Amy Taylor

Assistant Head Teacher

Dr. Sue Fisher

Head Teacher

B.Ed. (Hons), Primary Education, PG.Dip. Psychology, M.Sc. Educational Psychology, D.Ed.Psy.

Sue trained and worked as a primary school teacher for 12 years before moving to a special school to teach pupils with speech and language difficulties in 2002. She trained as an Educational Psychologist in 2004 and returned to special education as an Educational Psychologist and then as Deputy Head Teacher (from 2006), Associate Director (Headteacher) and Executive Headteacher in 2016, leading two all age special schools and a specialist college.

Sue took up the role of Headteacher at The Dales in January 2019 and her first priority was to develop and successfully open Ashdale site in Ashington.

During her years as a school leader, Sue has successfully applied for the Character Award, Teaching School Status, Specialist School Status and funding bids for significant school building developments. She wrote and developed iASEND and Pebbles assessment approaches.

Sue completed her doctorate in Educational Psychology in 2014 and remains a registered Educational Psychologist with HCPC.

Sally Collins

Deputy Head Teacher

B.Ed. (Hons) Primary Education, NPQH, M.Sc. Psychology
Sally worked in mainstream primary for 4 years before moving into Special Education in Northumberland. She spent 17 years teaching across an all age Special School gaining experience in a range of roles before becoming Assistant Head. Sally moved to The Dales in September 2017 and is a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and our Designated Teacher for LAC.
Sally completed her masters in Psychology in 2023.

Kim Lamb

Deputy Head Teacher

B.A. (Hons) Learning Technology Research

Kim trained at East Anglia University before completing the Graduate Teacher Programme toward QTS.  Before joining The Dales in 2018, Kim taught throughout mainstream Primary and in other special schools. Kim has taught in Special Educational settings for SEMH and profound and complex needs from EYFS through to Post 16. At the Dales, Kim is our lead for Teaching and Learning, she is a DSL and an induction tutor and mentor for NQT’s and trainee teachers.

Liz Sanderson

Assistant Head Teacher

B.Ed. (Hons) Primary Education

Liz has taught children from Nursery to Year 6 in Northumberland schools for most of her 30 year career. She joined The Dales School in 2016 after working as a mainstream school SENCo, where she gained the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination. Her specialisms include supporting learning in English and Maths and early years. She is a DSL and a Thrive practitioner.