Management Team

As the CEO of Dovecote School I bring a diverse range of experiences in educational leadership and the Children’s Services sector. My career has spanned senior leadership roles in both mainstream and SEN (Special Educational Needs) schools, working in the UK and Australia. I spent 10 years with the Department for Education (DfE), where I played a key role in supporting and challenging leaders in leadership, management, and curriculum development.

Following my time at the DfE, I advanced to the role of Director of Education within the SEN education sector, overseeing multiple schools, developing, and establishing new schools, and ensuring all schools maintained an outstanding status. I then transitioned to the role of Director of Services, where I successfully opened two additional schools.

I worked as part of the National Strategies for several years, collaborating with both mainstream and special schools. Prior to that, I was the headteacher at a mainstream school, alongside working with numerous SEN schools.

Creating Dovecote School was a long-held dream of mine. The team goal was to provide an exceptional education for students who find schooling challenging, empowering them to embrace who they are and achieve their full potential.

At Dovecote School, our approach is rooted in embracing and celebrating diversity, which is reflected in our core values and vision.

Through Dovecote School, we are committed to creating a nurturing and inclusive educational environment where every student can thrive and become the person they aspire to be.

I am the Headteacher of Dovecote School. I have over 23 years experience of working with students with special education needs, including trauma informed practice, SEMH, ASD, ADHD, PDA to name a few. 10 of those years have been specifically dedicated to work at senior management level supporting families, staff and students alike, promoting inclusive practice in an environment where students feel safe and want to learn resulting in positive outcomes. I have a proven track record in registering and developing growth within special schools in the South West whilst maintaining a good strong vision for the school and sharing this effectively to the leadership team and teachers alike prioritising staff welfare and the wellbeing of our students.

At the heart of the school, I think we need to make our students feel safe within a fun, appropriate learning environment where students can make mistakes without prejudice and strive to be the best they can be through our delivery of a specialized, student-focused curriculum which will allow them grow into interdependent learners.

As a leader, I have been able to motivate my staff team and get them to work with me, I lead from the front demonstrating excellent teaching and engagement management skills, giving them the confidence that I still know what it’s like to be on the ground floor.

I have worked in social care/education in a variety of settings for over 20 years, in the last 14 years l have worked in specialised education settings.

I enjoy learning and completed my Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management, prior to this l completed Level 3  NVQ Health and Social Care (Children and Young People).

I am passionate and driven to provide the best support to the children and young people and help them to understand how to keep themselves safe in the community and online.

Dovecote School is an amazing place to work and to see the young people thrive and learn in an environment that understands and adapts to individual needs makes Dovecote a safe learning environment.

In my free time l enjoy spending time with my dogs Tegan, Perry and Raven, going on walks in the countryside and spending time with my family. I enjoy F1 watching it and going to different races.

I have worked within education for over 10 years and had the opportunity within a variety of roles across multiple year groups from Primary to further education. My experience varies from class teacher of early years, to GSCE English and A Level and BTEC lecturer. Since qualifying as a teacher, I have had the opportunity to lead, develop and support PSHE curriculum, pastoral care supporting parent and families and as Deputy Safeguarding Lead. Working alongside parents and families providing additional support for vulnerable children prompted my transition to Residential care, where I undertook the role of Therapeutic Support Practitioner & Co- Ordinator working closely with young children with ongoing trauma, responsible for strategies and intervention therapies. Having worked within many educational establishments I have identified the importance of continual development and learning, striving to provide the best environment possible for children and young people to be able to develop and become successful individuals. With this as a focus I am excited to be part of the Dovecote team to support an individualised therapeutic approach to learning.

I have worked in schools for over twenty years as a PE teacher and not surprisingly I have a love of all sport and physical activity. In 2020, I decided to leave teaching for a change of a career, and I joined an alternative provision providing 1:1 support for students in a forest school setting. Whilst working in the forest school for two years I gained my Level 3 Forest School Leaders qualification. However, whilst working 1:1 with students I realised how much I miss the busy life of a school environment and I found myself looking for a way to get back into teaching, luckily, I found Dovecote School.

Since I started at Dovecote School, I have taught Upper School English, I have been a Middle School Class Teacher, PE Lead and now I am doing a maternity cover for the Secondary Curriculum Lead, this variety of roles has given me a wonderful opportunity to get to know all the students incredibly well but also for me to work alongside the fantastic team of staff who make Dovecote School the special place that it is. I am looking forward to helping the school develop further as Church Farm opens its doors to the first upper school students in September 2024.

