My role at Atlantic
As Assistant Principal for Inclusion, I work across the Academy to make sure that pupils with additional needs receive the right support and that we identify and remove the barriers that can prevent young people from attending, engaging and succeeding at school. Alongside this role, I am also Subject Leader for Geography and continue to enjoy teaching a subject that has been an important part of my life for more than 20 years.
For me, these two roles have more in common than might first appear. Both are ultimately about helping young people understand their place in the world, recognise what they are capable of and have the opportunities and support they need to succeed.
A little about me
My route into teaching wasn’t particularly direct. I studied Oceanography and Physical Geography at the University of Southampton before completing a Master’s degree in Law at Plymouth University. After university, I spent time travelling and working abroad, with surfing and snowboarding providing a fairly strong influence on where I chose to go!
I eventually returned to the UK and began a career in finance with a large international bank. Although this offered plenty of opportunities, I realised it wasn’t the career for me and decided to retrain as a teacher at Marjon University. I accepted a job at my very first teaching interview and moved to Dorset, despite having only visited the county fleetingly before. More than 20 years later, Dorset is very much home.
I have taught Geography in a number of schools across Dorset and joined Atlantic in February 2024. Alongside teaching, I have spent a significant part of my career working in pastoral roles, particularly supporting attendance and wellbeing. More recently, training as a SENCO has allowed me to bring these different strands of my experience together through my leadership of inclusion.
What matters to me
I believe every student should feel that school is somewhere they belong and that the right support, at the right time, can completely change a young person’s experience of education. One of the things I enjoy most about working in schools is that no two days are ever quite the same. It is particularly rewarding to see young people grow personally and succeed, especially when they may not initially believe they can themselves.
Geography also continues to shape the way I see education. I want our students to understand the issues society faces, be curious about the world beyond their home area, to travel, explore and experience new places and, in whatever way they can, leave the world a little better than they found it.
You’ll often find me…
Around the Academy working with students and staff, in the Harbour, or braving the weather on the field during lunch duty!
Outside Atlantic…
I live by the beach and still spend as much time as I can surfing around Dorset and further afield. When there are no waves, you’ll probably find me walking the coast paths, in the gym, spending time with my young family and two gaming-obsessed boys, or supporting the mighty Southampton FC.
Ask me about…
Geography, travel, surfing, inclusion – or the fortunes of Southampton FC