Name: Sandra Clarke

Position: Headteacher

Skill/Areas of Interest: Special Needs Education; Post-school opportunities  

Previous Employment: 

2012 - 2021 - Deputy Head - Woodlands Secondary School 

2008 - 2012 - Deputy Head - St John's Special School, Kempston

2000 - 2008 - Senior Teacher - Lady Zia Wernher School

1997 - 1999 - Head of Year - Putteridge Junior School 

1992 - 1997 - Design Technology Co-ordinator - William Austin Junior School 

Hobbies: swimming, reading, crafting, travelling, socialising

Name: Steve Gibbs

Position: Chair of Governors, Co-opted Governor, 

Skills/Area of interest: Strategic Leadership, Education and SEN, Equality and Diversity

Employment: Retired.  Previously manager for Post Office Ltd.  Adult Education teacher.  Casual Exams invigilator

Hobbies: Travel, rugby, golf, politics - member of Labour Party

Name: Fr Richard Brown

Position: Co-opted Governor, Vice Chair of Governors.

Skills/Area of Interest: Safeguarding, inclusion

Employment: Parish Priest & Bishop of Richborough’s representative in the Diocese of St. Albans

Other initiatives: Trustee of Aylott James Almshouses

Hobbies: Reading, classical music, walking the hounds, travelling

Name: Sam Batchelor

Role: Parent Governor; member of Curriculum Committee, Health and Safety Governor

Skills/Areas of Interest: Health and Safety

Employment: stay at home mum 

Hobbies: socialising, travelling, walking

Name: Emma French

Position on the Board: Co-opted Governor, Chair of Curriculum Committee

Specific Responsibilities: Finance Monitoring, Safeguarding

Employment: Computer Business Consultant, Healthcare Company

Other Initiatives:  I volunteer as a Beaver Scout Colony assistant.  My eldest son, Matthew, was a pupil at Woodlands.  I care about all the pupils in this school, and want to understand the different challenges they face, applying my business skills to support the school in the excellent work that it does.

Hobbies: Gardening, craft

Name: Leeroy Jenkins

Position on the Board: Co-opted Governor, Member of Finance, Premises and Personnel Committee.

Specific Responsibility: Community Links; Health and Safety.

Skills/ Areas of Interest: Networking, printing, marketing

Employment: Director of nextuplocal.com and NUBranding.co.uk

Other initiatives: Sponsor of Luton Town and Indians Cricket Club, The Coop Sports and Social Club, Friends of Hightown, Panthers Netball Team, Luton Foodbank, Tropical FM.

Hobbies:  Music and graphic design

Name: Caroline Lowry 

Position: Deputy Head Teacher, Associate Governor 

Skill/Areas of Interest:  I have a particular interest in the school curriculum and promoting functional learning, life skills and independence skills. 

Previous Employment:

1999 - 2001 Adina School, Brighton, class teacher  

2001 - 2004 Five Springs School - music coordinator

2013 - 2021  Woodlands Secondary School

· 2013 - 2017 Class teacher

· 2018 - 2021 Assistant Head Teacher

 Hobbies:  I love gardening, baking, going to the gym and spending time with my family and friends.

Name:  Angel Miller         

Position: Co-opted Governor, member of Curriculum Committee

Skills/Area of interest:  Equality, Diversity, Literacy for all children

Employment:  Director and owner of No Ordinary Bookshop, specialising in books for BAME characters, Dual language and social issues

Other initiatives: Working Together with the community through community based workshops.

Hobbies: Reading, Writing, Create and Craft and classical music

Name: Felicia Njorteah-Davies

Position on Board: Associate Governor

Skills/Areas of Interest: SEN Research and Development

Employment: Class teacher, Woodlands Secondary School 

Other initiatives: NEU representative (WSS), Lector and Chorister

Hobbies: Research, cooking, travelling and music

Name: Robert Parker

Position: Co-opted Governor, Chair Finance, Premises and Personnel Committee

Skills/Area of Interest: Finance, strategic direction, accountability

Employment: Finance Director of Biogen UK, a renewable energy company. Previously held a number of commercially focused finance roles within Volkswagen Group UK

Hobbies: Running, cycling, swimming, good food, travelling and larking about with my 2 children

Name: Karen Quirke 

Position:  Parent Governor; member of Curriculum committee; School Council Link Governor

Skills/Area of interest: Raising awareness of special needs and inclusion 
Employment: Parent Support worker for CAMHs

Other initiatives: Parent mentoring (for parents of children with additional needs)
Hobbies: Going to the gym, baking, family and friends

Governor Name:  Kerry Rees

Position on the Board: Co-opted Member. Safeguarding Governor.

Skills/Areas of Interest:  Post 16 and Post 18, PMLD, ensuring the ‘voice’ of the young people is heard.

Employment:  Previously employed at Luton Council as the Transition Team Manager until November 2016.  Now self-employed and supporting children and adults with complex needs.

Other Initiatives:  Makaton Tutor, Crafter, Advocator

Hobbies:  Costa coffee, crocheting, theatre/cinema, shopping, chatting.

Name: Helen Rolfe

Position on the Board: Staff Governor and Vice Chair of Curriculum Committee. Responsible for Governor training.

Skills/Areas of Interest: Special Needs Education

Employment: Class teacher, Woodlands Secondary School

Other initiatives:  I have past experience of safer recruitment through many years of scouting and understand the importance of keeping young people safe. 

Hobbies:  Walking my dog in the countryside, growing flowers and vegetables in my garden, and enjoying my caravan with my family. 

Name: Shagufta Shahin 

Position on Board: Co-opted Governor

Areas of interest: Managing and developing curriculum

Previous employment: Qualified teacher of English, ESOL and Functional Skills.  Worked in Senior management positions in colleges across London.  Formerly the Vice Principal at Barnfiled College.  Trained as an additional inspector for Ofsted. Educational Consultant in the FE sector. 

Other: Currently retired but a very active grandmother

Name: Mike Smith

Position on Board: Co-opted Governor, member of Finance, Premises and Personnel Committee

Skills/Areas of interest: KPIs, financial management, governance strategy, accountability,

Employment: Database programmer

Hobbies: cycling, running, rock climbing, photography