I have worked in education for over 14 years and have experience in primary, secondary and specialist schools. When I undertook my PGCE, I trained with special needs as a specialism and spent equal time training in specialist settings and mainstream settings. Since qualifying as a teacher, I have taught across a variety of age ranges in both key stage 1 and key stage 2 and have led a number of subjects including Computing and PE, as well as being a key stage leader. I have always had an interest in special needs, and I was able to work alongside the SENCo in my previous school and gain valuable experience whilst completing the SENCo award. I then went on to become the school SENCo and was able to use my training and experience to implement new systems and strategies to develop and improve SEN outcomes across the school.

I firmly believe that education is not only about outcomes but about creating highly skilled and life ready individuals who are ready for the challenging world ahead, regardless of need or background. For me as a leader, this journey through education is fundamental and should be accessible to every child with each having access to the best opportunities to succeed and thrive. I am passionate about supporting young people and genuinely believe in the capacity of all to be successful even where adjustments may need to be made – I know that this drive and commitment to inclusivity and opportunities for all is integral to the role of SENCo.

Dovecote School provides a truly unique environment, both in the physical spaces that are available to enhance and facilitate educational and personal development opportunities, but also within the skills and experience of the staff team. I am in the fortunate position to work as part of a Therapy Team where our collective skills and knowledge can be used to support our students and their families to ensure that school is a safe and supportive place where they are welcomed and understood. As a therapy team we are able to support the wider teaching team in having the knowledge, training and resources to ensure that student’s needs are met, and they have the tools and strategies to succeed. An integral part of this success is working closely with our families to ensure that our student have the best possible outcomes.

Having accessed University as a mature student and scraped through an Honors degree in Psychology and Sociology, I had a long first career in Registered adult social care; in both middle and senior leadership. This gave me a wealth of experience working alongside and managing teams to support young and older adults with a range of learning differences to navigate life. I’m old enough to have been involved in the re-provision of services traditionally part of hospital care, to community care and supported living! Being involved in the final push for re-provision of the hospital care service in the Southwest taught me we can and should do more to support neurodiverse people to access opportunities through education which enable them to fulfill full potential and hopes and wishes.

This prompted a switch from care to education and I quickly started working in specialist education provision – somewhere I could use my skills and experience to best effect. I’ve taught classes of students with complex communication and social needs, including Autism, PDA, Attachment disorder and Trauma and through this became acutely aware of the meaning of inclusion in education. More recently worked as an art tutor and saw the benefits of engaging student therapeutically to support development of social and emotional skills. This brought me to Thrive Approach which has in turn been transformational for my practice and understanding of neurodiverse community. I came to Dovecote in 2022 with a deep and heartfelt understanding of Thrive and the impact it can have for everyone as a teaching tool, as a wellbeing tool and as a tool for life. I’m a licensed Adolescent Thrive practitioner, Thrive Family lead and Thrive trainer. In the last few years, I have worked tirelessly to embed the principles and practice of Thrive into education and am incredibly proud of the way in which we have embedded Thrive into our Needs Met curriculum. We are now a Thrive School of Excellence; celebrating that social, emotional mental health of our students, families and staff. This continues to be a high priority for our Family, Inclusion and Wellbeing team and for empowering resilience in life and learning.

I have worked in the social care/education sector; in a variety of settings, for over 18 years, with the latter 6 years being dedicated to HR, workforce development and H&S. I have many years’ experiences of managing a team; 10 of which have been at senior management level.  I am loyal, passionate, and driven to provide the best possible service to colleagues and the children and young people we work with.

I really enjoy working in multifaceted and fast paced environments that require effective delivery of projects and initiatives, which makes the environment at Dovecote School is perfect for me.

Dovecote School provides an amazing environment, with plenty of outside space including a farm, gardens, sports activities as well as on and offsite adventure activities to meet the needs of our students and help them achieve their true potential.  We are incredibly lucky to have an amazing; inclusive, team of educational and therapy specialists who are dedicated and passionate about making a difference for every child that attends Dovecote School, both now and in the future.

I started my career in Education, as a Teaching Assistant to fit around my own children and have now been working within schools for over 19 years. I have the lived experience of parenting 3 children with a range of needs – ASD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia and as such wanted to know everything and anything linked to their diagnosis. We struggled as a family to be heard and had to fight daily for their needs to be met. I was determined to be their voice when they couldn’t. This has influenced my practice in and out of class assisting other children and parents find their voice.

I am trained as an ELSA, Learning Support Mentor and Childhood Thrive Practitioner and have worked with a range of students with Autism, PDA, Attachment disorder, Bereavement and Trauma. I am passionate about inclusion for ALL children. When I heard about the role of Thrive Practitioner at Dovecote School, I jumped at the chance to move to a more dedicated role that centres on the student’s wellbeing.

