Working together for our school
Behind the everyday life of York Steiner School is a dedicated team of teachers, leaders and trustees who share a common purpose: giving every child the opportunity to flourish. Our Board of Trustees works alongside the Headteacher and school management team to guide the school's future, oversee its legal and financial responsibilities and help protect the values that make our community special.
Meet our School Leaders
A community of experienced educators, dedicated to helping every child flourish.
Our Headteacher and School Business Manager serve the needs of the whole school community, working with the Board of Trustees and School Leadership Group to empower and enable the school to be governed through the guiding principles of sustainable governance.
Headteacher, Tracey LucasTracey Lucas has been involved with York Steiner School for over 30 years. Now as Headteacher, Tracey is focused on ensuring that there is a strong culture of mentorship in the school, for both pupils and staff. Tracey has led the school to become an examination centre, seeing the first cohort of Upper School students through their GCSEs with great success. Tracey works closely with staff to ensure that the quality of teaching and learning is maintained at the highest standard.
School Business Manager, Aissa GallieHaving connected with Steiner education through parent and child groups in Leeds from 2009, Aissa has been a parent at York Steiner School since 2014. Her eldest child has just completed Upper School and her youngest child is about to start Class 9. Following a long career in Business Development and Communications, Aissa has decided to let her heart lead and brings her wealth of skills and experience to the school. Aissa has brought particular focus to whole-community communications.
Meet our Safeguarding team
At York Steiner School, safeguarding is everyone’s business. Keeping your children safe is our priority. Everyone in school is encouraged to raise any safeguarding concern they have. If as a parent you have a safeguarding concern about your child or any other child, we encourage you to report it to a member of staff, specifically a member of our safeguarding team. You can ask for one of the team to contact you by calling school or emailing reception@yorksteinerschool.org
Tracey Lucas, Headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead
Karen Foster, Early Years Manager and Deputy safeguarding Lead
Jess Frost, PA to Headteacher, Receptionist and Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Revital Pavey, SENDCO and Deputy Safeguarding Lead
Meet our Board of Trustees
How we are run
York Steiner School is an educational charity and company limited by guarantee. The Board of Trustees ensures the school has a clear strategy and that its work and goals are in line with its stated vision.
Trustees work in a collaborative way with the Headteacher, management team, teachers, administrative staff, pupils, students and parents to develop a strategy that delivers good quality Waldorf-Steiner education to meet the needs of all the children in our care.
Regular forums and updates, alongside an annual Community Meeting, provide a platform for open communication and consultation.
Dr Simone Doctors
Safeguarding, Upper School and HR Development
Simone has worked in education for almost 40 years as a teacher, teacher educator and lecturer in education. Now an independent consultant, she manages education projects, conducts evaluations and research, offers executive coaching to education leaders and provides technical assistance to education systems in developing countries. Simone has lived in France, Nigeria and Mozambique, has worked in many countries and speaks French and Portuguese. A specialist in strategic HR development within the education sector, she believes that well-supported, engaged, inspirational teachers are vital to good schools and education systems.
Simone’s grandson joined York Steiner School in class 6 and was part of the pioneering upper school cohort who graduated from the school in 2026. The whole family enjoys being part of the vibrant school community. As an experienced educationalist, Simone is passionate about Waldorf-Steiner education, with its capacity to meet the diverse needs of children and young people with different backgrounds, personalities and approaches to learning, allowing them to reach their full potential and thrive.
Dr Alison Longridge
Community Engagement and Upper School
Ali is passionate about Steiner Waldorf Education and believes every child should have the option to attend a school like ours. Her son joined YSS in Class One and the whole family has enjoyed learning about this brilliantly child-centred pedagogy that is deeply respectful, creative and inspiring, nurturing a strong sense of self-worth and self-belief in its students.
“It takes a village to raise a child” is an African proverb that means an entire community of people must provide for and interact positively with children for those children to experience and grow in a safe and healthy environment. Over the past 8 years Ali has witnessed how empowering it is to grow up in a school where you have friends in every class, celebrate alongside parents, teachers and staff at a ceilidh, or work together to transform scrub into a community allotment, bring to life an upper school common room or host brilliant school fairs. Ali believes a warm, nurturing environment is not just good for students, it is good for teachers, staff and families too. Ali is honoured to have been Community Engagement Trustee since 2021, to have worked alongside a brilliant and dedicated team of trustees, staff and parents to bring to life our Upper School ambition in 2024, and to have acted as Vice Chair since 2022.
