Mr S Wilson is proud to serve as Headteacher of Ysgol Ty Coch. Having started his career as a Teaching Assistant, he has dedicated his professional life to supporting children and young people with additional learning needs. Simon’s journey through teaching, middle leadership and senior leadership roles across seven schools for learners with additional learning needs has provided extensive experience of working with learners with a wide range of needs.

At the heart of Simon’s leadership is a commitment to ensuring that every learner enjoys the highest possible quality of life. He believes this is achieved through a rich and engaging curriculum, outstanding teaching, meaningful relationships and a genuine understanding of what matters most to each individual child and family.

Simon is passionate about fostering a school culture where everyone feels valued, respected and able to succeed, ensuring that Ysgol Ty Coch continues to be a place where learners flourish and achieve their very best.

Mrs Lucy Board is proud to serve as Acting Deputy Headteacher at Ysgol Ty Coch.  Having begun her career as a Teaching Assistant, she has spent the last 16 years working in special education, supporting children and young people with additional learning needs across a variety of special schools, educational settings and local authorities.  Throughout her career, she has progressed through a range of leadership roles and has held senior leadership positions for the past seven years.  Lucy joined Ysgol Ty Coch as Assistant Headteacher in September 2024 and is committed to ensuring that every learner is supported to achieve their full potential.

Lucy has strategic responsibility for Health and Additional Learning Needs (ALN), working collaboratively with learners, families, staff and multi-agency professionals to ensure that every child receives personalised support that meets their individual needs.  She is passionate about creating exciting, engaging and meaningful opportunities that enable learners to develop communication, independence and life skills, while supporting them to generalise their learning into real-life environments.  At the heart of her leadership is a commitment to improving quality of life through strong relationships, high aspirations and inclusive experiences that prepare learners for meaningful participation within their communities.

 Mrs Julia Render brings 29 years of educational experience to her role as Deputy Headteacher at Ysgol Ty Coch, a position she is proud and privileged to hold. She has dedicated 28 years to special education, including 19 years at Ysgol Ty Coch, where she has served as a teacher, middle leader and senior leader.

Julia has been Deputy Headteacher since 2014 and played a key role in establishing the Buarth y Capel Provision. She has strategic responsibility for teaching and learning across the school, leading professional learning opportunities that enhance classroom practice and improve outcomes for learners. She is also committed to securing exciting, meaningful and inclusive curriculum opportunities that build confidence and prepare learners for life beyond school.

Guided by the school's core principles of Respect, Communication and Enjoyment, Julia believes every learner deserves to have a voice, feel valued and empowered, and develop the skills that enhance their quality of life. She is passionate about creating opportunities for learners to grow in confidence, make meaningful progress and be supported to develop greater independence.

Julia values the opportunity to work alongside learners, families and staff every day and is dedicated to fostering a school community where everyone feels valued, supported and encouraged to grow and achieve.

Mrs Rogers is proud to work as Acting Assistant Head of Ysgol Ty Coch.  She started her career with a number of years' experience teaching in a mainstream primary setting before moving into Ysgol Ty Coch over 25 years ago.  During this time, she has progressed through many roles, from being a classroom teacher across all departments of the school, to middle leadership with experience in a number of different areas over the years, to senior leadership as one of two assistant heads.

Rachael is passionate about high quality teaching and learning while enabling all pupils to achieve their best.  She believes that all pupils should experience enriched, authentic, practical learning opportunities during their time in school in readiness for the future beyond school.  She also knows the difference that music and performing arts can make to pupils' quality of life and uses her skills to lead this through opportunities to enrich the life of the school.

Rachael is also committed to supporting the quality of life for pupils while working with other professionals to establish what matters most on an individual basis and ensure resources and opportunities are available to support all pupils to feel valued, thrive and experience success in Ysgol Ty Coch.  

Mr Sean Gilbertson brings over 22 years of educational experience to his role as Assistant Headteacher at Ysgol Ty Coch. His career has included eight years in mainstream primary education and fourteen years working in two schools for learners with additional learning needs, providing him with a wealth of experience in supporting diverse learners. Sean has developed extensive expertise in wellbeing and ALN provision, working collaboratively with learners, families and professionals to ensure that every child receives the support they need to thrive and enjoy the highest possible quality of life.

Sean’s approach to leadership is centred on promoting positive wellbeing and creating an inclusive environment where every learner feels valued, safe and understood. He recognises that strong relationships, personalised support and high aspirations are fundamental to helping learners succeed and thrive. He is dedicated to fostering a culture built on respect, communication and enjoyment, ensuring that all members of the Ysgol Ty Coch community are empowered to flourish and achieve the highest possible quality of life.

