Staff Team – KS4

Tim Self
Head of School

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.  

Rosie Reekie
Head of KS4

I am KS4 Lead at the PRU and also teach Science. I have been a teacher for 30 years and met many young people along the way. It is the interactions with these young people that make my job interesting, rewarding, amusing and worthwhile. I have a Science degree and a Masters in Education and have always enjoyed studying myself.  More recently I have been attending art classes and taking guitar lessons which have been a challenge. I have worked at the PRU for two years, with an amazing team of colleagues. The young people keep me on my toes, but I wouldn’t have it any other way, it is a pleasure to be a part of their lives.

Coco
School Dog

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.

Amanda James
Maths Teacher

I have been a teacher of Mathematics, for ages 11 to 16 years, for the past 9 years. I am very passionate about Maths and its application in real life. My education background is Project Management within the Construction Industry and I studied Construction for 8 years. I am a wife and mother of four daughters and I love spending time with my family. I became a teacher to help young people develop their love of learning and to encourage them to appreciate that they can become whatever they desire to be. It is an absolute pleasure and honour to be part of a young person’s education and growth.

Mark Braithwaite
English/Humanities Teacher
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. I feel enormously privileged each day to have the opportunity of working with young people to provide them with emotional support and moral guidance and ensure each young person I work with can become a flourishing, contributing and valued member of their local community, possessing a true sense of personal agency.
Joanne Martin
Teaching Assistant
Having worked supporting homeless families for over 20 years, I decided on a career change and completed a PGCE in 2021. I joined CHB in January 2022 as a TA in both KS2 and KS4. I enjoy the variety working with so many of our children and young people brings, along with working with two dedicated staff teams. The best thing about my job is seeing the children and young people making lots of positive changes on their learning journey.
Del Woodward
Teaching assistant
I have worked as the English TA at The Connected Hub since 2015 and have previously worked in one other school. I am currently studying with The Open University with a view to teach once I have graduated. I love working at The Connected Hub, sharing my passion for English language and literature and working alongside a brilliant team and amazing students. Outside of school I enjoy cooking, reading, playing video games and seeing friends.