Ali is a Women’s Health and Fertility Acupuncturist with a PhD in Health Sciences and experience teaching in higher education.
Prof. Lorna Hamilton
SEND and Inclusion
Lorna is Professor of Developmental Psychology and Inclusive Education at York St John University, where she leads the Neurodiversity, Environment and Wellbeing Research Group. She conducts participatory research with neurodivergent children and young people with the aim of understanding how educational experiences influence identity development and wellbeing. As an educator, Lorna is committed to fostering learning environments that enable students with diverse learning profiles to succeed. Her younger son joined York Steiner School in Class 9 as part of the first Upper School cohort and benefitted hugely from the creative curriculum and nurturing environment.
David Loucao
Business Development, Finance and Marketing
David is a commercially experienced senior leader with 20 years of international business experience, currently working in an international company across the European markets. With experience in areas such as strategic planning, financial management and budgeting, contract negotiation, marketing and team leadership, he is hopeful that some of these skills may be of use to the benefit of the school community.
Genuinely interested in sustainability, social responsibility, and values-led approaches to education, which drew him to Steiner education and this community. His two children are in Kindergarten and Class 1. He has also been involved in mentoring and has a particular interest in supporting the development of others. Having lived and worked in several countries, including Portugal, China, the Netherlands, and the UK, David appreciates the value of diverse perspectives and cross-cultural understanding. He looks forward to making his contribution and to supporting the school’s mission as it looks to the future.
Benjamin Hall
Education and Learning
With a background in animation, Ben has been teaching creative subjects for the past 20 years as a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University and a tutor for the Open College of the Arts. He has a research interest in alternative education, in particular consent-based, non-hierarchical learning communities. At the centre of his teaching philosophy is the fundamental belief that all children instinctively hold a valid and established research practice which presents itself through creativity and play. He believes that if we support and foster these instinctive interests, they can become a powerful vehicle for meaningful learning and development. Ben’s son joined York Steiner School in class 7, and ever since he feels he has found an approach to learning that suits him, and a community where he feels valued, respected, and ultimately belongs.
Minesh Patel
Finance and Business
Minesh has a diverse professional background spanning finance, commercial property, investment, business management and dentistry. As a Commercial Property Director and Investor, he brings extensive experience in financial management, risk management, due diligence and long-term business sustainability. He has also held leadership and advisory roles within the dental sector, including practice ownership, with experience in governance, operational improvement and strategic decision-making.
As a parent at York Steiner School, Minesh is committed to supporting the school’s long-term financial sustainability and development, while ensuring that its values, educational ethos and community remain central to its future.
Liam Clegg
Finance
Liam became a Trustee to support: “in a small way, the flourishing of our lovely school.” His job as a lecturer at the University of York involves analysing sustainable economic governance and performance and he carries this focus on finances into the Trustee role. He particularly enjoys gaining a new appreciation of the complex ‘behind the scenes’ work done by the school’s professional support team.
Liam and his partner have known about the school since moving to York in 2010 and began their own journey with YSS when their daughter joined Kindergarten in 2021. He has been deeply impressed by the dedication and expertise of teachers across Kindergarten and Main School – their understanding of child development and their encouragement of independent critical thinking within a culture of mutual respectfulness and consideration. He feels the addition of the Upper School makes it an especially exciting time to be involved with YSS.
Governance
Supporting the School's Future
Behind every great school is a team committed to protecting its values, guiding its future and ensuring it continues to thrive for generations to come.
York Steiner School is a registered charity governed by a Board of Trustees. Working alongside the Head of School and leadership team, the Trustees provide strategic oversight, ensure good governance and support the long term success of the school.
What Do Our Trustees Do?
The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall governance of the school. Their role includes:
Safeguarding the school's vision and charitable purpose.
Providing strategic leadership and oversight.
Ensuring financial responsibility and sustainability.
Supporting effective leadership and good governance.
Meeting all legal and regulatory responsibilities.
While Trustees oversee the direction of the school, the day to day running of York Steiner School is led by the Head of School and staff team.
Get in Touch
If you wish to contact the Board of Trustees regarding governance matters, you can email: trustees@yorksteinerschool.org or write to:
The Board of Trustees
York Steiner School
Danesmead
Fulford Cross
York, YO10 4PB