> Leadership

Sarah Pickering
Headteacher
Senior Leadership Team
Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Behaviour / Relational Practice / Trauma Informed Trainer
Advanced Coach | DDSL | NPQH

I have overall responsibility to ensure our school community provides a high-quality education programme, tailored specifically for individual needs with personalised plans. We actively engage with a wide range of agencies to ensure we don’t work in silos and miss out on best practice in the wider education world. 

We intend to, and have proven success, in offering a broad, bespoke, aspirational curriculum that equips our children and young people for their best future.  

We succeed because we seek to sustain and grow the strong supportive relationships that we have with parents and families. We recognise that there is a relationship between wellbeing in the family and the wellbeing of the child/young person. 

Mill Water staff don’t stand still: we constantly seek further opportunities to expand upon the work that our successful outreach service offers, the impact of the range of training that we offer to wider community as well as training to our own staff that builds knowledge, competence and experience over a period of time. Since May 2019 we have been utilising the final hour of a Friday for staff training, to ensure that we can deliver best class practice and interventions, with great skill at the highest quality.

Grace Norman
Assistant Head
Senior Leadership Team
Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Lead for Communication

Grace has been teaching in special education since 2002. With a strong background in Primary SLD and experience across KS3 and complex needs groups in specialist settings, she has been leading our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) at Mill Water since 2013.

She takes great joy in working with families to support new pupils as they transition into school, focusing on each child’s individual needs to build a solid foundation for learning.

As the lead for communication and PSHE, she ensures these vital areas are central to our curriculum from reception through to post-16, collaborating with professionals and leading ongoing training within the school. She also contributes significantly as a member of our safeguarding team, helping to create a safe and nurturing environment for all.

Paula Harris
School Business Manager
Senior Leadership Team

Paula is responsible for managing the strategy and operation of the business functions of the school, including financial management, human resources and administration. She leads and advises in these areas across the whole school. She is responsible for our recruitment process and managing the upkeep of the Single Central Record.

Paula stays informed of events across the whole school and through a small team of highly competent administrators, provide administrative and other support to all areas.

Sally Cregan
Deputy Head
Senior Leadership Team
Deputy Safeguarding Lead

Sally is an experienced SEND teacher and senior leader, working within special education since 2002.   She is a sensory SEND specialist and is a qualified teacher of the visually impaired.  Sally is responsible for the quality of education, overseeing the Curriculum, Training and Assessment. 

Sally is also the school's music specialist, leading and promoting the arts including running the school choir. Sally is also the school's mental health lead.  She supports staff welling, training and development.   Sally has a visual impairment, this gives her a small insight into some of the challenges young people with disabilities can face and a drive to promote inclusion.  When you see her, let her know who you are as she may not recognise you straight away!

Gemma Moore
Assistant Head
Senior Leadership Team
Lead for Core learning
SLE for cognition and learning
Undertaking NPQLT

Gemma brings 14 years of dedicated experience teaching in special schools, supported by her completion of the NPQLT and NPQSL qualifications. Together with Sally, she plays a key role in shaping and developing the school’s curriculum, ensuring a strong focus on core learning areas such as phonics, English, and mathematics for all pupils.

Gemma also leads the formal learning pathway and teaches in the Silver class, where she is actively involved in expanding the hub provision designed specifically for older learners following a formal curriculum. Her work is centered on creating tailored educational experiences that meet the unique needs of each pupil.

Beyond the classroom, Gemma leads outreach initiatives both within the school community and in partnership with the Specialist Provision Team (SPT). Through this collaboration, she supports families and carers by providing expert guidance and resources to help children thrive in and beyond school.

Andrew Maker
Assistant Head
Senior Leadership Team
Lead for Physical Education
MSI Lead
Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired

Andrew has been a SEND teacher since 2009 and qualified as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired (QTVI) in 2012.

He is responsible for overseeing daily staffing across the school, as well as implementing and reviewing class groupings. Andrew also leads the Semi-Formal Pathway, providing guidance and support to the staff working within it.

In addition to his leadership responsibilities, Andrew organises a range of special events and activities throughout the school year, including Ten Tors, leavers' events, and annual celebrations such as Halloween and Christmas.

Andrew plays a key role in supporting students’ transitions beyond school, particularly in the post-16 phase, and serves as the school’s Careers Lead. He works closely with the Devon Sensory Advisory Service to support pupils with sensory impairments, providing QTVI input for those with visual impairments.

Alongside his leadership duties, Andrew also teaches in Bronze Class three days a week.