> Leadership

Sarah Pickering
Headteacher
Senior Leadership Team
Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Behaviour / Relational Practice / Trauma Informed Trainer
Advanced Coach | DDSL | NPQH

I have overall responsibility to ensure our school community provides a high-quality education programme, tailored specifically for individual needs with personalised plans. We actively engage with a wide range of agencies to ensure we don’t work in silos and miss out on best practice in the wider education world.

We intend to, and have proven success, in offering a broad, bespoke, aspirational curriculum that equips our children and young people for their best future.

We succeed because we seek to sustain and grow the strong supportive relationships that we have with parents and families. We recognise that there is a relationship between wellbeing in the family and the wellbeing of the child/young person.

Mill Water staff don’t stand still: we constantly seek further opportunities to expand upon the work that our successful outreach service offers, the impact of the range of training that we offer to wider community as well as training to our own staff that builds knowledge, competence and experience over a period of time. Since May 2019 we have been utilising the final hour of a Friday for staff training, to ensure that we can deliver best class practice and interventions, with great skill at the highest quality.

Sally Cregan
Deputy Head
Senior Leadership Team
Deputy Safeguarding Lead

Gemma Moore
Assistant Head
Senior Leadership Team
Lead for Core learning
SLE for cognition and learning
Undertaking NPQLT

As Core learning lead, my role is to create and monitor the intent, implementation and impact of our English and Maths curriculums.

This has involved researching, writing, implementing and monitoring our English, reading and maths curriculums. These have been adapted from the national curriculum and ensure that our pupils learn in a systematic and sequential way. Whilst ensuring that over - learning is an integral part, in order to ensure that our pupils know more for longer. Our curriculums take account of our pupils needs and ensure that teaching and learning takes place in small steps, equipping our pupils with a strong foundation to build upon as they move through the school and beyond.

My role also involves supporting and monitoring our literacy tutor and the delivery of our Mill Water phonics programme. I meet with all teachers on a half termly basis in order to swiftly intervene when pupils are not making progress in their reading. I have trained all our staff team in our English, Reading and Maths curriculums and offer on-going support, guidance and advice in order to ensure successful implementation.

I regularly attend the local English and Maths hubs in order to quality assure our work and ensure that our curriculums are constantly evolving in order to ensure that we are preparing our pupils for their best future.

I am also a class teacher and teach a KS2 class.

Paula Harris
School Business Manager
Senior Leadership Team

Under the direction of the Headteacher, I am responsible for managing the strategy and operation of the business functions of the school, including financial management, human resources and administration. I lead and advise in these areas across the whole school. I am responsible for our recruitment process and managing the upkeep of the Single Central Record.

I have an overview of matters relating to Health and Safety and Premises Management, whilst delegating day-to-day responsibility to the Premises Manager, which in their absence, I take responsibility for.

As a senior leader I stay informed of events across the whole school and through a small team of highly competent administrators, provide administrative and other support to all areas.

Grace Norman
Assistant Head
Senior Leadership Team
Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Lead for Communication

I have been a teacher in specialist schools for over 19 years supporting children with severe and profound learning difficulties. One of my roles here at Mill Water school is to lead the communication team, I also teach in the early years class. I enjoy working with professionals and parents alongside the communication team to ensure all of our pupils are immersed in a communication rich environment and supported on the next step of their communication journey. As a team we support and develop best practice of total communication through staff training, developing confidence and empowering all of the adults that work alongside our learners.

Andrew Maker
Assistant Head
Senior Leadership Team
Lead for Physical Education
MSI Lead
Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired

As lead for Physical Education, I implement and monitor the impact of PE and Physical Development across the school. This involves designing and implementing a curriculum which promotes active and healthy lifestyles. I support teachers in delivering PE by providing teaching and assessment toolkits. Taking a whole school approach means that our PE sessions are sequential and coherent. I also act as the Mill Water representative on regional Sport Partnerships such as the Devon Special School PE network; this link enables us to participate in inter school activities and competitions including swimming galas, football tournaments and inclusion competitions.

As MSI lead, I support pupils with visual/hearing or multi-sensory impairment. I ensure pupils with a visual impairment have the provision and support they need to access their education; this includes providing training for staff and giving advice where needed. I also support teachers in adapting their learning environment and learning materials to improve accessibility.

I am also a class teacher and teach a KS2 class.