Nurturing Futures, Inspiring Growth

Hello. My name is Stuart Hughes. I am a proud Welsh man who was born in Swansea, South Wales many years ago. I am bilingual and attended Welsh speaking primary and secondary schools in the Swansea valley. I started my teaching career in Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi or Cardigan Secondary School having graduated from Aberystwyth university as a teacher of Mathematics. I moved to wonderful Jersey in September 2001 with an initial plan to stay for 2-3 years and move on. Like many, I fell in love with the people and the island and stayed a little bit longer. I am very honoured and privileged to be Head Teacher at Haute Vallée Secondary School. My aspirations for the future are to ensure that we at Haute Vallée sustain our successful journey, enabling opportunities for young people so that they experience success and contentment in their futures.

I had worked in Hautlieu for almost 17 years, and I felt the time had come for a new challenge. I loved working at Hautlieu but a new Head Teacher had recently been appointed and for me to progress into Headship, it had to be at another school. An opportunity arose at Haute Vallée and I made an application. After the usual recruitment process for school leaders, I was appointed and my role as Headteacher started in January 2018.

Over the years, many people have asked me how working at Haute Vallée differs from working at Hautlieu. They do not differ much at all. They are similar in the way that both schools work tirelessly to serve the young people that walk our corridors on a day-to-day basis. Both schools are filled with determined colleagues that go above and beyond to support and care for our students. Both schools have students with an inquisitive nature and a desire to learn and to succeed. The challenges are very similar, after all, we are all working with young people who have a curiosity and determination that is sometimes untamed. This is what makes no two days the same and keeps us excited to be working in a school environment.

I do not believe that moving to a non-selective school did change my perception of selective provisions. 

I’m not sure that having a background in Mathematics and Computing has significantly shaped my approach to leadership, aside from a tendency to obsess over numbers and a desire to solve every problem with logic! In truth, I believe my upbringing and life experiences have had a much greater influence. Playing rugby for over 30 years taught me invaluable lessons about friendship, camaraderie, resilience, and teamwork. A brief stint working in hospitality and structural steelwork/engineering also showed me that no single person holds all the skills needed to complete a project. Success comes from collaboration and relying on the strengths of others. I often reflect on what leadership means, and from time to time, I talk to students about it too. For me, leadership is as much about listening and supporting colleagues as it is about decision-making. This is what keeps the engine of a school running smoothly. Understanding the “why” is essential to me. 

Year 7 students begin life at Haute Vallée within Horizon which I believe provides the perfect start to secondary school. Students thrive in this vibrant, nurturing ‘school within a school’ providing the perfect bridge from primary to secondary. The Horizon Team are a unique, caring and supportive team who tutor and teach students the core subjects of English and Humanities (Geography, History and Religious Studies). Other aspects of the curriculum are taught in the appropriate subject base of the school allowing transition between primary and secondary to be seamless. We first adopted the concept of “Horizon” from Grainville School many years ago and since then, our dedicated Horizon Team in Year 7 have become experts at welcoming new students, ensuring they feel happy, safe and genuinely excited to be part of their new school community school.

Please note that the improvement of the school has not been down to me alone. We are fortunate to have a dedicated team of over 100 colleagues, each of whom has played a vital role in our collective success. I am very proud of what we have been able to achieve together, and our most recent school review team commented: “This well led and governed school gives very valuable service to its pupils and the community. The school has been transformed, with very considerable improvement in recent years. Pupils are proud to attend. They feel safe and secure. One said simply, ‘It’s a great school!’”.

When I first joined the school, I saw many colleagues working incredibly hard but often trying to achieve far too much at once. A number of new initiatives had been introduced, and the school was facing a significant financial deficit. It quickly became clear that we needed to refocus, going back to basics and doing the fundamentals well. We worked together in teams to rewrite our Teaching & Learning, Assessment, and Behaviour policies, ensuring consistency across the school and a shared focus on our core purpose: helping students make meaningful progress. Over time, we began to see the impact of this work. The school has continued to grow stronger, and we take great pride in the progress our students make from their individual starting points.

