Rachel Bowman Designated Specialism: Science; SEN
School: St. Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College
Current role: Teacher of Science and Director of SEND across three secondary schools
Background: With over 20 years teaching experience, Rachael is an outstanding practitioner who strives to engage and challenge all pupils in science. She is also an accomplished member of the teaching and learning team who facilitates various CPD programmes tailored for the needs of individual schools, to empower others to develop their own leadership skills and personal performance, increasing their impact on attainment and achievement. Rachael is a skilled leader and has significant experience of coaching and mentoring within and across schools, including the training of coaches to bring about sustainable improvements. She has an excellent track record of developing leadership capacity in others, for the benefit of all pupils. In her role as Director of SEND, Rachael is currently on secondment as SENCO at St Bede’s Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College, Peterlee, where she has received positive comments from OFTSED for her passionate approach to improving the outcomes for pupils with additional needs. She has excellent communication and interpersonal skills which she uses to utilise high levels of emotional intelligence to encourage peers to work autonomously and independently in order to be confidently creative.
Laura Burdon Designated Specialism: English; Leadership of CPD
School: St. Wilfrid's RC College
Current role: Lead Practitioner - Teaching and Learning / Teacher of English
Background: In my role as Lead Practitioner at St Wilfrid’s, I run a successful and popular voluntary Research and Development programme in which staff are trained to conduct action research in their own classrooms. The Research and Development cycle focuses on 3 areas of Teaching and Learning and offers teachers an opportunity to explore teaching theory, experiment with new strategies and measure impact. My passion for teaching theory has helped me in leading unique and purposeful staff development sessions. I am also responsible for our Sharing Good Practice CPD and the staff’s Teaching and Learning blog. As an experienced English Teacher, I teach across key stages 3, 4 and 5 and am a mentor and coach.
Jennifer Colley Designated Specialism: RE; ITT & NQT development
School: St. Mary's Primary School
Current role: KS1 Lead; RE Lead
Background: I joined St Mary’s primary school 8 years ago as an NQT and now work as a senior leader within the school. I am KS1 phase lead and RE coordinator. As part of my role, I am responsible for delivering relevant CPD, RE data and data within KS1 and monitoring and feedback. I teach in Year 2 and have taught across both Key Stages. I mentor NQTs and ITT students across the primary phase. I have been appointed as SLE in RE and mentoring NQTs and ITT students. I am passionate about working with others and enjoy working collaboratively with colleagues, aiming to raise standards in teaching and learning across schools.
Beth Cooper Designated Specialism: Leadership of CPD; English; Support for most able pupils
School: St. Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College
Current role: Head of English
Background: Before taking on the role of Head of English at St. Bede's. I supported the Teaching and Learning team at St. Wilfrid's with Research and Development in the school. I have some experience of Educational research myself, having written a paper looking at using wordplay in the English classroom as well as my MA dissertation looking at perceptions of feminism in an all-boy’s school. I have previously focused on raising standards for our A level courses, as well as running a mentoring programme for sixth form students hoping to apply to Russell Group universities.
Carly Curry Designated Specialism: English; Behaviour & Discipline
School: St. Joseph's Catholic Academy
Current role: Head of English
Background: I began my career as an NQT in 2006 as an English teacher at St. Wilfrid’s RC College. I am privileged to have been a part of the journey St Wilfrid’s has endured from 2006 to the present day to become one of the leading schools within the North East and I have gained invaluable experience as a result. My initial responsibility post was as PSHE and Learning to Learn coordinator after gaining my M. Ed in 2010. Since 2014 I have worked as Transition Coordinator and from June 2015 as Second of English. In these posts I have led both small and large teams and been instrumental in shaping the new curriculum in English through all three key stages. I am dedicated to continually searching for strategies to improve pupil attainment and on how to raise boy’s aspirations in English at key stages 3 and 4. In September 2018 I was appointed Head of English and an SLT member at St. Joseph's.
Finally, I have worked as a teaching and learning coach since 2015 and I have worked with a variety of colleagues across a range of subjects at different levels of responsibility. I am skilled at guiding individuals to recognise their potential and developing their practice, whether that be for themselves or to benefit their teams.
Dionne Dunn Designated Specialism: Maths; ITT & NQTdevelopment
School: St. Joseph's Primary RC School
Current role: Deputy Headteacher
Background: Prior to being appointed as Deputy Headteacher at St. Joseph's Primary, I was Lead teacher for Mathematics at St Aloysius Primary School with the responsibility for the improvement of the delivery of the Maths curriculum for all year groups. As Maths lead I was heavily involved with raising achievement and strategic planning across all key stages. I was responsible for curriculum developments in mathematics, including the writing of schemes of work, assessments and evolving teaching practices to include a more investigative approach to teaching. I have a proven track record of outstanding teaching across all key stages and, through the sharing of practices, I have supported and developed a wide range of staff in raising attainment. I am a very professional and proactive person who is extremely passionate about my subject area which has resulted in my ability to inspire both colleagues and students. I have supported colleagues in several schools with identifying and implementing strategies that are effective in creating sustainable improvement. Additionally, I have experience of developing and mentoring less experienced colleagues as well as implementation of rigorous and intelligent monitoring procedures and strategies to increase the involvement and accountability of colleagues.
