Senior Leadership at Willow Park School
At Willow Park School, leadership is rooted in trust, visibility and high expectations. We create a calm, consistent and nurturing culture where relationships come first and every young person is known, understood and supported.
Our leaders set a clear direction for teaching, wellbeing and personal development, while ensuring staff have the guidance, training and support they need to respond with empathy, consistency and confidence.
We work closely with families, therapists and external professionals to remove barriers, strengthen engagement and secure the best possible outcomes. Through careful planning, strong accountability and a relentless focus on improvement, we ensure every pupil is prepared for their next stage with greater confidence, independence and hope.
Paul Chambers – Headteacher
I am proud to serve as Headteacher of Willow Park School. Throughout my career, I have been committed to creating environments where young people feel safe, understood and inspired to grow.
Willow Park has a strong foundation of care and commitment. My role is to build on that through visible leadership, strong relationships, consistency and ambitious expectations for every pupil.
I value close partnership with families, staff and the wider community. By listening, working together and keeping pupils at the centre of every decision, we can help each young person develop confidence, achieve meaningful success and prepare well for life beyond school.
It is a privilege to lead Willow Park, and I am excited about the future we are building together.
Lisa Witheyman – Deputy Headteacher for Quality & Outcomes
I am privileged to be Deputy Headteacher at Willow Park School. I bring over 25 years of experience in education and have worked in a range of settings. I am driven by a genuine passion for empowering students with SEMH and other needs to thrive and achieve things that they never thought possible. I am committed to working with colleagues to create a safe, inclusive environment where barriers are broken down, resilience is built and academic and personal growth flourish. I firmly believe that every student should be supported to reach their full potential.
Amy Gavin-Birch – Assistant Headteacher, SENCo
I delighted to be a part of Willow Park school as Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion and SEND. My role will be to support all learners to achieve their EHCP outcomes by ensuring that all teachers have been able to work towards the targets that have been set. In addition, I will be supporting all annual reviews and working closely with the local authorities. Part of my role for inclusion is to ensure that all new learners on a transition programme are supported to feel safe in their new school and to working towards building relationships so that education becomes a place of success and opportunity.
I am really looking forward to working in close partnership with our learners and their families.
Lauren Mulvaney – Assistant Headteacher for Teaching & Learning and Curriculum Development
I am delighted to be part of the Willow Park School as Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for teaching and learning. I also oversee careers and assessment. I have been at Willow Park school since it opened in September 2023. I am privileged to work with the fabulous children and outstanding staff here at Willow Park.
Vicki Gunner – Head of Safeguarding and Wellbeing
I am delighted to be working as the DSL for Willow Park School. I have extensive experience of working in alternative education and within children’s social care and am passionate about my role and responsibilities to enhance students, families and staff wellbeing. I am looking forward to working with students to ensure that they feel safe in school, enjoy the working environment and learn how to prepare for adulthood. I am also looking forward to working with families as the key family support worker for the school and will be part of EHCP reviews to ensure that all learners and their families are given the best possible outcomes.
Stuart Johnstone-Wilson – Assistant Head for Regulation & Inclusion
I joined Willow Park School in November 2023 and feel truly privileged to be part of this wonderful school. As Assistant Head for Regulation and Inclusion, my focus is on ensuring that every child feels safe, respected and supported to reach their full potential. I am passionate about celebrating individuality and working closely with families and staff to nurture positive connections and a strong sense of belonging.
What inspires me most in this role is seeing the small everyday moments where children grow in confidence, kindness and resilience. Those moments remind me why inclusion matters-it’s about giving every child the chance to shine in their own way. Together, we are building a school where kindness, inclusion, and learning flourish side by side.
Charlotte Lopez Ellis – Clinical Lead
I am delighted to be working at Willow Park as the Lead Clinician. I am a Registered Play and Creative Arts Therapist who has worked with children and young people who are neurodiverse and or had experienced complex and developmental trauma for 16 years. Together with the other members of the Clinical Team I will be working to ensure that all pupils therapeutic needs are met to reduce any barriers to their learning and promote positive mental health. I will work in collaboration with the staff team at Willow Park to create a school environment that is both trauma informed and neuroaffirming. I am excited to work closely with the senior leadership team at Willow Park so that together we can provide consistency and joined up thinking to help our pupils achieve the best possible outcomes.
Debra Pearce – Business Manager
I am delighted to be working at Willow Park as the Business Manager and have multiple year’s experience of working in SEMH provisions, I believe strong operational and financial support plays a vital role in enabling effective student wellbeing. I have been at Willow Park school since its conception in 2023.