H. Duxbury MBE - Chair
Heather is a retired headteacher who has worked in international schools practising the English curriculum over her career of nearly 30 years. She has lived with her family in four different countries before choosing to settle here in Norfolk.
She has been responsible for establishing two new primary schools as well as the expansion of a third school to become a through-school accepting students from 3-18. At this school she instigated a GCSE programme and had the school recognised as a University of Cambridge exam centre. Under her leadership the school grew from 90 students to over 600 with the students coming from 30 different nationalities.
Recognising the difficulties of international, mobile families who have children with special needs she has made it one of her overriding principles to ensure that all the schools she has worked in had this as one of their priorities.
International schools have to be more than just an educational establishment, often providing the extended family and friendship circle that people have left at home. She therefore knows the importance of reaching out and establishing positive relationships between the school and the families.
Out of school she helped establish a charity for supporting families with children with special needs, in particular dyslexia, working to make sure these children had their particular needs acknowledged by various different educational systems and to raise money to enable conferences and workshops for parents and teachers to be held.
She has also enjoyed being a leader in Brownies in all the countries she has lived in. Now her interests also extend to gardening, school governorship, charity volunteering and travelling.
She was honoured to be awarded the MBE in 2014 for services to British Education and the British Community in Luxembourg
.
Judith Gardiner
Judith attended school at Notre Dame in Norwich and then Teacher Training College in Saffron Walden. Whilst at college, weekends were spent working at a Break children's home in Hunstanton with children in respite care. On completion of the Cert Ed, she returned to Norfolk and completed her probation year at the village school in Repps before transferring to Caister Junior School where she specialised in Music and teaching students with additional needs. The opportunity arose for Judith to establish Education Visits at Horstead Conference Centre and also to teach English to the Vietnamese families living within North Norfolk.
Having started a family, Judith took on some supply teaching before purchasing a village school in 1987. Judith has been recognised in her pioneering work with students and giving all students the opportunity to reach their potential and gaining essential life skills. She retired as Headteacher 2012 however has continued to teach within the school and in 2016 became Managing Director.
Judith's interests include forty years of Girl Guiding, photography, travel and being involved on the family farm.
.
Jane Crawford
Jane is a retired teacher, having qualified with a B.Ed. in the early 80s. She is an English specialist and has taught in Secondary schools in Cambridgeshire, Middle and Upper schools in Bedfordshire and also in an Independent Girls' school in Bedford where she taught at all Key Stages. It was there that she was commissioned to write and produce a number of plays for school aged children.
From 2004, Jane took on the role of peripatetic Upper Schools' Worker in Bedfordshire; this involved her making regular visits to schools, taking assemblies, leading lunchtime discussion groups for vulnerable students, mentoring students who had been identified as being at risk in some way and taking some RE and PHSE lessons. Over a period of 7 years, Jane devised and delivered a programme of termly workshops for Years 7 to 11 on Self Esteem and Sexual Health and Relationships.
In recent times, having moved to Norfolk, Jane has continued to mentor Senior school students and has continued her studies in Transactional Analysis. She also tutors a number of students in order to support their English GCSE studies.
Jane sees her 7 grandchildren as often as she can and enjoys cycling, walking and gardening, whilst dreaming of having more time to read novels!
.
Rachel Smith
Rachel attended All Saints School from the age of four and left in 1999 with 12 GCSEs. Initially leaving to work at Sedgwick Financial Services and then Marsh UK, Rachel returned to college in 2000 to complete a BTEC National Diploma in Drama. Furthering her education at Rose Bruford College in Kent, she then went on to gain a BA (hons) degree in Stage Management.
Circumstances then changed career path for Rachel and she successfully gained employment with Barclays Bank before moving to work at Dunston Hall running conferences, weddings and events. In 2010, Rachel returned to All Saints School but this time as a Junior School teacher and in 2016 was made a Director alongside Mrs Gardiner, her Mother. Rachel manages the school finances and looks forward to working alongside the Advisory Board to drive the schools vision and strive for excellence.
Outside of work, Rachel is kept extremely busy with her young twins and cut-flower enterprise. She enjoys horse riding and travelling.
.
Sally Alden
Sally has over 28 years of experience of working with vulnerable children that struggle within mainstream education. She is a qualified SENCO and DSL and has been leading special education for the past 21 years, specialising in challenging behaviour, ASD and SEND. For the past 10 years, Sally has been a Head Teacher, and more recently an Executive Head teacher of two Independent Schools. Sally has a positive reputation across Norfolk and Suffolk for providing sustainable education for SEND students and is known for writing and developing curriculums that meet individual needs, alongside addressing social and emotional barriers. After completing her Social Science degree, she achieved qualified teacher states and went on to complete a Master’s in Education and Leadership, specialising in SEND. Sally is passionate about promoting progression and person-centred learning and believes this is achieved through building positive relationships and parent engagement. Sally is currently studying towards an NPQEL and apprenticeship in executive leadership.
