Senior Leadership Team (ID 1278)

• Mr C Panting
  Headteacher
  Mr C Panting

  I have worked at Ashcombe since 2000, joining as a History teacher and Assistant Head of Year 10. It has been an absolute honour to progress through the school and the role of Head teacher is the best job I could have ever wished for - working with 100’s of inspiring young people and adults. As a student I studied History at Liverpool University and then trained as a teacher in Newcastle before working at Therfield School in Leatherhead.

  As Head Teacher I am responsible for the strategic direction of the school, the ethos and culture and building a positive staffing culture. The single best thing about the role is the daily interactions I get to have with the 1500 students– from my teaching to conversations in corridors and around the school. The goal is for our students to leave Ashcombe as rounded, ambitious, curious and kind individuals and I could not dream of working with a more engaging group of young people.

• Dr J Carter
  Deputy Head (Timetable and Finance)
  Dr J Carter

  After completing both a BSc and PhD in Physics at the University of Southampton and then PGCE teacher training at the University of Durham I started my science teaching career in the North East of England at Durham Johnston Comprehensive School and have never regretted that decision.

  My role has progressed through science and Senior Leadership to my current position as deputy headteacher. As well as continuing to enjoy teaching I lead on timetabling, managing data and co-ordinating reporting to parents. I work within a strong, supportive and caring team of colleagues and students.

  The qualities that I value most highly, and that I would encourage most strongly in students, are those of resilience, creativity, and curiosity.

• Mr J Simmonds
  Deputy Head (Curriculum)
  Mr J Simmonds

  After studying at the University of Southampton and hugely enjoying my year as an English assistant in Northern France, I chose to pursue a career in teaching. I joined The Ashcombe in 2005 as a Head of Year, having worked in two other Surrey schools. In 2008, I joined the Leadership Team as Head of Lower School and moved to Deputy Headteacher (Curriculum) in 2018.

  It is a privilege to work with colleagues to develop the curriculum that we teach across the three Key Stages, as well as leading on teaching and learning, sharing research evidence to develop the quality of learning across subject areas. I am fortunate to still be teaching French to a wide range of students and over the years, have accompanied many visits to both France and Germany. These visits provide excellent opportunities for learning outside of the classroom. I am proud to work in a school that offers so many opportunities to students during their time with us, enabling them to leave as well-rounded individuals.

• Mr S Ketley
  Senior Pastoral Manager - Assistant Head (Pastoral)
  Mr S Ketley

  I have worked at The Ashcombe School since 2002 and genuinely love working at such a friendly and supportive school. I joined as a teacher of PE having undertaken my training in three schools in East London, and became a Head of Year in 2005. I joined the senior team initially as Head of Upper School in 2011.

  My current role as Senior Pastoral Manager sees me leading the development of the pastoral team and leading on the care, welfare, and guidance for students in school. I am also the Designated Safeguarding Lead and Designated Teacher for Looked After Children

• Mr B Blackband
  Head of 6th Form - Assistant Head (Pastoral)
  Mr B Blackband

  After completing my studies at The University of Warwick, I embarked on a brief career in recruitment followed by a Gap Year to explore different parts of the world. In 2009, I joined The Ashcombe as a trainee History teacher and subsequently led the History and Politics department for four years. In 2016, I became the Head of Sixth Form.

  Guiding the Sixth Form is a true privilege, and I firmly believe that our devoted team of teachers and support staff offers unparalleled support, care, and guidance. My role encompasses not only the oversight of curriculum areas, but also the crucial school-wide responsibilities of career provision and student voice. Throughout my time at The Ashcombe, I have had the opportunity to lead educational trips to captivating destinations such as Berlin, Uganda, and Washington. My passion for teaching History and Politics remains unwavering as I engage students across all year groups. A central aspect of my commitment is nurturing the well-being of each student, ensuring they have the means to achieve their academic potential and contribute positively in the future.

• Ms P Gray
  Head of Upper School - Assistant Head (Pastoral)
  Ms P Gray

  I joined the school as a teacher in 2007 after completing part of my teacher training there, having had a career change which led to me coming to The Ashcombe in 2005 as a teaching assistant and I am now an Assistant Head at the school. I have also had the very useful experience of having seen the school through parental eyes when my sons were students. I teach maths and history and enjoy seeing students develop confidence in their abilities allowing all the achieve their potential. I also support the strong pastoral care, which is a core concept within the school, ensuring that students feel safe and happy whilst having the confidence to speak to someone should the need arise.

