Governor Profiles

Julia Tye

I grew up in Standon and attended Ralph Sadleir school during the years of 1986-1990, although it was a little bit different then!! Having obtained a qualification as a chartered accountant, and then spending a number of years working abroad in Australia, I returned to my roots and now live once again in Standon.

I have four children, my youngest two are at Ralph Sadleir and my oldest two are at Freman College so I have a personal interest in the Rib Valley Schools consortium, and having been through the system myself I am a great advocate of the three tier system.

My personal interests include playing netball, travelling abroad and socialising with friends and family.

Cheryl Hunter

As I have a background in working with children in various safeguarding, therapeutic and legal roles, I hope I can bring some of my skills to assist the school as a governor.  I am committed to the vision that all children should receive an education that makes a real difference to their holistic development so they can reach their full potential and I am keen to provide support to the school so there is continuous improvement of achievement for all in a safe and caring environment.  I also co-lead the local Rainbows group and am the school governor representative on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for Hertfordshire County Council.

Jamie Haigh
I am a former student and now currently work as the Attendance Officer and  Higher Teaching Assistant. I began working at Ralph Sadleir in 2021 and became a governor at the start of 2023.

Samantha Hindhaugh

I grew up locally and attended SPINS and Roger de Clare. In one capacity or another, I’ve always been involved in education. Initially, I worked with young people with complex additional needs before becoming a SENCO in a local nursery. As a result of having my children, now 6 and 7, I took some time away from work. Having settled my children into school, I have returned to teaching and really enjoy being in the classroom. Becoming a governor will help me gain a deeper understanding of what makes Ralph Sadleir Academy such a great school – on such an exciting journey.

Anne Gorolini

I joined the board of trustees in January 2023 having been in the teaching profession for over twenty-five years. I have taught in schools in Luton and Hertfordshire. I have held a number of leadership positions including that of headteacher and provided a range of leadership support to Hertfordshire schools in a variety of roles.

I work for HFL Education as a District School Effectiveness Adviser for schools in the East of Hertfordshire.

My daughter is on her journey through the three tier lower, middle and upper school system having completed Years 5-8 at Ralph Sadleir. I am delighted to support the school to provide the best education for all its pupils as a trustee.

Sarah Sales

I have lived in lovely Puckeridge for over 20 years. My son is in Year 8 at Ralph Sadleir and my daughter, having left Ralph Sadleir 3 years ago, now attends Freman College. They both attended SPINS then, Roger de Clare so I have been involved in the 3-tier system for several years as a parent.

I have been a primary school teacher (in 4 different schools in Hertfordshire) for 26 years so have gained a lot of experience in working with children and how things are implemented in schools. I now work part time at a school in Hoddesdon and would like to use my experience and knowledge to support Ralph Sadleir and its journey going forward.

Outside of my passion for education, I love playing netball, attending my Pilates classes, going for long walks with my dog and watching Saracens play rugby. I also love to watch my children play sports at the weekends.

Cliff Devonshire

As a tennis coach and an accountant with a background in school finance, I bring a unique perspective to my role as a governor. My experience working in a local charity and a local authority has given me valuable insights into how to support and advocate for our community. As a parent of a child at the school, I’m deeply invested in its success and am passionate about helping the school grow and strengthen its place within the community. My goal is to ensure that our school remains a vibrant, supportive environment where every student can thrive.

Graham Tanswell

I have lived in Braughing since 2013, previous to this I grew up in a 3 tier system in Harrow, North London. My son has recently started at Ralph Sadleir and my daughter is expecting to join him from Jenyns in a couple of years time. I have spent the past 21 years in the Public Transport sector, I currently oversee all of the surface transport landside and Airside at London Stansted Airport working for National Express. I have a passion for ensuring children get the best out of their education journey giving valuable insights into their careers and their futures.

In my spare time I enjoy first and foremost spending time as a family but also getting out on my mountain bike, I particularly enjoy throwing myself down mountains in Wales attached to my bike!

Sarah Stevens

I am passionate about education, always learning and striving for improvement, with a true belief that education can make a difference for every child. After university, I started my career as a police constable, wanting to make a difference in my community. However, I soon realized that change was difficult once the police became involved. In 2005, I retrained as a teacher and have worked in education ever since.

I have experience in Lower and Primary school settings and have undertaken self-employed work within education support units for pupils up to 16, supporting the introduction of the new health and relationship statutory curriculum. Additionally, I have led training for primary and secondary school colleagues in leadership and management for NPQML, NPQSL, and NPQH. I have been an assessor for these qualifications and have set up and run a school-based initial teacher training provision. I am a fully qualified SENDCO with specialism in neurodiversity.

I became a headteacher in 2010 and have more than 10 years of headship experience across four different schools. I led an outstanding provision at Sutton VA Lower School and achieved rapid and substantial improvement at St Nicholas, Stevenage, leading to a good Ofsted judgment and an Outstanding SIAMS judgment within 18 months of my arrival. Most recently, I have worked with two schools as an executive headteacher to formalize federation (Albury and Puller). Both good schools. Currently I am the SEND participation lead with Hertfordshire County Council and lead on the Voices of Hertfordshire work which Ralph pupils are heavily involved in.

To keep my knowledge current, I am working on the SEND improvements at HCC, visit up to 50 mainstream, primary, secondary and specialist schools across the county each half term. I also have previous experience of inspection frameworks for schools. As a peer reviewer, I have reviewed colleagues’ settings in various areas, including maths mastery. I continue to assess NPQML, NPQSL, and NPQH, staying abreast of key government policy and case studies for primary, secondary, overseas, and specialist provision. Lastly, and most importantly, 2 of my three children experienced lower, middle and upper school education settings. I am aware of the benefits and challenges for middle schools in the UK.