I learned that the good people of Jersey were interested in how the school was going to change. Support came from the Education Department, colleagues of old and in particular our Board of Governors who consisted of experienced business leaders across our island. Their experiences, connections, relationships, challenge and in particular, their outstanding support enabled the school leadership team to reflect, plan, monitor and review.  

I must also mention Mr John McGuinness. John was appointed as Executive Head Teacher for two terms overseeing the work of both Grainville and Haute Vallée Schools. Both schools had new head teachers appointed at the same time. His experience and support for a new head teacher was invaluable and I will always be grateful for his mentorship, his honesty, his challenge and guidance.

This is an interesting question and one I was actually asked during an interview. If I remember correctly, the question focused on the similarities between diverse cultures and how being a Welsh speaker might support or challenge those differences. I wondered at the time if the question was used to try and confuse me? To be truly inclusive, we must take the time to learn about our students and their families, treating every member of the school community as an individual. Building strong relationships and fostering a sense of belonging are at the heart of what we do at Haute Vallée school. Our staff genuinely care about young people; their wellbeing, their development, and their future. We want every student to feel that they are a valued part of Team HV, and to know that support is always available to them, whenever they may need it.

Some of the main challenges I encountered when I joined the school included low staff morale, poor student outcomes, and a lack of confidence and trust from parents and the wider community. However, it was clear to me that there was a strong and genuine desire among colleagues to make meaningful change. The school was also facing a significant financial deficit, and many of our teaching and learning resources were in urgent need of investment. I believed we needed to return to basics and do them well, so we streamlined our efforts and stopped initiatives that consumed time and energy without delivering impact. Staff had more capacity to focus on what truly mattered.

I also worked closely with the Education Department to review our funding model, particularly through the lens of inclusion, and we explored successful UK practice around behaviour and assessment. We revised key policies and gradually, the school began to feel like a very different place. I can’t overstate the strength of the team effort. It was a true collective commitment to doing things better. In hindsight, I’m not sure I would have done things differently. While I was criticised by some at the time from outside the school who felt I should have driven more rapid change from the outset, I stood by my approach. I wanted to make sure that change was embedded and sustainable for the long term. We got there soon enough.

I am fortunate at this moment in time (Sept 2025) to be part time seconded into the Government of Jersey Education Department where we are considering how best to respond to the current and future challenges. This work has given much food for thought and also reminded me of how proud I am of the work that we achieve in Jersey. For Haute Vallée, when I return to school full time in January, I want to ensure that we continue to work together in our aim to ensure that every student thrives. I want the school to continue to be a place where colleagues also feel valued, supported, and empowered to continue to make a positive difference. I honestly believe that we have all the right ingredients in place to ensure even more students leave at the end of Year 11 progressing successfully to their chosen pathways. I want to further refine the school curriculum in order that it remains ambitious but also be responsive to the needs of both our students and our island. I also have an ambition to build upon and strengthen partnerships with parents and the wider community. I am not sure what this looks like yet but I want to continue to create more opportunities for our students. Watch this space.

I was invited onto the Sub-Committee by existing members and I am very pleased to be involved. Ultimately, students in our schools will become the leaders and employees of the future. I believe that any experience that I can glean beyond the confines of my work in Education will only support the students in our schools. I enjoy being able to contribute and share what working within the Education Sector in Jersey is like. Developing links and building relationships with local business leaders will, I am sure, bring rewards that extend far beyond the meeting room, offering our students real-world insights and a clearer understanding of the skills and attributes that employers value. These partnerships will help bridge the gap between education and employment, ultimately equipping students with the tools they need to thrive in their future careers.

I do enjoy going to the gym, not that I am very good at it and I am not particularly trim or fit but I do think it keeps your mind healthy. Having some fun is essential and I do like meeting up with friends from time to time to put the world to right and realise that there is a big world revolving around us. I am also very fortunate to live in a house with three others who like to make “to do lists” for us. For us, yes... but mostly for me. This keeps me busy and also more importantly, keeps my mind distracted from overthinking work. And of course, we live in beautiful Jersey. Whether I’m walking very slowly into the sea, wandering through our stunning heritage sites, or pretending a long walk counts as cardio, I try to make the most of our incredible island. This helps me switch off, even if it’s just for a little while.