• Mr B Ravenhill
  Head of Lower School - Assistant Head (Pastoral)
  Mr B Ravenhill

  I joined The Ashcombe in 2009 as a trainee Geography teacher, later becoming Head of Department and then a Head of Year. In 2018, I was honoured to be appointed as Head of Lower School.

  Working alongside a diverse group of young individuals daily is an absolute privilege. A significant aspect of my role involves supporting our strong pastoral system where I specifically work with students in Years 7, 8 and 9 to ensure they feel safe and happy coming to school. I lead efforts in facilitating the transition from primary to secondary school to ensure students arrive at Ashcombe feeling ready to begin their secondary journey with us.

  I am the senior mental health lead and am passionate about student wellbeing. I firmly believe that mental health is just as important as physical health. It's crucial for students to understand that it's “ok to not be ok”, that they are treated as individuals, and all are part of our wider community. I am very proud of how this ethos of support and understanding is at the heart of The Ashcombe school.

• Miss J Parish
  Assistant Head
  Miss J Parish

• Mr J Robinson
  Assistant Head (Curriculum)
  Mr J Robinson

  I joined The Ashcombe School in 2005 as Head of History. My brother-in-law who was then Head of PE recommended the school and I continue to enjoy working in a community which develops both staff and students. My current role has a strong focus linked to technology, managing the use of ClassCharts and Microsoft Teams in school. In addition, I am the Data Protection Officer for the SESSET trust. My passion remains teaching and I love delivering History lessons. I also teach R.S and Computer Science. I am the senior line manager for PSHE and DT and manage the Hair & Beauty BTEC. Having studied History at the University of Leeds. I completed my teacher training at Oxford University. I have one child, who enjoys model railways, leading me often to be found at model railway venues across the south-east.

• Ms H Sampson
  Assistant Head (Curriculum)
  Ms H Sampson

  I completed my teacher training at The Royal Northern College of Music & Manchester Metropolitan University, training in both classroom and instrumental tuition, having previously studied for my music degree at the University of Leeds. I started my teaching career at The Ashcombe School and have worked through various roles including Head of Music prior to my current position as Assistant Headteacher. Whilst working at The Ashcombe, I also completed my master’s degree in education at the Institute of Education & University of London.

  I currently lead on assessment, extracurricular and KS3 progress, line manage exams and the GCSE BTech courses (Hairdressing & Construction) and will be leading on reporting from 2024-2025.

• Ms Y Sheikh
  Assistant Head (Curriculum)
  Ms Y Sheikh

  I joined The Ashcombe in 2005 as Assistant Headteacher with prior leadership experience in other Surrey and West Sussex schools. Current responsibilities include line management of curriculum areas, trips, cover, Early Careers Teachers and quality assurance across the school. The Ashcombe is a wonderful place to teach and no two days are ever the same. I am involved in many aspects of school life and have had the positive experience of accompanying trips to Italy and Turkey. This school community has decency at its very heart together with a drive for academic success. I believe that all students are entitled to the very best education we can deliver to give them the best possible start in life.

• Mrs P Stace
  Business Manager
  Mrs P Stace

  I have been Business Manager of the school since 2013 and was part of the team which created the SESSET multi academy trust, becoming CFO on its formation in 2016 until 2023. My passion is for the smooth and effective running of the school to give teachers the best possible environment and tools to deliver the best lessons and extracurricular opportunities to our students. Being responsible for all operational aspects, ranging from the estate, HR, finance, administration, catering, and marketing, enables me to deliver this. Having spent 10 years working in Corporate Treasury for large multi-national companies.

  I chose to move into education after a very enjoyable and rewarding experience of serving as a governor at our local nursery school and children’s centre and then as a childminder, I joined Ashcombe School as a teaching assistant and benefit from understanding life in the classroom. I thoroughly enjoy my role and working alongside a professional and dedicated team of individuals.

SESSET (ID 1280)

• Mr D Blow
  Executive Headteacher
  Mr D Blow

  David was Headteacher at The Ashcombe School from 2004 to 2019, having previously been Deputy Head. When SESSET was established in 2017 he became Executive Head and Accounting Officer. He was instrumental in The Ashcombe becoming a Language College in 1998 with a focus on the innovative use of technology in language learning and working collaboratively with all local schools in the Dorking Schools Language Development Group. This expanded with the formation of the Dorking Schools Partnership. He also continues to be involved with the Surrey Alternative Learning Programme which was set up in 2010 to coordinate provision across Surrey. 

  As well as working with the Association of School and College Leaders at a national level on data, he has also worked with Surrey Heads and other groups. He continues as co-chair of the Leadership Partner Schools Network, a small countrywide group of schools.