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Ridgewood School

Ridgewood School

Meet the Team

Senior Leadership Team

Andy Bridge – Headteacher

 Andy joined Ridgewood School in September 2021 as Deputy Headteacher, leading on the Quality of Education across the school and sixth form. From September 2024, he is delighted to take on the role of Headteacher. Andy is very proud of all of our students and staff, and ambitious for the future of Ridgewood School. He looks forward to working with students, staff, parents, governors and other community members to ensure Ridgewood is an incredibly successful school at the heart of the community.

Ed Ball - Deputy Headteacher (Curriculum, Outcomes and Progress)

Ed joined Ridgewood School as a teacher of music in 2013 and, over time, took on a range of pastoral leadership responsibilities. For the past five years, he has been a senior leader in the school, and in September 2024, he assumed the role of Deputy Headteacher, focusing on the curriculum, outcomes at KS4 and KS5, and student progress. He enjoys working at Ridgewood School with our fantastic students, ensuring they achieve the very best they can. Ed is the SLT Link for Y11.

 

Drew Sherratt – Deputy Headteacher (Teaching, Learning and Personal Development)

Having joined Ridgewood in September 2018, Drew proudly led the Mathematics department for 4 years before moving to Assistant Headteacher. Her passion is in Teaching and Learning, specifically supporting teachers in developing their pedagogy to provide the very best classroom experience and outcomes for their students. This year, as Deputy Headteacher, she is looking forward to supporting the continued growth of Ridgewood School within the wider community, celebrating the numerous successes that our students have both in and outside of school. Drew is the SLT Link for Y10.

Michelle Charters – Assistant Headteacher (Sixth Form)

Michelle joined Ridgewood School in 2001 as a Teacher of Design and Technology and has progressed through many varied roles in the school.  She has led the Technology department, been a Faculty Lead, Careers Lead and, for a number of years been Assistant Head teacher responsible for Curriculum and then Personal Development.   In September 2024 she became the lead for the sixth form, a role in which she is incredibly passionate about.  She is proud to have spent over 20 years dedicated to working with Ridgewood students and their families, staff, employers and the community. Michelle is the SLT link for the          sixth form.

Nicola Watson – Assistant Headteacher (Professional Learning)

Nicola has worked in Doncaster secondary schools for over twenty years and has taught at Ridgewood School since 2019. Her first role at Ridgewood was as a Lead Practitioner of English and KS5 English lead. Currently, Nicola is an Assistant Headteacher with specific responsibility for Professional Learning, Literacy, New Teachers (ITTs and ECTs) and Transition. She also very much still enjoys her own classroom teaching and developing other members of staff to be the best they can for our students.  Finally, she enjoys all aspects of teaching and learning and loves the opportunity to improve her knowledge of evidence-based practice. Nicola is the SLT Link for our Primary School Partners.

Alison Dexter – Assistant Headteacher (Personal Development)

Alison has been a dedicated member of the Ridgewood School community since 2012. She initially joined the school as curriculum lead for KS5 Humanities, progressing to a Curriculum Leader and subsequently Head of Faculty.

In September 2022, Alison took on the role of Assistant Headteacher, with a specific focus on Personal Development.  Passionate about supporting students beyond the confines of the classroom, her work actively encourages participation in extracurricular activities, student leadership opportunities, and experiences outside of the classroom.  Alison believes in educating the whole child, emphasising the importance of personal growth alongside academic achievement and she looks forward to continuing with this over the next year. 

Lauren Remington – Senior Leader (Behaviour and Attendance)

Lauren joined Ridgewood in January 2020, bringing nine years of experience in secondary education, specialising in inclusion and safeguarding roles. Dedicated to supporting students, she focuses on promoting positive student behaviour, attendance, and punctuality at Ridgewood. Additionally, she manages admissions, personalised learning, and alternative provisions. Lauren is the SLT Link for Year 9.

 

Nicole Severn – Senior Leader (Safeguarding and Student Welfare)

Nicole is our Designated Safeguarding Lead. She oversees the Validus Wellbeing Centre and leads the Safeguarding Team and school Counsellors. Nicole is passionate about supporting student wellbeing. With 17 years of experience in education, Nicole has brought a wealth of knowledge about inclusion to Ridgewood School since starting with us in 2018.

Nicole also serves the wider community, liaising with external services to provide a broad range of support for both students and their families. Nicole is the SLT link for Y8.

Rob Hodgson – Senior Leader (Student Engagement and Progression)

Rob has worked at Ridgewood since 2022 having previously held various roles across secondary and SEN schools. Having moved into the senior leadership as Senior Leader (Student Engagement and Progression), his main roles include student praise and rewards, careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG), enrichment and extra-curricular provision. Rob looks forward to continuing to support students with work experience and student leadership opportunities. Rob is the SLT Link for Y7.

Debbie Nelson – School Business Manager

Debbie joined Ridgewood School in March 2024 and has worked in Education for over 9 years following experience in the NHS and at Doncaster Rovers Football Club.

The Business Manager role is a busy and varied one which involves ensuring the support functions of the school are running smoothly. Debbie oversees HR, Finance, Health and Safety, Catering and Premises across the school. Debbie is currently enjoying working with the Premises Team to oversee the exciting new build project that has now started and will result in a brand new 3 storey school building for Ridgewood students and staff.