School Governors

Since April 2008, TreeHouse School has been a Non Maintained Special School. This is a type of special school run by a charity rather than a local authority, which can receive certain types of Government funding. The Governing Body is separate from, but over-lapping with, the Board of Trustees in that two Governors are also Trustees and the Trustees receive reports from the Governing Body.  By law we do everything that a Governing Body does in a local authority school except manage the budget and the premises.

The full Governing Body meets six times in the year as do its two sub committees: Curriculum, Assessment and Pupil Progress Committee and the Pupil Welfare Committee but Governors are also actively involved in many aspects of school life. They are completely committed to the success of the school and to ensuring the best possible provision for our pupils.

Governing Body newsletter - July 2011 (PDF 620KB)

Governing Body newsletter - December 2011 (PDF 198KB)

Lorraine Petersen OBE – Chair of School Governing Body

As Chief Executive Officer of nasen, Lorraine has worked on numerous projects with the Department for Education, the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Authority and the Training and Development Agency. Lorraine is also a member of a number of advisory groups including UKTI Sector Advisory Group for Education and Skills (SAGES). During her 25 year teaching career, Lorraine has worked with pupils with an array of special and additional needs within mainstream settings and in June 2009 Lorraine was awarded the OBE for services to education.

Tony Balazs – Associate Governor

Tony is both the father of a boy with autism and a board certified behaviour analyst. Tony has been a researcher in molecular biology, a psychotherapist and psychotherapy supervisor, an academic counsellor at the Open University, and a counselling lecturer at City University. He currently consults to families about their children’s ABA programs, and trains both families and ABA teams in teaching children with autism. Tony is also a consulting behaviour analyst for an ABA school, and works in the UK and overseas. Tony has recently founded a charity at the maintained primary school to support SEN and is chair of the school’s SEN committee.  

Alyson Balloch – Parent Governor

Alyson is a full-time carer of three children, two of whom are pupils at TreeHouse School. A committee member for her local branch of the NAS, she has also attended a whole range of meetings and conferences on autism, and is currently studying for a Ucert in ASD with the University of Birmingham.  Alyson is also a Healing Trust trained Healer and works on a voluntary basis at a Healing Centre with people with mental health problems, stress and other significant health issues.

Katie Boorer – Staff Governor

Katie works as an ABA Tutor. Before joining TreeHouse she worked at Macintyre School (a charity based residential school for children with severe learning disabilities and autism, aged 9-19) for 18 months.

She was also a senior support worker for a charity called Autism Bedfordshire, a service offering a weekend play scheme for children with autism, their siblings and family. She spent some time after University volunteering for a mental health charity called MIND, helping to run the drama group.

Laura Brind – Staff Governor

Laura joined TreeHouse in August 2008 and works as a Curriculum Manager. She has a degree in Biology, qualifying as a science teacher in 2003. She has worked in a number of educational establishments in London including 2 years in mainstream schools and 3 years at a pupil referral unit.

She is a qualified counsellor and worked for 2 years as a volunteer with the Samaritans, as well as time with Mind and at Birkbeck University.

Martin Hewitt – Parent Governor

Martin has been a parent governor at three local schools – a mainstream primary, a mainstream secondary and a special needs school. He has also chaired the Haringey Early Years and Child Development Partnership from 2000-2002. Professionally he has worked at the Institute of Actuaries in London and the University of Hertfordshire. His background is in management and in teaching and researching social policy, specialising in SEN policy and provision.

Jolanta Lasota – Chief Executive

Jolanta is passionate about enabling children, young people and families affected by disability to live the life they choose. She was previously worked for a number of leading voluntary sector organisations including Turn2us, Shelter, I CAN and the Governance Hub. Jolanta is a Trustee of the charity Contact a Family, which supports families of disabled children.

Katy Lee – Principal ABA Consultant

Katy Lee is the Principal ABA Consultant at TreeHouse School where she oversees the implementation and development of ABA. Katy has been working in the field of autism education and Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) for the past 14 years. She holds a science degree in psychology and behavioural sciences, a post graduate degree in developmental disabilities and has completed an MSc in Applied Behaviour Analysis. Katy is certified by the international Behaviour Analyst Certification Board (BACB) and is currently completing PhD research within the field of ABA based educational interventions for children and young people with autism and complex needs.

Dr Julie O'Sullivan – Headteacher

Dr. Julie O’Sullivan is Headteacher at TreeHouse School, having joined in 2007. Before that, she was Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator at the north London comprehensive, Fortismere School, for seven years. Julie originally trained to teach Music and started her career as a secondary school music teacher.

Ann Waters – Community Governor

Ann Waters is currently a Labour councillor in the London Borough of Haringey. She was a career civil servant and has also helped to manage a community centre in Muswell Hill where she has lived for more than 30 years.  She has two grown up children.