Our People

Yorkshire born and bred, I grew up in Sheffield and attended Sheffield Girls High School before studying Modern Languages with Interpreting at the University of Sheffield. As part of my degree, I benefitted from the opportunity to study abroad both at the University of Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and at the Goethe Universität in Frankfurt. I was excited by the opportunity to learn more about the culture and history of these countries in the target language. On my return, I undertook my PGCE and spent 7 years working in the state sector and began my life at the Dragon in September 2018.

I began learning foreign languages in year 7 and I knew from my very first lesson that they would play a pivotal role in my life. I adore travelling and I feel that learning languages not only allows you to communicate with others around the world but also enables you to understand others better by learning about their history and culture. Languages bring us together and I truly appreciate the opportunity to create future linguists of the world.

Outside of the classroom, I have a passion for cooking and experimenting with dishes that I have tried abroad. I also have a keen interest in history and enjoy reading World War II fiction novels. I have recently been fascinated by the research of my own family tree.

I grew up in Kent where I enjoyed a very relaxed education, playing lots of sport and developing a love of all things science. This continued at university where I read Human Biology at Loughborough.

My intended teaching career was put on hold as I was very fortunate and followed a long, and enjoyable, career in professional rugby, playing for Northampton Saints, Cardiff Blues and Bedford Blues. When I finally listened to my failing body and retired from rugby, I took up a role as a Science teacher, Head of Rugby and Head of Year at Bedford Prep School, before moving to Dragon.

My aspiration as a teacher is to ensure that all students develop a love of being at school, just as I did. If they are happy, and feel valued, they will be keen to be the best possible version of themselves and, in years to come, will look back at their school days with happiness and pride.

In my free time, I enjoy walks in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside and while my time away wishing I owned an AC Cobra and planning lots of road trips for when I do finally own one!

As an undergraduate, I read Geography at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Thereafter, I received my PGCE in Secondary Science (with a specialism in Physics) and Master’s degree in Science Education from the UCL Institute of Education. My dissertation for the latter was concerned with children’s perceptions of nature. I have taught Science and Maths to children between the ages of five and eighteen, including being a Head of Physics. In my first few years of teaching, I was also Teacher in Residence at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and Co-ordinator for the Ogden Trust Oxfordshire Schools Physics Partnership. I love teaching and find prep school children to be a particularly wonderful age – they are old enough to have developed a good basic understanding of the world around them and tend still to be relatively open about their excitement and curiosity about learning.

At the Dragon, I have been Head of C Block and more recently took on the role of Coordinator of Social and Environmental Impact at the Prep. I am enjoying encouraging the children to think about how they can have a positive impact on the world around them, both in terms of other people and the environment. In my spare time, I enjoy going for walks in the countryside and by the sea, and visiting art galleries with my husband.

Born and raised on the dunes of the Middle East, I travelled to the sunny idyll of Derby to start Secondary School. I moved on to Lancaster University studying a 4 year BA (Hons) in Primary School Education, beginning my informative career working in Primary Schools in Blackpool and Derby. Continuing my career in a southerly direction, I moved to Nairobi where I spent 11 years subjecting Kenyans to my terrible Swahili and my fanatical knowledge of Derby County. In between language faux-pas, I had the privilege of being Head of English and Drama in a couple of International Prep Schools.

Now I while away my spare days searching for the perfect beach to re-read Tolkien.

My childhood was spent in West Yorkshire. I began my teaching career in a state school in a deprived area of Dewsbury, before moving to work in Tanzania. My husband and I went out on a volunteer project, working in government schools, one of my classes had 144 pupils in it. We then moved to teach three children in the middle of Mkomazi Game Reserve.

We got a taste for travel and relocated to Thailand for the next six years where I worked as an early year’s teacher at Shrewsbury International School. We then returned to work at the Dragon School. Initially I worked as a class teacher in Key Stage One and then returned to part time work in Reception and Year 1 after the birth of our son. My hobbies are running, yoga and travel.

My childhood was spent growing up in North Yorkshire, before I moved across the Pennines to attend University in Lancaster. I began my teaching career in state schools in Yorkshire, before moving to work in Tanzania. My wife and I went out on a volunteer project, working in government schools with class sizes of over 140 pupils, and then moved to work in a small school in the middle of the Mkomazi Game Reserve.

Our passion for travelling and seeing the world continued, and we moved to Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok where I worked as Head of Key Stage One. In 2012, and after 6 years living in Asia, we moved back to the UK, and began working at the Dragon. As Head of Lower School, I have the great privilege of working with the most amazing colleagues, in supporting children and their families as they begin their journey at the Prep School. In my spare time I enjoy cycling and DIY projects, as well as continuing to travel and explore the world with my wife and son.

My childhood was spent between England and America, before I moved to Wales to study English at Aberystwyth University. Following my undergraduate degree, I became certified in EFL teaching, while going on to achieve a Masters. I then embarked fully on my teaching career with a PGCE in English, alongside research for a PhD. This research took me into schools and colleges across Dorset, including communal societies within the New Forest. Having gained my doctorate, teaching brought me to Oxford, where I am delighted to share my passion for English with students of the Dragon.

In my spare time, I enjoy the arts as well as continuing to work on my own writing projects and artwork.