Staffing & Governing Body

Paul began his teaching career in 2004 working in a mainstream school in Thanet. By 2006 he became a head of department and then onto the School’s leadership team by 2010 overseeing 12 subject areas and 27 staff. 

Curriculum subjects under Paul’s leadership excelled and the attainment and achievement of students significantly improved. Paul was then used to support other local schools that required improvement.

In 2015, Paul’s son was diagnosed with Autism and therefore he decided to move his educational expertise into the SEN sector. During his time as a senior leader he has been central to the specialist sector and has since completed the National Professional Qualification of Headship (NPQH). 

Mickey has taught in secondary education for over 18 years. He started his career as a P.E. teacher in a mainstream setting where he taught across KS3, KS4 and KS5 before he progressed onto Head of Department. The results achieved during his ten years as department lead were outstanding. Mickey gained valuable pastoral experience as a Head of House where he led a number of successful projects to develop student progress. He moved to take on a Head of Year position and has been a Head of Year for every year group from Y7-Y11. As Head of Year 7 Mickey ran the transition from primary to secondary school for students moving from year 6 to year 7. His most recent role was Head of Year 11 where he was able to fully develop his passion for careers and destinations. Mickey has an excellent knowledge for educational data and was Raising Standards Lead in his previous school for 2 years. He has worked extensively with student behaviour, been a school pupil premium coordinator and joins us as a Designated Safeguard Lead.

Sophie started her career working in mainstream secondary schools for 14 years before spending the last 3 years in an Independent SEND provision. She qualified as a History teacher before moving on to be Head of Department, then the lead of a large Humanities faculty. During this time Sophie took in a keen interest in teaching and learning and improving the quality of education within all the settings she worked in. In 2020 she moved to a small independent SEND provision where she was a member of the Senior Leadership Team overseeing the Quality of Education and Personal Development. Sophie will be joining Life Skills Manor to oversee Quality of Education.

Craig began his teaching career in 2016 at a local mainstream school teaching PE. By 2017 Craig decided from his previous roles in schools that SEN was the route he wanted to pursue further and was successful in gaining a role in a local specialist school as Head of PE.

PE excelled under Craig’s leadership and engagement was very good across the whole school in core PE. Academic qualifications and accreditations were also very popular in PE, in addition attainment and achievement was very good.

Craig has completed the NPQML and furthermore is currently undertaking the NPQSL.

Emily brings a wealth of experience to Life Skills Manor, having worked in education for the past five years across a variety of administrative roles, including Data and Exams Assistant, HR and Finance Assistant, Absence and Cover Co-ordinator, and Admissions Officer.

Before joining the education sector, Emily dedicated over 15 years to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), where she supported Lifeguard Operations and served as Vehicle and Fleet Co-ordinator within the operations department.

In her current role as Administrator and PA to the Headteacher at Life Skills Manor, Emily plays a key part in ensuring the smooth running of school operations and providing vital support to staff and students alike.

Outside of work, Emily is a busy mum who enjoys spending time with her family, attending her children’s clubs, walking, baking, and relaxing at her beach hut.

Tanya has worked in both Primary & Secondary school settings since 2007. She has covered many roles such as Data Clerk, Finance Manager and Exams Officer. Her previous position was as Office Manager in a special independent school.

Tanya’s current roles at Life Skills Manor are MIS Administrator and Exams Officer.

She has also taught dance in schools as an extra-curricular activity. Dance is one of her passions, she attended stage school and gained teaching qualifications in many genres, which include Ballet, Tap, Modern, Jazz & Acro.

Hayley has worked as primary school teacher and senior leader in Kent for 23 years before moving to Life Skills Manor for Autism.  She is passionate about ensuring all children learn to read, write and make confident use of spoken language.  She is keen to share and develop her knowledge and experience in this specialist setting and to ensure that all children acquire the skills they need to live a fulfilled life in society.

Hayley is a mum (and taxi service!) to Bethany and Oliver.  When she is not ferrying her children around, she enjoys running, swimming and reading.  She has completed two marathons and has not ruled out a third! 

