Senior leadership team

It is a complete privilege to be the Headteacher at Elms Bank. I absolutely love working with our special young people, supporting them to learn, develop their resilience and nurture their confidence and self-esteem.

I have worked at Elms Bank for 17 years and have vast experience of working with young people with SEND. I have taken on a number of roles at Elms Bank including the responsibility of Teaching and Learning, Continuing Professional Developing and the Induction of Early Career Teachers. I am incredibly passionate about working with teachers to improve their practice, develop their confidence and drive standards in teaching and learning. As a trained music teacher I am extremely enthusiastic for singing and lead the Elms Bank student and staff choirs…..you may have seen our Virtual Choir on TV?!

In addition to my role in school, I lead the Bury Schools Alliance Secondary Schools Direct programme. I thoroughly enjoy working alongside student teachers; providing training and supporting them on their journey to Qualified Teacher Status. Our provision is first rate and has an excellent reputation across Bury with many students taking jobs in local secondary schools.

I am a Deputy Head with strategic responsibility for Professional Development. I love my role and am driven to ensure that all Elms Bank colleagues develop their specialist skills knowledge and understanding to ensure all our students achieve their potential.

My initial 6 years of teaching was in a ‘Barrier Free’ primary school. From day one, my class included pupils with physical disabilities, hearing impairment and complex health needs, along with their support staff. This rewarding school experience led to a passion for inclusion and commitment to ensuring all pupils be enabled to achieve their potential. For the following 21 years, I have had the privilege to develop my career through working with pupils with complex needs in a range of educational settings, including hospital schools and special schools, including since 2018, Elms Bank.

Elms Bank is an inspirational school and it is a privilege to support our students and staff in achieving their goals.

I am proud to be Deputy Headteacher of Elms Bank School and College. I take strategic responsibility for Engagement, which includes wellbeing, attendance, behaviour and pastoral support. I am passionate about promoting the wellbeing of our pupils through the school values, wider curriculum and child centred support.

I have 26 years’ experience, starting my career as a primary school teacher. As a primary SENCo I developed a keen interest in unlocking the potential of pupils with SEND. I moved into special education and have 19 years’ experience of teaching pupils with a wide range of needs. As a leader at Elms Bank I am committed to making a real difference to the lives of our amazing pupils as they grow into happy and successful young adults.

I am the Assistant Headteacher for Applied Learning at Elms Bank School and College. I have strategic responsibility for Careers Education Information Advice & Guidance (CEIAG), the KS5 curriculum, including the Supported Internship at Fairfield Hospital. I am passionate about improving outcomes for SEND students, and work hard to develop relationships with the community and employers to support this.

I have 14 years of teaching experience. Having taught Technology in mainstream secondary schools before moving to Elms Bank: initially joining as a teacher and progressing into my current role.

I am dedicated to ensuring our learners are successfully prepared for adulthood by strategically developing a curriculum which prepares students for employment, or prepares them for being as independent as possible as they move into adulthood.

It is a complete honour to be an Assistant Headteacher at Elms Bank and work with the incredible young people in our care and the talented staff team.

I have worked at Elms Bank for over 21 years and have a wide experience of supporting young people with SEND and SEMH.

My areas of responsibility are as the Head of English, and for leading the quality assurance of Teaching and Learning across the whole school and college. I am also the Induction Tutor for Early Career Teachers.

I am incredibly passionate about working with teachers to develop their confidence, knowledge, and skills as practitioners, so that they can deliver high standards of teaching and learning, enabling every student to achieve their highest potential.

I am proud to be the Assistant Headteacher for Personal Development at Elms Bank School and College. I am passionate about understanding and supporting behaviour in a way that enables every pupil to thrive, develop confidence and become the very best version of themselves. I believe that positive relationships, meaningful opportunities and a personalised approach are key to helping our learners achieve success both in school and beyond. As part of my role, I oversee our Oak Experiences, ensuring that pupils have access to a wide range of enriching opportunities that broaden their horizons, develop their interests and create lasting memories. 

I have worked in education for over 20 years and have experience across both mainstream primary and specialist settings. Throughout my career, I have held a variety of roles, including SENCO, maths lead and classroom teacher, teaching both maths and English. These experiences have given me a strong understanding of the diverse needs of learners and the importance of tailoring support to help every individual achieve their potential. They have also allowed me to develop a deep appreciation of the ways in which personal development, wellbeing and academic learning work together to support positive outcomes.

What I value most about Elms Bank is the commitment to seeing the whole child and recognising the unique strengths that each learner brings. I am passionate about creating opportunities that build independence, resilience, self-belief and a sense of belonging. Whether through enriching experiences, personal development opportunities, or everyday interactions, I am committed to ensuring that our pupils feel valued, supported and empowered to succeed.

I feel incredibly proud to be part of the Elms Bank community and privileged to work alongside such dedicated staff, inspiring learners and supportive families. Together, we strive to provide experiences that help our pupils discover their strengths, celebrate their achievements and prepare them for fulfilling and successful futures.

I am delighted to be the Business Manager at Elms Bank School and College. I am proud to lead a passionate and committed business team who thrive to support our staff and pupils to achieve excellence for all. Our vision and values are at the heart of everything we do.

I have 21 years experience working in an educational setting during which time I have held many roles including HR and Office Manager and Head of Support Staff.

I thoroughly enjoy being part of the Elms Bank family.

As the Team Lead for Speech Therapy in Bury Special Schools, I work across Elms Bank sites with a dedicated team who empower children and young people to reach their communicative potential.

I have over 7 years’ experience as a Speech and Language Therapist working in special school settings. I have specialisms in the areas of Autism, Complex Needs and Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC). I feel passionately about reducing the barriers that children and young people with Speech Language and Communication Needs face and believe that every child and young person has the potential to develop with the right support and team around them.

I have seen first-hand how working collaboratively with the team at Elms Bank allows for positive meaningful outcomes for our children and young people.

I am proud to be the Assistant Headteacher for Progress across Elms Bank School and College. I am passionate about supporting our learners to achieve their individual learning goals, recognise their successes and take pride in their achievements. I have experience and understanding of what meaningful progress looks like across our different curriculum pathways and recognise the important role that progress plays in opening up opportunities, developing independence and preparing our pupils for their future lives.

I have worked at Elms Bank for approximately 15 years, having originally trained as a secondary art and design teacher. Elms Bank was my first permanent teaching role and, following my first encounter with the Elms Bank magic, I have been here ever since! During my time here, I have had the opportunity to work across different areas of the school and college, including as Department Lead in Thrive and Preparation for Adulthood Lead at college. I have also contributed to curriculum development for the Explore creative curriculum. These varied experiences have given me a broad understanding of our learners, curriculum pathways and the many different ways in which we can support meaningful progress for every individual.

I am passionate about helping our learners to experience all that Elms Bank has to offer and ensuring they have opportunities to discover their strengths, develop their aspirations and celebrate their achievements. We have high aspirations for all our learners and I feel incredibly proud and fortunate to be part of such an inspirational provision and community.