I have worked in education for 14 years in range of support, supervising and teaching roles. During this time I have obtained an Open BA (Hons) degree through the Open University as well as a Level 5 Diploma in Education and Learning. I have worked with a variety of ages and abilities before realising my passion for the SEN environment. I hold strong that all learners should feel safe and secure in their environment and that learning is not just about academics but also about personal growth and achievements. The ethos of Dovecote School ensures that our learners are supported emotionally; something I hold at the heart of my practise. My role includes developing work experience and lived experiences for students as they grow through their adolescent years.

I joined the Dovecote team in January 2023, after nearly ten years at my previous SEN setting, as an LSA for lower school and then in September 2023 I moved to middle school where I have been based in Stoat Class. 

I have been the Staff Wellbeing Coordinator since May 2024, arranging activities and hoping to get all the staff engaged. Some of these activities include theatre trips, escape rooms, Christmas wreath making and sports activities. 

From January 2024 I have taken on the role as Home Cooking Technician, in support of the cooking teacher, to help with the everyday jobs during the busy week. 

I thoroughly enjoy working at Dovecote as there is a real sense of family and teamwork and it is a place where everyone is made to feel welcome and supported. 

This is an amazing place for all the young people who come here, it is so lovely to see them thrive and achieve goals that many of them may never have felt possible. 

I am the DT teacher here at Dovecote and also the lead on Environmental initiatives. I have been here since the doors opened and it has been wonderful seeing the school grow and develop. For me, it is the setting of the School that I enjoy most. It really is a beautiful place and the staff who look after the School do an amazing job.

I want the students I teach to leave this School feeling more capable and confident to lean on their own skills, knowledge, and experience to succeed and enjoy themselves.

My journey at Dovecote has been amazing! Starting as Lower school LSA, to then be given the opportunity to be a Lower school teacher whilst training on the job. I absolutely love the family feeling Dovecote has and the support each and every person gives one another. Dovecote is one big journey and because of the school’s adaptability, it means that everyone has different routes they can take. I think its an honour to watch the students flourish during their time in Dovecote watching them grow as people as they move up the school. I believe it’s wonderful to encourage students to pursue their passions and dreams. Its important for them to develop a strong sense of curiosity, creativity and empathy. I would like each student to achieve happiness, fulfillment and a sense of purpose in whatever path they choose to follow.

I am Antonia and I’m the Occupational Therapist at Dovecote School. I qualified as an OT from Cardiff University in 2020.  

I have previously worked in 52-week residential school for autistic children with learning disabilities and additional complex needs. In this role I worked with young people ages 11 years up to 18 years supporting and promoting their participation and engagement in both their education and home lives.  

Before completing my Occupational Therapy training, I had experience working in Dementia Services and Community Mental Health Teams.  

My aim is to build an Occupational Therapy provision that promotes our young people’s meaningful engagement in their learning opportunities as well as develop a healthy understanding of their strengths and needs. I hope this will empower our young people at Dovecote to feel safe having their needs met and feel confident to self-advocate to ensure their needs continue to be met when they move on from Dovecote School.  

I am passionate about embedding a neurodivergent affirming therapeutic model into Dovecote School and advocating for meaningful inclusion

I’m Emma and I’m the Speech and Language Therapist at Dovecote. I qualified from Greenwich University in 2014.  I have previously worked within several NHS Trusts with young people with a range of strengths and needs, including autism, developmental language disorder, stammering, speech sound disorder and situational mutism.  In my NHS posts I primarily worked with ages 2 years up to 11 years, across mainstream schools, special schools, specialist provisions and clinic settings.

Previous to completing my speech and language therapy training, I completed a BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Education Studies and a Postgraduate Certificate in Linguistic Studies.  I worked as an LSA in a mainstream school in between finishing my undergraduate degree and starting my speech and language therapy training.

My aim is to create a speech and language provision which supports our young people to use the most meaningful form of communication for them.

I am passionate about ensuring my practice is neurodivergent affirming, supporting our young people to self-advocate, problem solve and look at different perspectives.  Since having my own children, I have experienced the many challenges that come with trying to find the best possible support for their happiness and success, and appreciate how important it is to work with families.

I am a middle school teacher in Weasel class and a middle manager with a focus on PDA.

I have been teaching for 25 years across both Secondary and Middle schools.  In my own time I enjoy going to the gym, trail running, paddleboarding, walking and exploring new places and watching Rugby and cricket!

The most enjoyable part of Dovecote is getting to spend every day with wonderful, funny, imaginative and creative children in a beautiful setting!  Oh, and the food is pretty amazing too!

I would like each child to develop meaningful friendships and develop independence.

I’ve always known I’ve wanted to work with children and to be able to make a difference to their lives.

I work as the Senior Receptionist/Administrator in the main school office. I am normally the first voice you will hear on the telephone or the first face you will see when you walk into Reception.

I qualified as a Nursery Teacher in my hometown of Bournemouth, where I worked in a Nursery until I moved to Somerset in 1998. Initially I continued working part-time in a Nursery Setting but started in a full-time customer focused retail role in 2000.

