Ringwood School
Leanne Symonds
Headteacher
I was appointed as Headteacher of Ringwood School in 2016. I joined Ringwood from The Purbeck School in Wareham, which was my first headship. Before this I had a career in Gloucestershire having been a Head of Sixth Form, Assistant Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher in Cheltenham. I have been lucky enough to have overseen every aspect of school leadership over my years as a senior leader. I was attracted to Ringwood School because it was a Teaching School which gave an opportunity to work closely with other schools in the area on developing educational provision; Ringwood also had (and continues to have) a fantastic reputation locally and when I had visited I was impressed by the polite and enthusiastic young people that come to school here. I am committed to working with other schools as we can always improve what we do by working with others. Since 2016 I have become a National Leader of Education (NLE) and have undertaken a range of school improvement work locally. I am also a Trustee of a local Multi Academy Trust. I feel very proud of Ringwood School and I enjoy all aspects of my job from teaching history to appointing great staff who will inspire our students and help them to achieve their potential.
Andy Walbrin
Head of Sixth Form
I joined Ringwood School in 2008 having taught in several local schools and in New Zealand. I teach Geography, Travel and Tourism and PSHE. As Director of Sixth Form it is my privilege to work and lead post 16 life at Ringwood. It is an absolute pleasure working in such a positive environment, working with colleagues to support our young people through their sixth form studies.
Val Robinson
UCAS and Extended Project Qualification Lead
I joined Ringwood School in 1997, teaching previously in Dudley and Southampton. I have held numerous management posts of responsibility involving sixth form, currently UCAS referee and Extended Project Qualification lead. It is a joy working with our dedicated sixth form staff and subject tutors, supporting current and ex-students to progress their next, Post-18 steps to Further and Higher Education.
Chris Neale
Head of Year 13
I started my career in a local New Forest school, leading and teaching Business Studies. I became a Head of Year in 2017 and had the opportunity to oversee year groups in both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. Further to my teaching and Head of Year roles I was able lead the DofE Award and support the Pupil Premium Strategy. In 2022, I was fortunate to join the Ringwood Sixth Form team as Head of Year 12 and teaching Business Studies at GCSE and A-level. It has been a pleasure to help and support students in the Sixth Form both, in and outside of the classroom. Since starting at Ringwood, I have felt lucky to work with fantastic families & staff to help enrich the lives of our students and to help them in their educational journey.
Naomi Conacher
Head of Year 12
Having completed my English PGCE teacher training in Plymouth, followed by my first year teaching in Basingstoke, I joined Ringwood School in 2013 being drawn back to the forest and the sea. Since joining the school, I have taken my career down the pastoral route: I began by working with our Young Carers, before joining the G&A team as a Head of Year in the lower school. I stayed in this role for 5 years before taking time off on maternity leave to start my own family. In 2022 I joined the Sixth Form team as Head of Year. I feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to work so closely with our Sixth Form students, supporting them through this crucial period in their lives.
Lindsay Flynn
Sixth Form and Safeguarding Administrator
I have been part of Ringwood School since 2021, based in the Sixth Form providing admin support to the team including admissions, attendance and general assistance to our parents and students. I thoroughly enjoy working with the students and staff here, and fully embrace the many opportunities that arise beyond the admin support role. Our Sixth Form students really do make here a fantastic place to work. Prior to my role here I spent 20 years working within the Travel and Events industries, and I am still very passionate about travel and plan to be involved in teaching the Travel and Tourism course to our Sixth Formers in September 2024.
