Retiring head praises team for school's successes

Val Houldey has seen the school grow from around 900 students to more than 1,200 including the sixth form when she took on the role of headteacher in 2006.
Mrs Houldey was also made the executive head of Compton Primary School when the Downs took over the leadership in 2010 - forming the first federation of primary and secondary schools in West Berkshire.
Speaking on retirement Mrs Houldey said: “It has been a great pleasure and privilege to lead these two schools. There is nowhere better to be a Headteacher. The staff, pupils and parents really care about education. There is a fantastic sense of community and we pride ourselves on our small school feel.
“I have also been very well-supported by a skilful group of governors who give up hours of their time for the good of their community. The only way to get to outstanding is to have a fantastic team all working together, with very strong leadership across the board.”
Mrs Houldey will go out on a high as she announced her retirement after the Downs received an outstanding Ofsted report in July and followed Compton Primary’s outstanding result in April.
The School also celebrated a successful year of A Level results - with 63 per cent of students achieving A and B grades- while 65 per cent achieved seven or more GCSEs.
Mrs Houldey’s departure will be met with a familiar face as the current deputy headteacher of the Downs, Chris Prosser, will be stepping into her role.
A former geography teacher and assistant head at Ryeish Green School in Wokingham, Mr Prosser said: “I would like to thank Mrs Houldey for all her hard work. As a result of her excellent leadership, dedication and strong moral purpose both schools have strong reputations for extremely high standards in the community”.
On her successor Mrs Houldey said: “I am absolutely delighted that Mr Prosser is taking over from me in January and know that he will do an excellent job.”