The Olive Tree Family
We are a warm, caring team of UK government-trained teachers. Our policies are made
jointly by all staff with the child at the heart of this process.
Our Senior Teachers
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Audrey Reeder
Headteacher
Special Education Lead, Secondary
Designated Safeguarding Lead
B.A. Hons. French & Span, Oxford Univ.; PGCE French, Oxford Univ.
Audrey founded The Olive Tree School in 2010 and still teaches in secondary school.
Audrey loves art, history and being in nature.
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Kevin Eastwood
Assistant Headteacher in Secondary; English Teacher
MA in Education: Leading Innovation and Change, St Mary's University.PGCE for Secondary Education, Worcester University.
BA (Hons) in Performance for Live and Recorded Media, Teeside University.
Kevin loves Japanese literature and has enjoyed traveling in Mexico and Indonesia. -
Joshua Rutledge
Assistant Headteacher in Primary
(Saplings, Years 1-3) ; Year 4 Teacher; Creative Curriculum Co-ordinatorSpecial Education Lead, EY - Yr 3
BA Hons in Geography, Northumbria Univ.; PGCE, Sunderland Univ.
Josh loves cooking and enjoys football and running.
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Anna Johnson
Assistant Headteacher Primary (Years 4-6); Class Teacher Year 4; Performing Arts Coordinator
Special Education Lead, Years 4-6
BA Hons in Drama, York Univ.; PGCE Primary Education, York Univ.
Anna loves musical theatre, singing and playing the piano.
Our Saplings Teachers (Ages 3 - 5)
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Maz Newton
Class Teacher Saplings
BSc in Psychology with Drama, Manchester Metropolitan University, CELTA English Teacher and PGCE in Primary Teaching, Leeds Beckett University; CELTA - Teacher of English as a Foreign Language
Marianne is interested in psychology, mental health and wellbeing and also loves fitness, snowboarding and performing arts!
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Montse Ausin
Teaching Assistant in Saplings
BSc in Administration.
Montse loves art and crafts, photography, reading and getting lost in nature.
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Emily Begg
Teaching Assistant in Saplings
TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate
COBIS – Diploma International Teaching Assistant EarlyYears (DITAEY)
Emily enjoys walking, yoga, swimming, and travelling with her family.
Our Primary Teachers (Ages 5 - 11)
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Nelia Fourie
Class Teacher Year 1
BEd Foundation Phase (Bachelor Degree in Primary Education, specialising in Learner Support and Guidance Counselling) - North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus)
BEdHons (Honours Degree in Educational Psychology) North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus)
Nelia loves traveling, cooking and art!
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Clare Balayla Hird
Teaching Assistant Year 1
TEFL Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Clare has a background teaching English as a foreign language for the past 20 years, especially Young Learners.
She enjoys cooking, reading and walking in the countryside with her dog.
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Zoë Simmons
Class Teacher Year 2
BA English Literature, Cardiff University; MSt in English Literature, Oxford University; PGCE Primary, Oxford Brookes University.
Zoë loves swimming in the sea and baking cakes.
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Rebecca Rohde
Teaching Assistant Year 2 and Primary PE teacher
B.A. in English Philology, Pedagogy and History, Münster Univ.; Certified Educadora Infantil, IfP Barcelona.
PGCE
Rebecca likes running with her dogs and doing triathlons.
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Sharon Rose
Year 3 Teacher
B.A. Hons Managing Cultural and Major Events
PGCE Lancaster University
NNEB Diploma
Sharon is very artistic with food and fabric! She loves baking celebration cakes and sewing anything she can get her hands on.
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Karen Holmes
Teaching Assistant in Year 3
Karen also runs The Little Dome, a Nature Hub, bringing communities together via Gardening & Well-being activities.
Karen is also an Alliance registered Yoga Instructor - Vinyasa Mysore
Diploma in Art Therapy
Children in Permaculture - Level 1
Karen is a well travelled mum and enjoys time with her family & nature
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Saskia van der Kleij
Teaching Assistant Year 4
BA Social Work, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Level 5 TEFL course, The TEFL academy UK
Saskia loves spending time with her family and friends, and enjoys hiking and traveling.
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Karen Duligall
Class Teacher Year 5
BSc Hons in Applied Biology, Imperial College, London.; PGCE, Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education
Karen loves swimming, knitting, reading and traveling. -
Helen McKetty
Teaching Assistant in Year 5; SEN teacher; speech therapist.
BA Hons, German, Nottingham Univ.; PG Dip, Speech and Language Therapy, London City Univ.
Helen enjoys reading, cooking, swimming in the sea and walking in the countryside.
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Will Smith
Class Teacher Year 6 & Maths Coordinator
BA Primary Education with QTS, Edge Hill University.
Will plays for a local football team and enjoys playing the guitar.
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Lizzie Langdon-Davies
Teaching Assistant Year 6
Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling, London South East Colleges
Certificate of Higher Education in Contemporary Dance
(London Contemporary Dance School)
Validated by University of Kent
Lizzie loves dancing, swimming in the sea and going to theme parks.