Rob worked at Broadstairs College for 14 years before starting at Life skills manor, during this time Rob fulfilled a number of roles; a one-to-one, a Student Mentor, a Lead Learning Support Practitioner (with responsibility for transition, safeguarding and managing large teams of support staff) and during the last few years, a Lecturer of Support Learning.

During Rob’s time at the college he was approached by the Senior Leadership Team to ask if he would lead the development of the onsite Forest School. The area was little more than overgrown wasteland which Rob worked tirelessly to turn into a functioning outdoor learning environment for students. Once development began, Rob was able to turn the Forest School area into an environment, where he could deliver the only Level 1 course the college offered anywhere on site. He pieced together a curriculum of which was tailored to meet the needs of his students and one of which fully involved them in the development of their College Forest School, taking on groups of disengaged students to break down barriers to learning and reengage them in education.

During Rob’s time as a Lead he gained a deeper understanding of how to manage, lead and develop staff. He led staff through the appraisal process, mentored new staff, was involved in the interview selection process and was actively involved in the curriculum development within various departments across the college. He was also responsible for the transitioning of students from secondary education (both from SEN and mainstream) to the Supported Learning Department, liaising with parents, carers and outside agencies, chairing EHCP meetings and writing both risk assessment and behaviour support plans.

As a Student Mentor Rob was the Designated Safeguard Lead for the Supported Learning Department, during this time he dealt with everyday student concerns, liaised with parents and carers, made referrals to Early Help, liaised with outside agencies, including the police, social workers and chaired CHIN, TAF AND CIC reviews.

Before working for Broadstairs College, Rob spent a number of years working for The Fostering Network as A Young Person’s Project Worker. During this time he travelled across the country setting up networking groups for sons and daughters of foster carers to raise awareness of issues faced by ‘Children who Foster’. He attended a number of conferences (speaking at many of them) and attended a number of advisory boards led by the government.

James started his career teaching English to foreign students. He went on to train as a secondary school teacher and has taught in secondary education for over 12 years. James was appointed as a Design and Technology teacher in a mainstream setting, where he taught across KS3 and KS4 and held the position of head of department. The results achieved in his 10 years as head of department were outstanding. James gained valuable pastoral experience as a year 11 form tutor, helping pupils to progress in their chosen path into further education. He has taught Design and Technology, Graphic Design, Construction and Photography. James has a keen interest in the 6R’s (recycle, reuse, refuse, reduce, rethink and repair), and his passion for photography enables him to explore his love of nature. James believes that learning different life skills enables us to have a good knowledge and understanding of a sustainable world and how to care for it and protect it. James enjoys travelling in the UK, his favourite place being Cumbria, where he loves to climb the hills and mountains and explore the valleys below.

Nolan White believes strongly in inclusion and equal opportunity for all, especially when it comes to education. This is his 24th year of teaching PE and his 6th year of teaching in Kent. 

Nolan was a Head of Year and Head of Outdoor Education at a school near Sherwood Forest just outside Nottingham from 2000 – 2018. He has been a GCSE Moderator for the PE practical unit throughout the Midlands and now in Kent. It is during his time of living on the edge of the Peak District that he fell in love with the outdoors, becoming experienced and qualified as a coach in many different disciplines such as kayaking/canoeing, mountain biking and mountaineering. 

Nolan is an Officer in the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and is a Supervisor and Assessor for Kent Duke of Edinburgh. He is excited with his new appointment and challenges at Life Skills Manor School.

Joanne has worked in retail and as a manager within the NHS. 
She qualified as a Personal Trainer and sports therapist, which lead to her becoming a tutor for Fitness Instructors and qualifying as a post 16 lecturer. 
From there Joanne worked as a Duty Manager at a sports centre. 
Joanne also worked in a junior school with year 6 students, covering PE and art lessons and coached the school netball team, which led her to gain a BA (Hons) in childhood studies. 
Joanne then spent 6 years teaching English GCSE at Broadstairs College, followed by 3 years at an SEMH school where she was the English lead. 
Joanne has played hockey up to 5 years ago, when she retired. She loves sport, gardening, walking her two dogs and riding her scooter (most weekends) and travelling to scooter rallies around the country. This year Joanne plans to ride to Ypres to visit the Menin Gate. 

