Executive Headteacher
Lyndsey Jeffries has over 20 years of experience in teaching, initially qualifying as a secondary PE and science teacher she very quickly found her true vocation in working with children with SEN. After completing her NQT year within a mainstream setting Lyndsey moved to a Maintained SEN school in South London catering for children from reception year through to year 11. From there Lyndsey moved to work in a non-maintained residential special school (7yrs-19yrs) for pupils and students with significant speech and language difficulties and other complex special educational needs for the last 6 years, Within this setting Lyndsey held the post of Deputy Head. In 2014 Lyndsey felt the need to reengage with the maintained and mainstream school system taking up a post as SENCO in an extremely challenging primary setting. Her focus was sharing her SEN expertise and working within the SLT team to bring the school from a challenging position to at least ‘Good’. Working back within the mainstream setting has enabled Lyndsey to be fully up to date with the challenges both schools local authorities and particularly parents face when trying to meet the education needs of children with SEN.
Lyndsey is committed to ensuring that every child that joins Mountfield Heath School will experience success in both their educational achievements and their social and emotional development. Lyndsey said ‘Children that join Mountfield Heath will have already faced huge challenges and many would have only experienced failure in previous educational settings. It is our job to ensure that our children develop confidence within themselves and we celebrate every success. Through personalising learning and removal of barriers it is our belief that every child can succeed and experience a positive, safe, healthy, appropriately challenging and happy Education. An Education where children reach their own potential and therefore improve their life chances in future educational setting and the wider community.’
Natalie – Head of School
Natalie joined Mountfield Heath School in 2019 shortly after its opening and is proud of the growth and development of Mountfield Heath during her roles of Teacher, Assistant Head and Head of School. Natalie has 20 years of teaching experience and 14 years’ experience of SEND teaching. Natalie has a specialism in behaviour management. As Head of School, Natalie is committed to ensuring pupils feel happy and safe, their safeguarding and therapeutic needs are met to overcome barriers to learning thus allowing pupils to foster a love of learning and increased feelings of self-worth and esteem.
Sam – Assistant Head
Sam joined Mountfield in April 2020 during the height of the pandemic, following over a decade of working in the world of SEN – both in schools and directly with young people and their families in the community. An experienced mainstream and SEN teacher, and Forest School leader, Sam is passionate about the holistic development of young people and is particularly interested in exploring ways of promoting their voice and increasing engagement in decision making. Sam leads on quality of education and curriculum development at Mountfield, where he is hugely proud to have been part of the evolution of the school’s integrated therapeutic curriculum.
Jacqui – Assistant Head
Jacqui has over 25 years working with autistic children in mainstream and specialist schools. After gaining her degree in autism she worked as an independent autism practitioner with pre-school and school aged children who had been diagnosed with autism or going through the assessment process. Jacqui is the ‘Ask, Accept, Develop’ Autism Champion for Mountfield Heath School.
Jacqui joined Mountfield Heath School shortly after it opened, and her role has developed along with the school. As Assistant Head -Therapy and Wellbeing, she leads a thoroughly committed team consisting of a specialist speech and language therapist (SaLT) and a specialist occupational therapist (OT) and four therapy and wellbeing assistants who specialise in their own discipline of SaLT or OT.
Having input into developing the Integrated Therapeutic Curriculum Jacqui ensures that the children’s therapeutic needs are not a barrier and are addressed as part of their everyday learning and school experience. Jacqui feels proud in the knowledge that the children at Mountfield Heath thrive on understanding how to be successful communicators and learn strategies to aid their own regulation, which they carry with them when they leave school.