Further to my role as Maths lead, I also had responsibilities for ITT provision as St. Aloysius are a Lead School and I coordinated training and CPD for mentors and Professional Tutors. As school mentor I have guided trainee teachers through their training year and ensured that they received outstanding training that resulted in all trainees completing their training year with the highest grading. I have written and delivered high quality training for Maths and Science in line with the rigorous demands of the PGCE course. From this involvement I have extensive experience mentoring both ITT students and NQTs through their induction period.
Alex Fairlamb Designated Specialism: History; Support for most able pupils
School: St. Wilfrid's RC College
Current role: Associate Assistant Headteacher / Teacher of History
Background: I have been teaching for eight years and I spent one year creating learning opportunities for primary and secondary schools at a living history museum which supported my Masters research and enabled me to specialise in exploring innovative curriculum models and the impact of immersive learning. I regularly write for different magazines, design commissioned resources for national distribution and I am a member of the Beamish Museum Teacher’s panel. I also present at TMHistoryIcons and have taken part in conferences with the British Council in Amiens and the German Federal Embassy in Berlin. My teaching interests and research are focused upon creative Teaching and Learning strategies and resources, including action researching a cross-curricular Project Based Learning curriculum.
Kathryn Fenwick Designated Specialism: Early Years; Leadership of Curriculum + RSL in specialising in improving outcomes for all pupils
School: St. Aloysius RC Infant and Junior School
Current role: Deputy Headteacher
Background: I am an outstanding teacher and the leader of learning in an exciting school. I have worked in three schools, taking on a range of responsibilities including the leadership of KS1 and the Early Years. Currently, I am Deputy Head Teacher at St Aloysius, where I am responsible for teaching and learning across the federation from Nursery to Year 6 and lead training sessions to ensure the continuous professional development of staff. At present I am taking a significant role in establishing a programme of school to school support. This support has been highly commended by external evaluators and is particularly focused on teaching and learning and on developing staff within an aspirational culture.
I have a passion for learning and I am highly motivated by the children themselves. I believe in everyone achieving what they are capable of and I am entirely committed to ensuring that our curriculum allows for each individual's success. School vision is something which is central to the success of any school, as is the way in which school improvement is managed and led. I have a firm belief that what drives teaching and learning is the ability to ignite a passion for learning from a very early age and for all staff to engage, enthuse and challenge children at each stage of their education
In the first round of designations, I was designated as a Regional System Leader specialising in improving outcomes for all pupils by promoting effective classroom practice and motivating pupils by ensuring engaging curriculum content and delivery.
Kate Forster Designated Specialism: Science
School: St. Wilfrid's RC College
Current role: Head of Science
Background: I joined St Wilfrid’s as an NQT in September 2013 after completing a School Direct Secondary PGCE. I was appointed as Acting Head of Biology at the end of my NQT year, and was appointed Head of Biology in June 2014 before becoming Head of Science in 2018. I am part of the coaching team at St Wilfrid’s and an SLE (Specialist Leader of Education) providing support internally and externally for teachers and leaders across a range of curriculum areas. As an experienced Biology teacher, I teach across Key Stage 3, 4 and 5 and I am also a mentor for both ITT students and NQTs.
James Hulse Designated Specialism: Closing the gap; Science
School: St. Wilfrid's RC College
Current role: Associate Assistant Headteacher / Teacher of Physics
Background: I moved to St. Wilfrid’s in September 2016 after being Second in Department and a Teaching Coach at a school in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. My main interest is trying and evaluating new Teaching & Learning strategies in my classroom, and then sharing these with colleagues so that we can all develop our pedagogic skills. As a Lead Practitioner in physics, my main focus was to facilitate the development of our NQT (Newly Qualified Teachers) and RQT (Recently Qualified Teachers), though I also work closely with Alex Fairlamb to produce the “PG Tips” Teaching & Learning newsletter. I was appointed Associate Assistant Headteacher in 2018 with a focus on data and curriculum.
