I have been shaping young lives through education since 1997, after qualifying as a teacher at Leeds Metropolitan University. Over the next 18 years I worked across secondary schools in Bradford and Leeds, spending a decade in senior leadership roles, including serving as a secondary Headteacher.

Driven by a passion for supporting autistic learners, I moved into Special School Headship. As a Headteacher, I led rapid improvement in two settings—each moving from Requires Improvement to Good through formal inspection—by building strong teams, sharpening practice, and keeping learner outcomes at the centre of every decision.

I joined Woodley in January 2022 and launched an ambitious drive to develop the school into an Autism Centre of Excellence. Under my leadership, Woodley has expanded from one site to three, and grown from 130 to 186 students in four years—widening access to specialist provision for young people in Kirklees and strengthening support for families. Determined to raise the learning experience for all autistic learners across the local area, I have also established a training team and an outreach service to help train Kirklees schools to embed and sustain Good Autism Practice.

Hi! I am the Assistant Headteacher for Post‑14 education here at Woodley School & College. I have the privilege of leading the strategic development of our pathways for older learners. I have extensive experience in supporting autistic young people through key transitional stages over the last 20 years and am committed to ensuring that every learner is empowered to grow in confidence, independence, and self‑advocacy as they move towards adulthood.

As part of my role, I oversee curriculum design, accreditation routes, and personalised learning programmes across Key Stages 4 and 5, including at our satellite provision, Blossom. We focus on the four ‘Preparation for Adulthood’ outcomes and ensure that each young person’s strengths, interests, and aspirations are at the heart of their educational experience which prepares them for their lives after Woodley. I work closely with families, multidisciplinary teams, and external partners to create meaningful opportunities that prepare learners for further education, employment pathways, and/or community life.

I am dedicated to celebrating neurodiversity and ensuring that all young people feel understood, respected, and supported during this crucial stage of their educational journey. I aim to build a nurturing and ambitious environment where learners can flourish and take pride in who they are.

Hi, I'm Iain, Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for Curriculum. I'm passionate about creating a curriculum that truly works for every student — one that is inclusive, hands-on, and actively engaging. We strive to create an Irresistible Invitation to Learn for our students every day.

Working in an autism specialist setting means that everything we do is designed with our pupils at the heart of it. I believe that great education is always pupils the pupils at its centre— it's about understanding each young person as an individual, recognising their unique strengths, and building a curriculum around what they need to flourish, both now and in the future.

I'm committed to ensuring that every student has access to meaningful, practical learning experiences that are relevant to their lives. In a specialist environment, that means being flexible, creative, and always open to new approaches — so that our curriculum is as diverse and dynamic as the pupils we are so proud to support.

As Assistant Head Teacher for Behaviour at Woodley School and College, I am incredibly proud to help create a school environment where every pupil feels safe, happy and confident. Woodley is a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) school, and a key part of my role is ensuring that PBS is not just a strategy, but a culture that is truly lived and experienced throughout our community.

I work closely with pupils, families and staff to build strong, positive relationships and to make sure every child is understood, supported and celebrated. Our school values Communication, Independence and Achievement, sit at the heart of everything we do, and I am committed to helping each pupil develop these in a way that is meaningful for them.

I believe that when children feel secure, valued and joyful at school, they can learn, grow and widen their world of experiences. My aim is to help nurture an atmosphere where happiness fuels success, where challenges are met with confidence, and where every child is supported to grow in ways that are right for them.

Through close collaboration with teachers, therapists, and support staff, I ensure classroom practice is autism focused and designed so every pupil can meaningfully access the curriculum. I am dedicated to creating a culture where pupils feel understood, valued, and empowered to achieve their potential and supporting teachers to make this possible.

I lead the multidisciplinary therapy teams to ensure every pupil receives the individualised support they need to thrive within school. My role also involves oversight of support for teaching staff and school CPD to ensure all staff have access to high quality, relevant training that develops practice and enhances the everyday experience of our pupils.

I also support development of bespoke plans for individual pupils through coordination of professional reports and working closely with classroom teachers to ensure appropriate strategies are in place to remove barriers to learning.

I am a dedicated and compassionate senior leader with over 17 years of experience in special education, specialising in autism and profound learning needs. I am passionate about creating inclusive, nurturing environments where pupils can thrive, and I bring warmth, expertise, and a strong child‑centred approach to my role as Assistant Head.

I hold a Master’s degree (with distinction), the NPQSL, and am a qualified Elklan and AET tutor. I am also a PRICE behaviour trainer and have extensive experience working with families, professionals, and external agencies to support pupils with complex needs. My work includes leading on whole‑school admissions for a highly sought‑after provision, contributing to significant strategic development, and supporting complex SEND casework at a senior level.

I am strongly committed to continuous learning and research, with particular interest in autism, specialist pedagogy, and the role of special schools in supporting wider educational communities.

For enquiries, please contact Suzi though office@woodleyschool.org.uk

Hi, I have been the Children & Family Senior Manager at Woodley since September 2006. I came to Woodley, which was then known as Longley, to have the privilege over the years of seeing the school grow and develop to what we now know as our Specialist Special School & College for pupils with Autism. Since that time the school has gone through a lot of exciting changes and developments.

My working experience has been in education over the last 27 years, working in various schools across Kirklees with the then Exclusion & Reintegration Team offering continuing support to children with complex needs before starting Longley / Woodley. Throughout this time, I have built up links with social care, health, police and many other agencies that support me in my role today. I believe very much in working alongside families, building up relationships where they feel supported and encouraged to make change where necessary. I lead the Children & family Team to support our families in all Woodley settings.

I am also the lead DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) where my role is to support staff, students and families with any issues that cause barriers to learning, i.e. child protection issues, behaviour, attendance, social and emotional issues etc.

Every child has the right to access what they need to have a good life, and I hope to put my vast experience to good use to ensure Woodley remains a safe space for the children and young people to learn and develop.

Hi, I am the Office Manager and PA to the Head. My responsibilities include supporting other members of the Senior Leadership Team, policy and developing efficient processes and procedures across school.

I am a trained teacher and previously worked in schools in Kirklees which help to give me an understanding of the day to day working of the education aspect of school, and I believe this helps me when developing administrative processes that are efficient and accessible to all. I love governance and have experience as a school governor, as well as administrating and organising a board of trustees.

In between working as a teacher and then coming back into the education sector I worked as a Crisis Worker in Health and Justice services; I then worked for a charity supporting young people who were at risk of or were currently being exploited. I developed my skills in management at this charity, working as the governance and compliance manager for the charity over a number or years.