Ciarán taught in schools for over 20 years before getting involved in a variety of other projects. One such project that Ciarán is particularly proud of is the GOGA project which helps people of all abilities take part in sport together. Ciarán is passionate about everybody having equal opportunity to compete and to access to facilities and activities. In his spare time, Ciarán enjoys spending time with family, cycling in the Alps, running ultra marathons and completing fitness assessments of his own.

Throughout his career teaching maths, Ciarán has always made sure that his students are taught the maths skills that will serve them later in life. Functional skills are high on his priority list, whether that be in relation to reading, writing, maths or fitness. Ciarán prioritises inclusivity, especially when it comes hidden disabilities, and he has taken part in a range of projects to improve access to services.

Ciarán is a proud dad to two beautiful children – Fionn and Florence – who love history and reading respectively. Ciarán plans to either cycle some of the iconic mountains next year or run a double marathon! He is, however, desperately trying to improve his overall fitness and Parkrun time before he thinks about anything too crazy!

Hannah began her teaching career in 2018 where she spent 3 years teaching in a mainstream primary school in Reading before moving back to Thanet, which was where she grew up, and teaching in year 6 in a mainstream junior school for 3 years. She has led subject areas including maths and DT and she is very enthusiastic about all STEM subjects. During the 6 years she spent teaching in mainstream schools, she developed a real passion for supporting children with autism and therefore decided to move into SEN.
When she’s not teaching, Hannah spends her time at dance classes, playing basketball, walking her dog (a Dobermann called Luna) and looking after her axolotl (called Toothless).

Brad has completed a degree in childhood studies. After spending a period of time working at Laleham Gap School(3 years), Brad pursued a career within the police force. Although a rewarding job, Brad preferred working within the SEN sector and now wants to pursue a career in SEN teaching. Brad has started his Teacher Training with Maths as his specialist subject.

Brad is passionate about sport and how inclusive sport can be for everyone. His favourite sport is football, which he plays regularly outside of work. Further to this, when not at work Brad loves to spend time with family and his dog (Thor).

Kim has been working with young people for 18 years, starting her career working for The Children's Society and a Sure Start Centre. She has worked in special education for the past 5 years and is passionate about providing excellent pastoral care and championing the young LGBTQ+ community.

Kim is a trained Thrive practitioner and is dedicated to achieving great outcomes for the young people she works with, through a variety of tailored interventions.

She enjoys sea swimming, beach combing and spending time at her beach hut with her children in her spare time.

Claire began her career in SEN education in 2001.
Claire has a passion for supporting young people to thrive in life and believes every young person should have the same opportunities in life no matter what challenges they may face.
Outside of work Claire loves to spend time with her loved ones, eating out in restaurants , arts and crafts and watching films.

Tim began his career in education in January 2019 having retired from Kent Fire & Rescue Service having served for 30 years. After being operational for 15 years Tim found himself as a recruit course instructor. This is where Tim found his passion for not only teaching/instructing but learning new things himself and passing on this new information. Tim also taught Nationally and became one of a few National training leads in CBRNE.
After retiring Tim began his career in education in a local SEMH secondary school as a Teaching Assistant. Ultimately leading to a new role at LSMS.
Outside of work Tim likes to keep fit. He has completed 4 Ironman events, numerous marathons and has a passion for fell running and walking in the Lake District. He is currently trying to "bag all of the Wainwrights".

Rob is a psychotherapist, qualified to work with children, young people and families. He has several years' experience working with children and families in different settings. In recent years, Rob has worked with children who have been affected by domestic violence and abuse.