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Shama Arif Azmi
Primary Special Education Teacher
DBA - Psychology, English & Journalism, Bangalore University
M.Sc General Psychology, Bangalore University
Diploma in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Diploma in Reading & Writing Difficulties
Shama loves writing poetry and enjoys travelling and listening to old Hindi songs.
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Lulu Melotte
Primary & Secondary Drama Teacher. Teaching support, Primary and Early Years, KS1 choir leader.
NCFE Cache Level 3 Certification in Supporting Learning & Teaching in Schools. Inspiring drama teacher diploma.
Lulu has a background in acting, voice artistry and production.
Lulu directs the senior musical theatre club and loves singing jazz.
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Aina Bosch Codina
Spanish and Catalan teacher
BA in Early Childhood Education and Primary School Teaching, majoring in English (Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya).
Aina loves travelling, and writing and enjoys getting out into the countryside.
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Ayesha Mendham
Music and Choir leader
BA (Hons) Social Psychology from the University of Sussex,
BKA Certificate of Professional Practice in the Kodàly Concept of Music Education,
RSL Level 4 Professional Diploma in Teaching Performing Arts,
Choral Leadership & Pedagogy from the Association of British Choral Directors,
Ayesha loves travelling, yoga, ceramics, and dance.
Our Secondary Teachers (Ages 12-16)
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Brooke Cairns
History & Geography Teacher; Outdoor Learning Coordinator
Diversity & Cultural Inclusion Lead
BA Geography (Univ. of Newcastle); PGCE Secondary Humanities (Univ. of Sunderland)
Brooke loves reading and hiking.
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Lindsay Corr
English Teacher
BA Hons in English Language and Literature, Plymouth University.
PGCE in Secondary Education with Enhanced SEN training, Truro College partnered with the University of Exeter.
Lindsay loves the outdoors and spends her time taking road trips along the coast in her campervan with her dog, Summer.
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Annette Pollard
Chemistry, Biology and Physics Teacher
BSc Physics Exeter University
PGCE Secondary Science, Bristol University
Annette loves swimming, surfing and hiking
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Paula Hetherington
Mathematics & Science Teacher; Mentor
B.Ed Mathematics, Univ. of Canberra; Dip. Teaching Mathematics & Science, Univ. of Technology, Queensland; Qualified Teacher Status, De Montfort Univ.
Paula loves cooking, baking and walking her dog.
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Jara Sanchez-Ocaña
Primary & Secondary Spanish Teacher & Secondary Spanish Humanities
CELTA certificate (Spanish as a foreign language teaching certificate)
QTS and taught MFL in London for 7 years
CAP ( Equivalente to PGCE), Universidad de Oviedo
Bachelor degree in Philosophy, Universidad de Oviedo
Jara loves basketball and trekking.
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Joan Bonastre
Spanish Teacher
B.A. Humanities
M.A. Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language
M.A. Creative Writing
M.A. Literary Research: Spanish and Latin American Literature
Joan loves languages and teaching them, as they enable us to live and travel the world. He also enjoys hiking and basketball.
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Aileen Hamilton
Art & Design Teacher
BA Fine Art (National College of Art & Design, Dublin); Higher Diploma in Art & Design Education (National College of Art & Design, Dublin)
Aileen is a painter and loves making art.
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Beatriz Chumassy
Art & Design
BA Communication (Universidad Ibearoamericana, Mexico); Master in Art Therapy (Universidad Pompeu Fabra / Escuela Metafora, Barcelona)
Beatriz teaches art projects to pupils Y7, Y8 and Y9.
Beatriz loves yoga, dance and walking in nature.
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Tamara Naval Pesqué
PE Teacher
Sports Science Graduate , The National Institute of Physical Education (INEFC), Lleida
Pedagogical Aptitude Cert. from the Univ. of Lleida
Master in Sports Management, The National Institute of Phys Educ (INEFC), Leida
Tamara love transmitting the values of physical activity and sport to the pupils at The Olive Tree School.
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Francisca de Teves Costa
Teaching Assistant in Secondary & Exams Officer.
BA, English Literature, London Univ.
Francisca loves reading, travel and film.
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Ricardo Sanchez
ICT and Music teacher
Master in Education Technology with La Salle Campus, Madrid
Ricardo loves composing music, and is a keen tennis player.
Our administration team
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Saray Gallego
Front of House & First Aid
Red Cross First Aid (Asistencia Sanitaria Immediata, Level II); lifeguard training.
Saray loves reading and traveling.
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James Hoyle
Finance Director
MA History, Oxford Univ.
James loves cooking, gardening, mountain biking and walking.
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Ursula Ragettli
Finance & Accounts
B.A. Accountancy, KLZ Zurich.
Ursula dances tango, loves art and being in nature.
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Jessica Bruzeau
Admissions Manager
BA Psychology, University of Nice.
BA Education Science University of Lyon.
French as a foreign language Degree, Alliance Française, Paris.
Jessica loves to read, dance & travel.