Staff Team – KS3

I have worked in Brighton and Hove since 1997 and am proud to be Head of School at the Central Hub PRU. I work with a dedicated team of professionals who strive to improve the education and lives of our students. I was originally a mainstream music teacher before moving into specialist educational settings, and play music regularly in a variety of bands.

More recently I focused on PSHE and Food Technology as a teacher, with the occasional PE and activities session thrown in to keep my joints moving. I have a partner, a son and a dog – Coco, who comes to school every day to hear children read, support learning and be taken for walks.  

I joined Central Hub in November 2019 and am very proud to be leading the dedicated, supportive and motivated group of professionals that make up the Key Stage 3 Team.
I began my journey in education 16 years ago, and since then I have worked in both mainstream and special schools and colleges across Sussex, including 2 years as an Advanced Practitioner and Programme Manager for Foundation Learning in a local Further Education provision.
At home I enjoy cooking and making and decorating celebration cakes. I also enjoy sewing, gardening and walking my dog. But my favourite thing of all is spending time with my family, especially my six wonderful grandchildren.

I am Coco and have worked at the Connected PRU since I was four months old. I am a Labradoodle and my role in the school is to work with students to help them read, cuddle them when they need a friend and be taken for walks.
I also try to help the staff with their learning and keep the Head of School happy (this is the hardest job).
I am especially good at tail wagging and begging for food. Most of the students are well trained and don’t feed me however some of the staff are soft touches, especially around key stage 4.
I love being at the PRU and often refuse to leave at the end of the day.

I have worked in B&H schools for 23 years, in a variety of roles in KS3 and 4, primarily as a TA, but previously as part of the ACE behaviour support team. I helped set up an inclusion unit at Blatchington Mill School. I have always been committed to supporting young people achieve a fresh start in education.
I have extensive experience in reintegration planning, having worked alongside many of the city’s schools and families to support learners in their successful return to mainstream education.
I have training in Family Support, Youth Counselling and as a Restorative Justice facilitator.
I am especially interested in the ‘Skills to Succeed’ aspects of our curriculum and supporting all areas of social and emotional development. My areas of expertise are Anger Management strategies and Resilience building.
I love to travel and enjoy spending time with family and friends. I have two adult children and two grandchildren.

The educational philosophy at the foundation of my teaching practice can be succinctly distilled by a short quote from Samuel Beckett: “Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

Simply put, only in being prepared to fail can one truly make progress.

You will find me in the office at our KS3 site in Dyke Road. I answer the telephones, so you will likely be speaking with me if you call the school. I complete the register, arrange school lunches, type letters and help to arrange any offsite activities our pupils participate in. If there is anything I can help you with or if you have any questions, I am always happy to assist!

I work at the Dyke Road PRU two days a week and I offer weekly sessions to everyone during their time at the PRU. My sessions are private and confidential and students can talk, make art, or play games.
I work for the YMCA and I have worked with children and young people for over 15 years. I have a Masters in Art Therapy and I enjoy using creative activities to help people think about things that might be worrying them.