After giving birth to my daughter in 2006, I resumed my childcare career as a Nursey Manager but having my daughter the same age as the children I was working with meant I missed adult interaction. I stumbled across a Receptionist’s job in a school in Bridgwater and I stayed there for 11 years, in a role that not only enabled me to make a difference to the lives of the students but also to the parents and families.

My career at Dovecote School happened as I’d driven past the school and noticed the sign advertising the new school. I came in for a visit and fell in love with the ethos and the vision of the school and I wanted to be a part of Dovecote School .

I was very lucky to start with Dovecote School in the July before the doors officially opened to students in the September, I joined what was almost a complete building, although still a building site in places and have seen the transformation from an empty manor house into the truly magical educational setting it is now.

I get a huge sense of fulfilment when I have been able be able to make a difference to the students, parents/carers, and families I work closely with.

I am proud to be a member of the Dovecote team.

I have a combined degree in English and Art and my interests very much revolve around the arts in general, and include books, the theatre, performance, and a wide variety of music.  

I love nature and the outdoors, animals, travel and sports. 

 My principal role in adult working life has been in the classroom teaching Art, heading up a department at Beaminster school in Dorset for over 20 years. I am interested in developing teaching skills, and other professional skills, in education; part of my own development has been to work in the last few years with students with Autism and trauma and I have become profoundly aware of the complex and varied skills needed to guide and empower such young people, to build their confidence and sense of self-worth, and to enable them to access relevant education. I am learning all the time and continue to be inspired every day by the work that is being done for these remarkable youngsters and the progress that they make. 

 At Dovecote as a member of the Advisory Board I have involved myself with various aspects of the school’s first two years – I have had a focus on staff and student well-being and the embedding of Thrive as central to students’ journey through Dovecote. I take an interest in the site itself and how it can be maintained and improved as a stimulating and safe environment for our staff and students, and I like to spend time in the school whenever possible, talking and interacting with staff and students. 

 As well as keeping a close eye on the continued support and care given to students I am always keen to look at their academic challenges and achievements – while I will always be most naturally drawn to the work done by the Art and English departments, I would like to see myself as available to support, challenge and inspire all areas of study and activity within Dovecote school. 

I currently work for an education Group as Regional Training Services Manager for the South of the UK. I have over twenty years’ experience in Learning and Development and over eight years working in Education, Care and Fostering, either working directly, or equipping teams, supporting young people. This is what I am particularly passionate about and what motivates me to get up in the morning. Hearing success stories and witnessing children overcome challenges and making progress continues to be a source of aspiration. As a Dovecote School Advisor, I look forward to being part of the journey and celebrating its inevitable success.

I initially trained as a solicitor, but found my vocation in training and development, jointly launching Stratagem in 1993.

I have broad industry experience and have worked with a wide variety of organisations all over the world. I believe I have a natural flair for developing people and can engage them at every level with my high-impact style. I am as comfortable working with the Board as I am helping operators understand the behavioural changes they need to make.

I aim to create a highly stimulating experience when facilitating workshops and I am always looking to develop new and innovative exercises and approaches to bring out learning points and fully engage my audience.

I am trained to interpret Insights, Lumina and Myers Briggs and hold a teaching Fellowship with Bath University’s School of Management.

I have spent my career championing young people to help them reach their full potential, irrespective of their background or social environment. As Managing Director of Thrive, I believe that positive mental health is the foundation for future resilience, happiness, and achievement.  

In my career I worked in finance and strategy consulting, gaining a 2:1 (hons) in Economics from Southampton University, the Investment Management Certificate (IMC), and an MBA from London Business School. I took those skills into the non-profit sector when I joined The Young Foundation where, as Director of Ventures, I designed and ran Incubator and Accelerator programmes to support, advise and secure funding for social entrepreneurs tackling inequality.  

I went on to become CEO of UK Youth, a national charity founded in 1911 and dedicated to supporting 1.5 million young people aged 8-25 to access high quality youth work through over 3,500 local community groups. Most recently I launched and built the Youth Futures Foundation, a government backed £90 million non-profit to support marginalised young people towards and into employment.  

I emerged as one of the leading voices for youth wellbeing and opportunities in the UK and am a powerful advocate for all children and young people. 

I am a resident of Shapwick and have lived in this lovely village since 2001. I am currently Vice Chair of the Parish Council. 

Prior to retirement in 2020 I was a partner at a local law firm specialising in commercial property transactions.  I headed up a team which handled several academy conversions. 

I have one son and two grandsons who live locally so I am fortunate in being able to spend time with them. I enjoy being on hand for babysitting duties. 

My hobbies include gardening, singing in a local choir, a writing group, yoga, and Pilates.