THE AVENUE SCHOOL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Assistant Headteacher / SENDCO
I am an Assistant Headteacher, with the role of SENDCo here at The Avenue School. My teaching career began when I trained as a Secondary School Science Teacher in 2012-2013 at the University of Reading. From a young age, I gained experience of working with children and young people with learning disabilities, and at the end of my teacher training year I loved my final placement teaching in a special school. After completing my teacher training, I decided to move into special education and spent 4 years as a Science Teacher in a special school for pupils aged 11-16 years with moderate learning difficulties, many of whom had Autism. Prior to joining The Avenue School, I spent two years working as a Special Educational Needs Case Officer in a Local Authority, which gave me hugely valuable knowledge and experience for working towards my aspiration to become a SENDCo.
I am passionate about ensuring education for our young people is underpinned by a culture of:
High aspiration and expectations
Love and excitement for learning
Purposeful learning experiences which prepare pupils for adulthood
Promoting independence
Ensuring pupils have a voice
Outside of work, I love spending time with my husband, my little Chihuahua Percy, and my guinea pigs!
Job Titles:
- Assistant Headteacher / PD Coordinator
I have held many roles within mainstream and special education across my career, ranging from Lunch Time Controller to Deputy Headteacher. I have worked at The Avenue School since September 2023 and I work closely with Maarit, Deputy Headteacher, to make sure that we are making strategic decisions regarding our school curriculum linked to effective assessment data collection. I have a passion for curriculum design and ensuring that learning outcomes match our pupils life experiences.
Outside of school you will often find me attempting to complete an escape room in under 40 minutes, watching the latest blockbuster at the cinema or playing board games. If you see me around school, I'd welcome suggestions of movies to watch or boardgames that I can share with my family
I started working at The Avenue in 2012 as a learning support assistant and then as a teaching assistant whilst completing my BA in Humanities with Music. I achieved my QTS through the ‘School Direct' initiative at Reading University and began teaching at The Avenue in 2018. Alongside teaching a class, I worked as Lead Practitioner for P.A.C.E and as a Team Teach Tutor before coming out of the classroom in 2022 to become Lead for Behaviour. I am extremely passionate about all things ‘Behaviour' and enjoy promoting curiosity around the functions and communicative purposes of our young people's behaviours whilst supporting them, their families and the staff that they work with on a daily basis.
Outside of school, I enjoy live music and going to gigs and festivals as well as following and supporting the mighty Portsmouth F.C. Above all, I love spending time with my partner, Hannah, and our son, Ambrose.
Job Titles:
- Head of Business and Finance
I am a qualified accountant, and obtained my fellowship of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants too many years ago to remember! Having worked in finance departments in industry and taking some time as a stay at home mum, I began working as a school business manager in a neighbouring primary school in November 2008 and then joined the Avenue School in January 2015, sharing my time between the Avenue School and the local primary school. I joined the Senior Leadership team in 2017 as full time Head of Business and Finance.