SWALSS

Paul Holland

Chief Executive

Paul Holland, our part-time Chief Executive since 2008, having previously been a special school Headteacher for 25 years (3 schools). In addition, he has had significant experience as an LA Inspector (SEN), Ofsted, consulting work in Devon and Shropshire LAs, Iceland, Ireland and the Channel Islands. He has been a member of SWALSS for 26 years and his leisure interests are rugby, football, horse racing and boats.

Andrew Penman

SWALSS Chairperson

Headteacher of Westfield Arts College, a 4-19 Dorset special school serving the needs of 190 pupils with MLD, Autism and additional complex needs.

Before returning to Dorset in January 2009, Andrew was Headteacher of The Five Islands School on the Isles of Scilly and took the school from Special Measures to Outstanding in its 2007 inspection.

Andrew’s role prior to the move to Scilly was as Deputy Principal of The West of England School in Exeter, a non-maintained special school for young people with visual impairment and other complex needs.

Clare Steel

Vice Chairperson

I have been Head teacher at Alderman Knight Special School since September 2006. The school provides for pupils with a range of learning difficulties including autism, speech, language and communication difficulties and severe learning difficulties. A small proportion of pupils have moderate learning difficulties while the great majority of pupils have complex additional learning needs. As the pupils move through the school, they follow a similar curriculum to that found in mainstream schools. In the last two years of their education pupils follow courses which can lead to qualifications on a variety of levels including GCSEs and Entry levels qualifications. The school has specialist status in the field of Communication and Interaction and a number of other awards including the Healthy Schools award. It was judged outstanding in December 2010. I have always worked in Gloucestershire and during this time I have taught across the range of educational settings including comprehensive, grammar, pupil referral units and BESN. From 2001 to 2006 I worked as one of the Authority’s SEN advisers and School Improvement Adviser. In this role I had a particular brief for issues relating to educational inclusion and the attainment and achievement of pupils with special needs. I have also worked as an Ofsted inspector and I am currently a LLE and a Professional Partner.

Paul Donkersloot

Honorary Treasurer

Head of Service Options Group. Previously Principal Priory Coxlease School. Extensive experience leading 3 Local Authority Schools and an Independent sector school. Experience of working with children and young people within every area of special needs in both day and residential settings. A member of SWALSS for the past 16 years 4 years on the committee.

Steve Brown

Head Teacher at Linwood School in Bournemouth for over 15 years. Linwood is a large highly successful all age range special school which meets the needs of PMLD, SLD, MLD and ASD. The school has over 200 students drawn from four local authorities. Steve is a National Leader of Education as well as a Professional Partner. Linwood is a specialist school for Cognition and Learning and the lead partner in a Leading Edge Partnership Programme. The school works collaboratively with other local schools and, as well as being a National Support School, are an Advanced Consultancy School.

Issy Johnson

Bursar

Bursar at Baytree School based in Weston super Mare, North Somerset since September 2004. Previously worked for 13 years for BT in Senior Management roles looking after International Business Accounts. Finance Manager for SWALSS since April 2009 and currently Chair of the Bursars/Administrators Committee.

Cherie White

I have been Principal at Ratcliffe School in Dawlish for 8 years. Prior to this I was Vice Principal here for 3 years. Our school caters for children with high functioning autism, challenging behaviour and complex needs. We have 74 students on roll aged of 8 - 17. Over the past 8 years we have built up a flexible provision that enables us to cater for the individual needs of all of our students. This includes weekly residential, part-day/part residential, day or extended day placements. We also offer a strong support structure for families as well as for the student themselves.

David Gregory CBE

David is Headteacher of Fosse Way School near Bath a generic special school, catering for 170 pupils aged 3 – 19, with satellite provision in a mainstream secondary school and a Project SEARCH (final year students moving directly into employment through internship) classroom within Royal United Hospital, Bath. Over the last 16 years David has held senior leadership positions in both secondary mainstream and special schools. During this time he has worked for the National College of School Leadership and the Department for Education. David has been Chair of the SSAT Special School National Steering Group and member of the DfE Special School Academies Advisory Group. More recently he has been involved with the DfE Vulnerable Children Task and Finish Group focused upon areas of the SEN Green Paper.

James Franzen

James began as the headteacher of Mountjoy School in September 2009. Mountjoy is currently subject to plans for a brand-new purpose built school, and has recently been designated as “outstanding”.

Deputy Heads Committee

Below are the current SWALSS Deputy Heads Committee members.

Colin May

Assistant Headteacher at Mayfield School in Torquay with responsibility for the primary department and behaviour management throughout the school. He has been at Mayfield for 9 years, having previously worked with adults with learning disabilities in residential settings.

Nicki Davis

currently Deputy Head at Heart of the Forest Special School in the beautiful Forest of Dean, an all age school catering for pupils with severe or profound learning difficulties. She has spent her entire teaching career (20 years) in this phase, loving the variety and challenge the post brings.