 

Bleddyn is responsible for leading and supporting the Pathfinders provision, ensuring high-quality teaching, learning, assessment and pastoral support for learners. His role includes staff leadership and coaching, curriculum development, quality assurance, safeguarding, and coordinating aspects of whole-school provision including Digital Learning, Science and Technology, and the Sensory Curriculum. He also supports pupils in developing the skills they need to access their local community, build independence and further develop essential life skills. In addition, Bleddyn helps deliver the Duke of Edinburgh Award and works closely with families, external agencies and community partners to create meaningful opportunities for our learners. Through this work, Bleddyn aims to ensure every pupil receives the support, experiences and challenge they need to make progress, achieve their potential and prepare for adult life.

 

Mrs Carlie Lloyd-Johnson is the Navigators Department Lead at Ysgol Ty Coch. Having joined the school as a teacher in 2017, she has developed extensive experience working with learners with a wide range of strengths and additional learning needs. Passionate about inclusive education, Carlie is committed to creating a safe, nurturing and supportive environment where every learner feels valued and empowered to succeed. She believes in preparing young people for successful futures by developing not only academic achievement but also independence, confidence and life skills. Carlie works closely with families and professionals to ensure the best possible outcomes for all learners. 

Rachel leads the school's Intervention Team and is passionate about helping every pupil achieve success in their own unique way. Holding a master's degree in Behaviour Analysis, she enjoys helping to develop creative, evidence-based interventions that support learning, wellbeing, and personal growth. Rachel values building strong relationships with pupils, families, and staff, and is committed to creating an environment where every young person feels understood and supported.

 

Emily has been teaching since 2008, beginning her career in London within mainstream education before moving into special education. Having worked at Ysgol Ty Coch for almost eleven years, she has gained extensive experience supporting learners with a wide range of strengths and needs across different departments within the school.

As the school's TLR for Total Communication, Emily works with learners and staff across all age groups, supporting the development of communication approaches throughout the school. This role has given her a deep understanding of the importance of communication in helping learners achieve their full potential.

Emily is passionate about working in partnership with families and values opportunities to support parents through the NAS EarlyBird programme, Teen Life and communication support sessions.

At the heart of Emily's work is a commitment to placing learners first. She considers it a privilege to see pupils grow in confidence and independence, and particularly values those moments when a learner successfully communicates a want or need for the first time.

 

Bethan has worked in education for over twenty years, with much of her career dedicated to supporting learners with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) and leading teams to deliver high-quality educational provision. She is passionate about ensuring the best possible quality of life for all learners, helping them to develop the skills, confidence, and independence needed to thrive both in school and beyond.

In September 2025, Bethan joined Ysgol Ty Coch as Head of Department for the Explorers. Bringing extensive experience, strong leadership, and a learner-centred approach, Bethan is committed to creating a nurturing and inclusive environment where every learner is valued, supported, and encouraged to achieve their full potential.

 

Deborah has been a valued member of the Ysgol Ty Coch community since 1993. Beginning her career in the school kitchen, she has dedicated more than 30 years to supporting learners and the wider school community.

In 1995, Deborah moved into a one-to-one support role, where her passion for helping pupils achieve their full potential began to flourish. Following training in PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) and studies in Language and Communication Impairment in Children through Sheffield University, she developed a particular interest in supporting communication and promoting inclusive practice across the school.

After achieving Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) status, Deborah worked closely with Teaching Assistants throughout the school, sharing her expertise to support high-quality teaching and learning.

In 2024, Deborah was delighted to take on the role of Teaching Assistant Coordinator. As part of the role, she now leads the professional development of Teaching Assistants across Ysgol Ty Coch, helping to ensure that all learners receive the highest quality support to thrive, achieve and reach their potential.

 

 

Lyn is the Business Manager at Ysgol Ty Coch and plays a vital strategic role in ensuring the school operates safely, efficiently, and sustainably for the benefit of pupils, staff, and the wider school community. As Strategic Lead for Compliance, Business Strategy, Site Security, Value for Money, and Human Resources, she works closely with the Headteacher, governors, local authority services, and external partners to ensure the school meets all statutory and regulatory requirements. Lyn leads the Administration and Estates teams, overseeing key areas including finance, health and safety, human resources, safeguarding processes, business continuity, and site management across all school locations.

Through strong leadership and a commitment to continuous improvement, Lyn develops and maintains effective systems that support the smooth running of the school. She is responsible for ensuring robust financial management, promoting compliance with health and safety and GDPR requirements, supporting staff recruitment and development, and driving the school's paperless initiative. Her work helps create a safe, well-managed, and forward-thinking environment where staff can focus on delivering the highest quality education and support, enabling every pupil at Ysgol Ty Coch to thrive and achieve their potential.