time by the sea in my spare time and spending time with family and friends.
Assistant Principal/SENDCo-Mr Steve Williams
Inclusion Manager Mrs Kelly- Hoggins