Our Team

I grew up in Hong Kong and moved to the UK at the age of ten where I attended The Cheltenham Ladies’ College as a full-time boarder. I then read Geography at King’s College London followed by the completion of my PhD by the age of 24 in urban river response to different levels of engineering intervention. I am passionate about education and in many ways, grew up knowing I wanted to teach. For me, teaching was the obvious and only choice, and I have not looked back.

After my PhD, I qualified as a teacher through the Graduate Teacher Programme and then embarked on my career as Teacher of Geography, before going to become Head of Department, Senior Tutor, and Director of Sixth Form and Outreach in three leading all girls’ independent schools. Before joining Northampton High School in July 2022, I have taught in the independent sector for over 15 years, and many years of which have been at leadership level in both academic and pastoral roles. Furthermore, I have always tried to immerse myself in all areas of school life, whether playing the drums in the staff school band or leading the Model United Nations programme.

For leisure, my husband and I enjoy travelling especially to the Caribbean, Far East, and the Indian Ocean and visiting family in Hong Kong. I also enjoy stand-up paddle boarding, running, reading biographies and gardening.

At the heart of my vision for Northampton High School is a commitment to high standards, inclusivity, and kindness. Everyone plays a pivotal role in our school community and together we share the vision to do the best we can for each and every one of our students. As Head, I believe passionately in the importance of the individual. Every child at Northampton High School is valued for their own sake, and is encouraged to develop their talents to the full in a community where there are no stereotypes and where every achievement, however small, is noticed and celebrated.

I was born in London and grew up near Stratford-upon- Avon. Following secondary school, I chose another historic English setting for my Modern Languages degree; Canterbury, and I have lived abroad in both Spain and France. As well as my BA, I also have a degree in French Language and Literature from the Université Jean Moulin in Lyon and a Master’s degree in Education. I completed my PGCE in Modern Foreign Languages in 1998.  Before joining Northampton High I held a number of roles in schools, ranging from examinations officer to pastoral leadership and finally to departmental head for Modern Languages. At my last school I also chaired the Curriculum Board which influenced the school’s overall academic direction and inspired my passion for all things pedagogical.

I joined Northampton High School as Director of Studies and became Deputy Head, Academic in 2012. The highlights of my time at the school so far have been setting up a variety of academic programmes such as the Laureate scheme in the Sixth Form and the Digacy programme, as I believe these have empowered teachers and students to bring new energy to their teaching and learning.

I currently live in South Northamptonshire with my wife, Emma, a GP, and our children. Coming from a big family, I have a good understanding of what makes children thrive and it is always a life-affirming experience to be amongst young people. I try to bring a sense of positivity with me to school and have a simple philosophy of education; students work best when they have a calm environment where their individual dreams and ambitions are cherished and supported.

I am passionate about improving equality of opportunity and I feel that working in a GDST school with such vibrant and diverse pupils offers me a real chance to encourage the next generation to strive for change in the world.

I joined Northampton High School in January 2007, shortly before we joined the Girls Day School Trust. Originally my appointment was a fixed two term post to teach Geography, but as many of my colleagues have found Northampton High School is a special place that is very hard to leave. Over time I have assumed responsibility for leading the Geography Department and later the Humanities Faculty. From September 2025, I have been both fortunate and privileged to additionally take over the Director of Sixth Form role on an interim basis.

I was born in Market Harborough and have spent most of my life in Northamptonshire, now living with my wife and three children in Kingsthorpe, giving me strong connections to our local area. However the inner geographer in me has compelled me to undertake adventurous travel whenever the opportunity arises; notable highlights include a self organised cycling tour of Vietnam from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh and a self guided ascent of Mount Aconcagua in the Argentine Andes. These experiences have taught me the importance of risk taking and independence, which are lessons I try to pass on through my teaching practice.

I am also a qualified Summer Mountain Leader and in the past I have been heavily involved with our programme of adventurous visits, including leading Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s expeditions and our 2016 trek to Everest Base Camp. More adventurous activities such as these are are important in helping our students develop their resilience and self belief.

As a classroom practitioner I firmly believe that students thrive when they enjoy their learning, feel supported and have confidence in their ability to succeed. I try to ensure that the concepts and issues we explore in the classroom can be seen by students as relevant to their lives and worth exploring further. I have been privileged to help our students translate some of their learning into action through working with our school’s Eco Team to consistently be awarded the Eco Schools Green Flag Award,