New heads drive Aurora’s growth ambitions

Nicola Redhead at Aurora Peartree School, Ben Billington at Aurora Charnwood School, Creslyn Singh at Aurora Linemere School and Emma Williams at Aurora Brampton Valley School said they were looking forward to transforming children and young people’s lives.

Once they are fully up and running, the four schools are expected to help Aurora achieve a new milestone -  with the number of children and young people supported by Aurora set to exceed 2,000 for the first time. 

Nicola, who brings almost three decades of experience in education to the role, said: “I want Peartree to be a centre of excellence for the pupils we serve. For me, it’s about creating an environment where every individual child receives exactly what they need. 

“Academic achievement is important but so is the wraparound support that helps young people develop the skills, confidence and qualities they need to succeed in life. It’s about meeting each child where they are and helping them achieve their own personal goals.”

When it is fully up and running, the school is expected to cater for up to 120 pupils.

Ben takes the helm at Charnwood after more than 22 years in education, including leadership roles in both mainstream and specialist settings. 
Originally from Leicester, Ben began his career as a history teacher before deciding to move into specialist education. 

His belief in the transformative power of specialist education was strengthened by his experience as a parent of an autistic son. He said: “I saw the impact of specialist education and how it changed my son as an individual. I realised that if I wanted to make a real difference in young people’s lives, that was where I needed to be.”

Ben is now overseeing preparations for the January opening of the new school, which also incorporates two existing Aurora sites in Nanpantan in Loughborough and Hinckley in Leicestershire, each offering tailored support for different groups of learners under a single leadership team. 

When it is fully up and running, the specialist day school will provide education and therapeutic support for up to 90 pupils.

He said: “My vision is really clear. It’s about fundamentally changing the lives of our learners. Education isn’t about creating a portfolio of qualifications. It’s about supporting young people to become the best versions of themselves that they can be. If qualifications come along the way, that’s wonderful, but our role is to equip every learner with the skills, confidence and opportunities they need for whatever pathway comes next.”

Creslyn, at Linemere, is originally from South Africa. She studied psychology and criminology and began her career in education in Johannesburg before moving to England in 2018.

She said: “I’m incredibly excited to be joining Linemere and to have the opportunity to help build a school that truly serves its community. 

 “I've lived in North Somerset for eight years and I’ve seen the level of need for specialist education grow and grow. I’ve seen families with children who have additional needs and I've seen their struggle to find the right support for their children. 

“Linemere will be somewhere young people can come and thrive and feel like they belong.”

Emma Williams, Headteacher at Aurora Brampton Valley School, in Market Harborough, described the opportunity to lead the school as a “once-in-a-career opportunity”.

She said: “We’ve a fantastic opportunity to create a school where young people can develop academically, socially and emotionally. I am excited to build a community that celebrates individuality, helps pupils develop confidence and communication skills, and prepares them for happy and successful futures.”

Once the school is fully up and running, it is expected to provide education for up to 80 pupils.

We wish all four new headteachers and their teams every success as they work towards their opening dates.