Rob is passionate about helping all children achieve their full potential. He believes therapy can play a big part in this. Within 1-1 therapy, we can create a safe containing space, where individuals can safely explore their issues and begin to gain an understanding of themselves. Creating such safety and building a positive working relationship with all young people is at the centre of Rob's approach to therapy.

Rob is trained in working psychodynamically with children, and can also use systemic approaches to working with both individuals and families. Rob can incorporate CBT approaches to his work and is trained in working from a trauma-informed approach,  incorporating mindfulness and body-based approaches within his work.

Rob can work with young people presenting a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, low mood, stress, anger and emotional difficulties, and relationship and family difficulties.

Farrah's belief is that each person is unique, and to help empower them to get to where they want to be is a joy and privilege. Farrah has extensive experience of working with those who are autistic and present with bespoke sensory needs . Farrah is a natural problem solver and enjoys collaborating to come up with diverse, new, and sometimes interesting ways to allow individuals to access the occupations they desire to do. Farrah has an undergraduate degree in early childhood studies as well as a degree in Occupational Therapy and a Master’s degree in special needs and inclusion. Farrah is passionate about following  neurodiversity affirming practice principles which acknowledge that all neurotypes have unique strengths, interests, and support needs and bespoke person-centred sessions are what Farrah always aims to achieve. Farrah's interests outside of work include travelling, cooking  (particulary middle eastern food) and rambling through the countryside at weekends finding a nice coffee shop to relax in after walking her Frenchie Joey with her family. 

Anne is a level 7 careers lead and is part of the fantastic team at Education Business Partnership.

Sheryl previously worked in the finance environment for over 30 years. The recent pandemic made her reflect on her career and gave her the impetus to seek a change. As a mother of two boys, Sheryl became heavily involved in their school community as a volunteer and a parent governor.  She knew the skills she had acquired, during her 4 years as a governor, would transfer into the educational environment.

Starting as a nurture assistant within a mainstream setting, Sheryl encouraged pupils helping them to achieve and overcome barriers to learning.  When the opportunity arose to join Life Skills Manor, Sheryl knew it was the position she desired as she is passionate about supporting young people to achieve their full potential, equipping them with the confidence and skills they will need to succeed.

Naturally being a positive role model who is cheerful and fun, Sheryl loves her family time spent by the seaside, on the paddleboards and always enjoys new challenges and activities with family. 

Having travelled around the world, Sheryl loved meeting people from different cultures and sharing their traditions. The life skills she learned on her travels will stay with her forever.

Elaine first volunteered at Life Skills Manor while working at Sainsbury's and thoroughly enjoyed supporting students in such a positive and nurturing environment. This rewarding experience inspired her to pursue her current role as Teaching Assistant, where she supports the main class teacher in helping every student thrive. Elaine's passion for education and inclusion deepened when her second child was diagnosed with ADHD and autism at the age of six. Through navigating the challenges of his educational journey, she developed a strong commitment to the importance of specialised provision that empowers neurodiverse young people to flourish into confident, capable adults. 

In her free time, Elaine enjoys camping, watching her daughter horse ride, and spending quality time with her family. She is delighted to be part of Life Skills Manor team and takes great pride in helping to make school a happy, supportive and engaging place for all students.

Josh joins the school having taught Physics and Theory of Knowledge for the last five years in Portugal. He has almost a decade's worth of experience teaching a variety of subjects at secondary level. Before this, Josh worked as a civil engineer on projects such as the Bond Street Station upgrade.

Outside of school Josh is a passionate Southampton Football Club fan, and he looks forward to seeing 'The Saints' promoted back to the Premiership this year. He enjoys playing cricket and hockey for local teams; swims in the sea; and walking his dog, Zico.

This is his first post in the SEN sector, and he looks forward to the challenge and reward that this will bring.

I’m excited to join Life Skills Manor and to share a bit about my journey in education and my life outside of school. After spending 20 years teaching in both primary and secondary schools, I’ve developed a real passion for SEND provision supporting pupils to be independent happy individuals . 

