Welcome to the Governance page of The Valley School website.
The Governing Board is responsible for:
- Ensuring there is clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
- Holding executive leaders to account for the wellbeing and educational performance of pupils and staff.
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and ensuring its money is well spent.
- Ensuring the voices of stakeholders are heard.
The Board is made up of two committees:
Resources: dealing specifically with finance, health and safety, and building maintenance.
School Improvement Committee (SIC) dealing specifically with the curriculum, teaching, learning and data, and staff wellbeing.
Chair of Governors – Elizabeth Ellis
Elizabeth Ellis became a governor at The Valley School in January 2020. Following a career in education, including French and English language teaching and several years as a class teacher at Woolgrove School, she is now a writer and a director of Baldock Arts and Heritage Centre. She holds a diploma in French from the Chartered Institute of Linguists.
Vice Chair of Governors – Martin Denmark
Martin Denmark was elected as a parent governor at The Valley School in April 2018 and is now a co-opted governor. He is the board’s representative for health and safety, the year 11 link governor and chair of the resources committee. Working in the aircraft industry for the last 25 years and being self-employed has given him a good understanding of business management. Martin has experience in both large and small companies, working as part of a team that follows rigorous processes through clear communication and attention to detail. He has a thorough understanding of human factors. As a governor he is honoured to have the opportunity to support The Valley School and to help ensure the students have the very best resources and environment possible in order to achieve their full potential in education.
Headteacher – David Pearce
Co-opted Governors
Dr Rona Tutt
Dr Rona Tutt is a former head teacher of Woolgrove School, Past President of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), and she has been awarded an OBE for her services to special needs education. She has written and co-authored several books on education. Rona is also a governor at an all-age school for profoundly deaf pupils. She has a PhD in the education of children with autism and has studied British Sign language (BSL) up to level 4.
Thomas Plater
Alistair Gordon
Local Authority Governor
Jimi Laleye
Jimi joined the governing body of The Valley School in September 2024. His subject is primarily the sciences, and he has spent many years in education as a college lecturer and school teacher. He has held a number of senior and middle roles in a variety of settings and undertaken a one-year sabbatical working for the Department of Education. This enabled him to experience how this regulatory body manages and makes decisions that affect the lives of educators and students in schools.
For Jimi, becoming a governor at The Valley School is an exciting opportunity not only to support its leaders and staff on a strategic level, but also to encourage its young people to become the best version of themselves and to achieve their full potential.
Elected Parent Governors
Dervla Downing
Dervla Downing became a parent governor in December 2023. She is the link governor for Year 10 and on the School Improvement Committee. She has been a secondary school teacher since 2005, teaching French, Spanish and German. Before going into teaching, Dervla worked in Paris making use of being a native English speaker to improve her IT skills working in admin. Dervla is an Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for SEND provision. Using both her personal and professional experiences, it is a privilege to be a governor at The Valley School and to support the staff and students as it continues to go from strength to strength.
Nikki Marr
Staff Governor:
Catherine Wharton
Associate Members
Taney Howarth
Jack Hugo
Shaunaid Crosby
Clerk to Governors
Judith Aggett
