Meet the Senior Leadership Team

Headteacher

Following graduating from Cardiff University, I did not go into the education sector straight away, instead working for what was then Corus Steel (now Tata Steel).  I undertook a range of graduate placements, in transportation, logistics and sales, before taking a post in the Midlands selling steel across the country. 

After a number of years, I left and undertook my PGCE in Education at Hertfordshire University and accepted my first teaching post in Harlow.  Since then, I have worked across a number of settings in various roles, the most recent being Headteacher of a school in Cheshunt since 2017.  In addition, I was the Trust’s School Improvement Lead, working in other secondary and primary schools, focused on improving teaching and learning and outcomes for our students.  I am also a serving OFSTED inspector and inspect other schools in the local region.  I am extremely proud to be the next Headteacher at Chelmer Valley and am looking forward to growing the school into the future and continuing its journey to excellence.

Assistant Headteacher

After graduating with a BSc in Economics from the University of Essex  and briefly working within the commercial sector I joined the teaching profession in September 2004 as a Business Studies Teacher. I have worked in 3 very different schools across Essex gaining a wide array of experience in this timeframe. As an Assistant Head of Year and subsequently Head of Year between Year 7 and Year 11 was an excellent learning curve involving pastoral care and KS3 and KS4 developments. Following on from this, I became Head of Department and then Head of the Vocational Area at Chelmer Valley in September 2011 where I was supported to gain my Masters in Educational Leadership. I led the Sixth Form until 2020 and am now working within the Curriculum Team to develop our alternative education provision, recovery curriculum and a range of other duties. 

Deputy Headteacher

Having graduated with a BSc in Marine Zoology and MSc in Molecular Ecology I worked briefly as a freelance academic researcher undertaking projects in UK, Europe and the Caribbean. After working for a multinational corporation as a Management Consultant and Process Analyst I realised that I missed working in science and decided to retrain as a teacher; something I have never regretted!

Since then I have worked in a number of schools across Essex and have held leadership responsibilities for behaviour, pastoral wellbeing and attendance. I joined Chelmer Valley in 2015 and I am responsible for ensuring that our students fulfil their academic potential at Key Stage 4. I work with students helping them to understand their academic progress and fulfil their potential. I also work with our teachers and middle leaders to ensure they are able to effectively asses, monitor and support every student.

Outside of the classroom I am an award winning producer of teaching resources, sometime science Vlogger, cricket enthusiast and cyclist.

I live within the Chelmer Valley catchment area and am passionate that every child from our community is given the chance to succeed.

Assistant Headteacher

Following University, I worked as a construction engineer however this all changed after time spent working in Romania.

I began my teaching career in North London and have since amassed over 20 years of experience teaching Technology in three very different secondary schools across Essex. I was appointed at Chelmer Valley in September 2001 and have fulfilled a number of roles including; Second in Technology, Head of Year and Head of Student Services.

In my current position I am responsible for Assessment and Achievement at KS3. I am privileged to be part of a committed team of staff that strives rigorously to develop the necessary skills, knowledge and qualities in each individual student so they can play an active and rewarding role in a changing world.

Assistant Headteacher

After graduating from university in Jamaica and the United States, I taught in Jamaica and several other countries before moving to Japan. There, I enjoyed a memorable period of cultural immersion while teaching English. I later relocated to England, where I took on the role of Head of English, before becoming a Lead Practitioner and then a Head of Year. More recently, I served as Associate Leader for the Upper School before stepping into my current role as Assistant Headteacher.

In this role, I am committed to nurturing, supporting and guiding both students and staff to reach their full potential. I am passionate about fostering a love of learning, building resilience, and creating an environment in which every young person feels valued, challenged and inspired to succeed. Working alongside dedicated colleagues, I strive to ensure our students leave school not only with academic success, but also with the confidence, character and skills to thrive in life beyond the classroom.

Assistant Headteacher

Teaching has always been a vocation for me. From the age of 11 when I was given the opportunity to assist my teacher in running dance classes, I discovered a genuine passion for supporting young people in achieving their goals.

After completing my Mathematics degree at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, I decided that the most effective way to learn to teach was through direct classroom experience. I undertook my PGCE through SCITT, which enabled me to spend a full year in school, observing and teaching alongside experienced colleagues. At the time, this was a relatively innovative approach to teacher training, though it is now widely regarded as one of the most effective routes to achieving Qualified Teacher Status.

Upon qualifying, I secured a position in a school within the London Borough of Havering. I was soon promoted to the pastoral team and eventually became Head of Year. Concurrently, I worked closely with the Head of Mathematics as his deputy, which inspired me to pursue the leadership of my own department. I went on to become Head of Expressive Arts - an enriching role that offered valuable insight into a wide range of subjects.

In 2010, I joined Chelmer Valley as Head of Mathematics, a role I held until 2016 when I was appointed Assistant Headteacher. In 2018, I took on the position of SENDCo, and I have greatly valued the opportunity to work closely with students and their families who require additional support to thrive in school.

Deputy Headteacher

After graduating from University with a degree in Psychology I started my teaching career in a challenging inner city school teaching Science across the three Key Stages and Psychology at Key Stage 5. After completing my NQT year I moved to Chelmer Valley High School in 2005, where I was quickly given the opportunity to lead on Citizenship and PSHE. I have always enjoying building relationships with students so when an opportunity became available to join the pastoral team I was delighted to be offered the position Head of Year. My proudest moment in my career is being awarded Secondary School teacher of the year after being nominated by a former student. I have also had the challenge of securing the schools second specialism in Leadership and Management. I then joined the Senior Leadership Team as an Assistant Headteacher and have taken on numerous roles including Head of Sixth Form and Raising Standards Leader.

My main responsibility now as Deputy Headteacher is developing the behaviour and culture in the school; this role builds on my strengths and passion of building and maintaining relationships with students and parents as well as maintaining the community ethos of the school. I enjoy watching the students grow as they mature through the school and achieve their goals and ambitions through hard work and determination.

Assistant Headteacher

 

 

 

 

 

I joined teaching in 2008 after achieving a Masters in Theology, Philosophy and Sociology of Religion from Cambridge University. I took on the post of Head of Religion, Philosophy and Ethics at Chelmer Valley in 2009 and later became Head of Humanities before becoming Assistant Headteacher.

In this role I work on monitoring and evaluation of teaching, learning and curriculum and leading whole school CPD and INSET. I also take a lead on maintaining and improving the personal development of our students. In all of my roles I work closely with exceptional middle leaders and teams who strive to provide our students with the very best learning opportunities both in and out of the classroom in order to prepare students for their next stages by creating life long learners and future citizens with empowered character.

Assistant Headteacher

I graduated from Loughborough University in 2005 with a plan to work in sports writing but a last-minute application to Colchester SCITT in 2007 set me on a different path. I was lucky enough to secure a job at one of my placement schools, Thurstable, and was there for 5 years; as well as teaching English, I took on a Head of Year role, taking a group from Years 7 to 9. 

In 2013, I moved to Chelmer Valley and haven’t looked back! I have been given lots of different opportunities in my time here, including Head of English; I am now Assistant Head, leading on Teaching and Learning as well as Literacy. Working with our students to develop the life skill of literacy is one of the aspects of the role I enjoy the most, as well as working with our committed staff to create engaging and impactful learning environments round the school.