Meet the Senior Leadership Team

My name is Claire Payne and I am an Assistant Headteacher at Whitstone School, where I lead on Behaviour and Culture and am part of the Safeguarding team.

My passion for teaching began at a very young age. My mum worked at a local secondary school and I grew up seeing the positive impact that working in education could have on young people. That early inspiration led me to study Sports Science and complete my PGCE at Exeter University.

I have now worked in education for 18 years. I began my career as a PE teacher and later moved into pastoral roles, where I also broadened the subjects I taught to include Science and Maths. Throughout my career I have had the privilege of working in schools across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Dorset, holding roles such as Head of Year, Head of House and PSHE Lead. Before joining Whitstone, I worked as an Associate Assistant Headteacher in my previous school. In September 2024 I moved back to Somerset and joined Whitstone as Assistant Headteacher, which has been a wonderful opportunity.

I feel incredibly fortunate to work in education and am passionate about supporting young people to achieve their potential. I strongly believe in improving life chances, celebrating success and helping students to grow not only academically but also into happy, confident young adults who are ready for the wider world.

Outside of school, I am a wife and a mum to two young children, aged three and five, who certainly keep me busy. As a family we love the outdoors, exploring new places and travelling whenever we can. I also enjoy keeping active through running and going to the gym, and in the past I have played hockey and been involved in rowing teams, alongside a variety of other sports.

My name is Laura Hunt and I am an Assistant Headteacher at Whitstone School. I lead on teaching and learning, staff development and inclusion across the school.
I have worked in education for 20 years, starting my career as an English teacher before becoming Head of English and now moving into senior leadership. I spent 15 years at my previous school before joining Whitstone and I feel very lucky to do a job I genuinely love. I am passionate about education and the difference it can make, not only academically but in helping young people grow in confidence, character and life skills.

Outside of school, I am a mum to an energetic 11 year old who has just started secondary school, which definitely keeps me on my toes. I love spending time with him, taking him out and about to different places and making the most of new experiences together. I also enjoy going to the gym, reading, trips to the theatre and cinema, and watching live music whenever I get the chance.

My name is Joanna Boughen-Hunt, and I am the Business Manager at Whitstone School. My role covers a wide range of areas including the school budget, financial management, human resources and line management of our administration, IT, site, cleaning, catering and finance & lettings departments. My role certainly keeps me busy, but I feel fortunate to work alongside such dedicated staff and incredible students, as well as being part of a supportive community.

I have worked in the education sector for the past 20 years, previously working in an FE college, an infant school and another secondary school. Alongside my professional role, I have volunteered in school governance for the last 10 years and have been proud to serve as Chair of Governors at a junior school for almost 6 years.

I’m originally from Aberdeenshire and moved to Somerset from Lincoln 27 years ago. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, walking, travelling and visiting up north whenever we can.

We have a fantastic school at the heart of a strong local community. I’m passionate about working together to make a real difference for our students and ensuring they have the best possible opportunities to succeed.