roles and responsibilities
Sue Hearle
I am very proud to be the Headteacher of such a superb school.
My role is to ensure that our school community is happy and everyone in the community feels supported and appreciated and that the school maintains the highest standards of education for your child.
I am very well-supported in my role by teaching and support staff who have children at the heart of every decision they make. My regular learning walks around the school allow me the opportunity to see great teaching in action. Our students are focused, engaged and ready for the exciting opportunities that learning at The Henry Beaufort School brings. I meet on a regular basis with students to hear their views on the school and how we can make it an even better place to learn and provide enriching opportunities. They talk to me about the ambition they feel for themselves as well as how that ambition is supported by their teachers and tutors and Heads of Year. The community atmosphere of the school is very important to us all, and it is one of the reasons that we operate a vertical tutoring programme, allowing students of all ages to work together in a structured pastoral environment. Our students make superb progress, they have access to a wide range of after school and enrichment activities that support their learning and the development of social skills. They are articulate, thoughtful young people who will go on to make a significant and wide reaching positive impact on global society.
In addition to my main role and my teaching commitment, I also work with colleagues in the following capacities:
- Miss Shelton – Deputy Headteacher
- Mr Applin – Deputy Headteacher
- Miss Colebourn – Assistant Headteacher
- Mrs Briggs – Assistant Headteacher
- Ms Caplin – School Bursar
- Whole School Student Voice including the Whole School Student Council
Eleanor Shelton
Strategic Lead for Quality of Education: Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, INSET, CPD and Quality Assurance.
The Henry Beaufort School is a unique place to work; I consider it such a privilege to be a part of such a great team of staff and students.
Leadership of the curriculum is about ensuring that our curriculum offer enables all students to reach their potential. We regularly flex our curriculum offer to meet the unique make-up of specific year groups, all the time aiming to maximise student progress and attainment enabling them to go on and engage in their choice of education post-16.
This involves looking at the courses we offer each year to make sure they best fit each year group as they approach their option choices in Year 8. Working with Year 8 on their options is a fantastic opportunity for me to lead them in their decision-making and exploring what they enjoy. It’s a long process but vitally important to their long-term success at Henry Beaufort.
I also have strategic oversight of Teaching and Learning, CPD and Quality Assurance processes. In terms of Teaching and Learning, our ‘Every Student, Every lesson, Every Day’ mantra ensures that basic principles are met by all teachers every time they deliver learning in their classroom. We adhere to Rosenshine’s principles in our 4 part lesson plan (connect-model-practise-check) and our staff receive training on these throughout the year.
My responsibilities support both students and teachers in striving for consistency and excellence in all that we do.
Andrew Applin
Strategic Lead For Quality Of Education: Impact, External School Partnership Working
My main role is oversight of Student ‘outcomes’ that also involves the strategic oversight of exams and the examination team. My ongoing work with data and assessment monitors the internal progress and attainment of all-year groups.
As well as working with a great group of colleagues at Henry Beaufort, I will be working collaboratively local SCITT/ PGCE providers this year: HISP, part of Inspiring Future Teachers our main provider. One of my favourite parts of the role is the support and development of the next generation of teachers.
Arbor will continue to be part of my role and ensuring it is embedded with all stakeholders. Previously known as the Senior Line Manager for IT Services within the school, it has been enhanced to ‘Digital Technology Lead in School’ focussed on meeting the DFE digital standards. Part of this role is to ensure secure infrastructure but also to explore the gains and limitations of AI within education.
In addition to this, as the strategic oversight of the English and Maths teams, I work closely with the leaders in both departments to enhance the outcomes in each subject and the crossover headline figures. In addition to these subjects, I retain strategic responsibility for Technology (D&T, FPN and Engineering) as well as statistics within maths.
Holly Briggs
Strategic Lead for Pastoral including Behaviour, Attitudes and Personal Development
I joined The Henry Beaufort School in January 2019, following twelve years of teaching in London. I was drawn to the school by its core values of Pride, Happiness, and Ambition, which strongly align with my own educational ethos.
I am committed to the teaching profession and passionate about pastoral care and supporting students in all aspects of their development. As Assistant Headteacher, I hold a strategic leadership role overseeing all pastoral matters, including safeguarding, behaviour and attitudes, and personal development. I also have oversight of the school’s SENDCOs, ensuring that every student receives the support they need to thrive.
Emma Colebourn
Strategic Lead for Life Chances/Student Opportunities
I was appointed Head of PE at The Henry Beaufort School in September 2013, having relocated from the Midlands. I am extremely proud to be a member of staff at The Henry Beaufort School and now a member of the Senior Leadership Team. My passion lies in supporting and challenging students to be the best they can be—whether that’s in the classroom or through extra-curricular opportunities.
Within my role, I have strategic responsibility for several whole-school areas that directly influence student outcomes and the wider school experience. I lead on Pupil Premium initiatives, ensuring that strategies are effectively implemented and that their impact is closely monitored to improve outcomes for disadvantaged learners. I work closely with the pastoral team to improve whole-school attendance and ensure that all students are supported in maintaining high levels of engagement.
I coordinate the school’s extra-curricular offer, including clubs, clinics, and Enrichment Week, to ensure all students benefit from a rich and varied experience beyond the classroom. I also have oversight of Cultural Capital and Personal Development Days—days designed to broaden students’ horizons and enhance their opportunities and experiences. As the Educational Visits Co-ordinator, I ensure that all trips are safe, purposeful, and aligned with our educational aims.
One of my key responsibilities is managing the development and implementation of the school timetable each academic year, ensuring it supports effective teaching and learning across the school. I also lead on the planning and delivery of Open Days and Evenings, which are designed to promote and showcase our school’s ethos, values, and achievements. In addition, I am continually developing ways to strengthen our links with local primary schools through my coordination of the Primary Provision.
Alongside my strategic responsibilities, I line manage several key departments and roles within the school. These include Music, Drama, and Modern Foreign Languages (MFL), as well as the Services Co-ordinator, EAL Co-ordinator, and the Resource Base.
Alison Caplin
I have been working at The Henry Beaufort School since 2017 following a 20 year career within the education sector, including 8 year as a chair of governors at my local secondary school. I am passionate about education and the experience and opportunity this can lead to and completed my own Bachelors qualification in 2023 with the Open University, having never had the opportunity on leaving school in 1982!
The education landscape is very challenging, and my role is to manage the budget and ensure that the culture for learning, in and outside of the classroom, is economically sustainable. My team of professional services underpin and support the teaching and learning, from the management of the site to administering the many trips and events that students have access to. The Henry Beaufort School offers so many positive experiences and opportunities for students and it is extremely rewarding to see the student transformation from year 7 to year 11 as they grow in confidence and maturity, a transition that I am privileged to be a small part of.
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