Tim Buddle
Tim originally from Matlock in Derbyshire, studied Geography and History at Keele University, gaining his BA (hons) degree, followed by a PGCE. He then went on to teach at various schools, with his last appointment being in Norfolk at Sheringham High School, where he taught for 23 years. During his time at Sheringham he held a variety of roles including: Head of Department, Head of Sixth Form, Day to Day School Manager and member of the Senior Leadership Team. He regularly took GCSE and A-level Geography fieldtrips to a variety of locations around the UK and for 17 years led the annual school Ski Trip to Austria. Tim left teaching in the summer of 2017, to return to University to undertake a new career in the NHS.
Having left teaching in 2017, Tim undertook a Diagnostic Radiography degree at the University of Suffolk, gaining a First class BSc (hons) degree. He then joined the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Trust in March 2020 on the first day of the Covid19 lockdown, working through the pandemic.
In 2021, he moved full time to Computed Tomography (CT) and undertook a PGC in CT scanning and has since been involved in the training of student radiographers, as well as the integration of many radiographers joining the Trust from overseas.
Tim has also developed his skills as master trainer on different manufactures scanners, followed by the training of department colleagues. Alongside this he has been heavily involved in the setting up of the CT service at the new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Norwich, for the imaging outpatients from across the county.
Tim has lived in Norfolk since 1995, being a member of his village Parish Council for 14 years and for the last three years has been heavily involved in helping his partner in the Itteringham Community Shop and Café.
He lives in North Norfolk with his partner and has two step-daughters, both studying at University at present. Tim and his partner have a rescue beagle and enjoy walking, travel and gardening. He is also a keen skier and snowboarder, fan of rugby, as well undertaking two MacMillan Mighty Hikes for charity over the last two years. Tim is looking forward to much more travel, walking and a campervan in the future.
Kath Griffiths
Originally from the Highlands of Scotland, Kath moved to Luxembourg in 1989 with her husband and 2 young children. Planning to stay for only 2 years, this has been hugely extended and all the family are still happily settled in Luxembourg.
She is a retired primary deputy head teacher, and was instrumental in guiding a newly established English curriculum school from a roll of around 60 to over 800 at the time of her retirement. She has led various curriculum areas within primary, and has also taught Secondary Maths up to GCSE. As an expatriate and mother to two third culture children, she is well aware of the need for a school to be a focal point for families, many of whom who may face cultural or linguistic barriers in forming support circles.
Outside of school life, she has volunteered with different charities, raising money or awareness for a range of causes. Her current interests include knitting, gardening, walking in nature and enjoying time with her two grandchildren.
Caroline Phoenix
Caroline Phoenix began her career in the business and financial sector before following her passion for literature and education, gaining a BA Hons in English and American Literature and a PGCE at the University of East Anglia. Over the past 20 years, she has taught English across Norfolk schools, becoming Head of English, Faculty Head for English, Media & Drama, and later Assistant Principal at Attleborough Academy, where she led teaching and learning, quality assurance, safeguarding, mental health, staff wellbeing, and inclusion as SENCO.
As English Lead for the Norfolk Academies Trust, Caroline developed literacy strategies, community reading events, and enrichment programmes linking creativity, wellbeing, and academic learning. Now working with the Sapientia Education Trust, she mentors new Heads of English, supports curriculum design, and advises on GCSE attainment. Passionate about creative writing, she also runs occasional workshops for young people and adults.
Outside work, Caroline enjoys walks, conservation volunteering, growing vegetables on her allotment, yoga, Pilates, swimming, baking, and the arts, always seeking ways to bring creativity and learning together.
Janet Butler
Janet is a qualified Special Needs teacher with over 40 years’ experience. Janet lives locally. Janet is an independent SEND consultant with many years’ experience of working in an advisory capacity for SEND in the county. Janet holds advanced qualification in Dyslexia and ASD. In the past she has organised a support group for Parents and professionals of pupils with Down’s syndrome.
Janet was a Governor at a local school for 10 years.
Janet has no business or financial interests in the school.
Outside of working life, Janet is involved in her local community and volunteers for a charity. Her current interests include knitting, crochet, gardening, walking and dog walking. Janet also supports her husband in his various voluntary roles.