Throughout my teaching career, I've had the opportunity to lead in PE, science, and PSHE. Not to mention, I love organising sports and charity events—it’s such a joy to bring the school community together for a good cause!

When I’m not at school, you can usually find me lacing up my running shoes. I’m a keen runner and proud to say I’ve completed over 100 marathons, including iconic ones in London, Paris, and Rome. Running is not just a hobby for me; it’s a huge part of my life!

I live with my husband, and our two amazing sons. We also share our home with four wonderful rescue cats—Sammy, Shadow, Mystic, and Misty. They definitely keep our lives interesting! 

When my children were at school I volunteered as a support worker. I then worked in retail for many years before a taking on a new challenge as a GP receptionist for 6 years. I did some volunteering at Life Skills Manor during my time as a GP receptionist and really enjoyed working with the students in such a positive environment. This led to my current role as a Teaching Assistant where I support the main class teacher. In my free time I like getting away in the caravan with my family and watch my grandsons play football at the weekends.  

Harry has 2 years’ previous experience working in a SEN school and is a calm and patient teaching assistant. Outside of Life Skills Manor he is a qualified football coach and runs his own youth football club where he runs 1:1 training sessions. He also works at The Pavilion Youth and Community Cafe in St. Peter’s recreation ground where he organises activities and games for the youth club.

He enjoys playing golf, darts and football in his spare time and supporting and watching Manchester United and Ramsgate football clubs.

Karen has over 26 years of experience in both primary and secondary school settings, primarily supporting students in class with their English and Literacy skills from KS1 to KS4. As well as this she has been actively involved with GCSE English Language interventions, both group work and on an individual basis, planning and delivering differentiated ideas to encourage students to find a way forward and gain confidence, helping many to achieve a grade they thought would be impossible to get.

Karen has, on occasion, left education and tried other occupations, for example, a Healthcare Assistant, a business advisor for the unemployed and a Community Carer, but has always returned to her love of being a Teaching Assistant.

Karen has supported many students with additional needs, ranging from children with physical disabilities, Autism, SEMH and spent her last eighteen months in mainstream school as a Welfare Mentor in the Pastoral Support Office, delivering Wellbeing interventions and helping the students in her care overcome their barriers to learning and encouraging them back into the classroom setting.

In her spare time Karen loves being with her grandchildren, embroidery and sewing.

Siobhán spent the first half of her career working as a Radiographer, taking x-rays and scanning in a busy hospital in greater London, progressing later to a more advanced role in a specialist scanner centre for cancer patients. Siobhán is particularly proud of her patient communication skills, and enjoyed making people feel relaxed, comfortable and less anxious with procedures.

After having her first child, Siobhán chose to become a stay-at-home mum, ensuring quality time to nurture her children and feels privileged to have had this opportunity. Her second child was diagnosed as autistic at the age of seven and after years of experiencing different struggles with his education, she became passionate about the importance of a specialised provision to support these amazing young individuals to flourish and thrive into adulthood. Siobhán was excited to become part of the team at Lifeskills Manor and enjoys helping to make school a happy and engaging place for all our students.

Outside of work she enjoys, most of all, spending time with her family and going on long walks with their “crazy” Beagle. She also has a creative side with a passion for upcycling old or unused furniture.

Caitlin is a welcoming and friendly face here at Life Skills Manor. She is working as a TA in key stage 4 but has built a great rapport with all students in the school due to her supportive nature.

Caitlin has a wealth of experience, having worked in a SEND provision previously, as well as personal experiences with young people in her family. 

Caitlin is a fun and outgoing young woman and a huge animal lover. In her spare time she is a keen photographer and car enthusiast.

Dean has over 15 years previous experience as a caretaker at St. Lawrence College and the Enterprise Learning Alliance. He enjoys going fishing on his boat, walking his dog Boris, playing darts and watching football.

I have 4 years cleaning experience ranging from boarding schools to building sites.

Outside of work I like playing pool and darts socially