Colette McDiarmid Designated Specialism: Leadership of Curriculum
School: St. Wilfrid's RC College
Current role: Deputy Headteacher - Pastoral
Background: I have 29 years of teaching experience in five schools across the country. I especially enjoy working with Key Stage 5 Students and was previously Head of Year 12 and 13 at St Wilfrid’s RC College before spending some time on secondment as Assistant Head Teacher (Pastoral) at St Bede’s Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College, Peterlee. I am an outstanding teacher of A Level RS and my excellent exam results have lead me to become a KS5 Teaching and Learning Expert. This role involves me leading and supporting subject leaders and KS5 teachers through mentoring, coaching, bespoke CPD and SGP. As a Head of Year in a strong 6th Form team, I have successfully introduced new subjects to the curriculum and worked closely with subject leaders on data tracking, target setting and implementing effective intervention strategies. I am also skilled at identifying areas for development at departmental level with an eye to improve outcomes for students and to build leadership capacity. I was appointed Deputy Headteacher at St. Wilfrid's in 2018.
Paul Riddle Designated Specialism: PE; Closing the gap
School: St. Wilfrid's RC College
Current role: Associate Assistant Headteacher / Teacher of Physical Education
Background: I completed my PGCE in Physical Education at Durham University in 2006. Since then I have worked at St Wilfrid’s RC College where I was appointed as Head of PE in 2011. I have led the PE Department though a lot of significant changes within the school including the development of our Sixth Form and the development of successful KS5 Sport courses.
I pride myself on being able to build a successful team who are all striving to give pupils the best opportunities to succeed. During 2016/17 I was given the opportunity to transfer my knowledge and skillset to another subject area as Acting Head of Design Technology. This role gave me an understanding of what is fundamentally required to make a difference across multiple subject areas. I have recently been appointed as an SLE for Physical Education and Closing the Gap and in this role I have supported fellow leaders of PE. I look forward to continuing this work with a wider network of colleagues in these areas.
In 2018 I was appointed Associate Assistant Headteacher with a focus on Progress.
Clare Vasey Designated Specialism: English
School: St. Wilfrid's RC College
Current role: Head of Media and Acting Head of English
Background: I am an experienced teacher of English and Media Studies with over 14 years teaching experience. I have experience of Key Stages 3, 4 and 5, although my teaching is currently focussed on Key Stages 3 and 4. I have lead whole school training sessions and have also previously completed the National Programme for Specialist Leaders in Behaviour and Attendance. My first role as a middle leader was when I was given the responsibility of Head of Media Studies, which involved setting up the course and recruiting pupils, as well as all the usual administrative tasks that come with running a department. Since January 2017, I have taken on the role of Acting Head of English, a role which has not only developed my skills as a middle leader, but has also added to my understanding of the subject from a different level. I have lead whole school training sessions and have also previously completed the National Programme for Specialist Leaders in Behaviour and Attendance.
Rebecca Watson Designated Specialism: Music
School: St. Wilfrid's RC College
Current role: Lead Practitioner - Teaching and Learning / Teacher of Music
Background: I completed my PGCE at the University of Cambridge in 2006 and spent the first five years of my career at Thomas Deacon Academy, Peterborough. I took on a pastoral role and was then appointed as Subject Leader for Music before joining St. Wilfrid’s R.C. College in 2011 as Head of Music. I spent 7 months in a temporary position as Associate Assistant Headteacher (Teaching and Learning) in 2015 and am now a Lead Practitioner with responsibility for coaching across the school. I have worked as a specialist coach and SLE (Specialist Leader of Education) internally and externally supporting teachers and leaders across a range of curriculum areas.
Ben Windass Designated Specialism: Science; Leadership of Curriculum
School: St. Wilfrid's RC College
Current role: Associate Assistant Headteacher / Teacher of Chemistry
Background: Prior to being appointed as Associate Assistant Headteacher with a focus on data and curriculum, I was the Head of Science at St Wilfrid’s RC College for three years. Before this, I held a range of middle leader positions in other schools, including Head of Department and Teaching and Learning lead. As a Specialist Leader in Education I have supported middle leaders in other schools identify development areas and put action plans in place to raise attainment in Science. I also act as a Lead Educator for the National Space Academy and STEM Enthuse Project Lead across South Tyneside. In these roles I have delivered training to staff across a range of career stages and collaborated with colleagues across the region to share best practise.
Victoria Woodhouse Designated Specialism: Design & Technology
School: St. Wilfrid's RC College
Current role: Head of Design and Technology
Background: I completed my PGCE at Sunderland University and joined the team at St Wilfrid’s in 2010. Initially my role was Lead in Engineering and I carried this out alongside completing an MA in Education focussing on staff engagement and morale. This role expanded to Head of Department in 2014 where the requirement was rapid, significant and sustained improvement with particular focus on GCSE performance. More recently I have undertaken interschool support transferring the strategies from my own department alongside staff coaching targeting the progress of boys, engagement and motivation of learners.
As a teacher I am particularly interested in engagement and motivation as well as the mental health and resilience of staff and pupils. As part of this I have undertaken Cognitive Behavioural Therapy training and I am currently in the process of further study into the relationships between mindfulness and peak performance.
