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Our Team

Senior Staff


Headteacher
Emma Bell, MA, (Oxon) PGCE


Deputy Head
Alastair Horsford, BA QTS (Academic)


Assistant Head (Staff Development & EVC)
Anna Holliss, BA QTS MEd CMgr FCM


Head of Sixth Form
Yolanda Saunders, BA PGCE


Assistant Head (Pastoral, DSL)
Stephen Allen, MA (Cantab) MSci PGCE


Head of Year 7
Hannah Davidson, BA MA PGCE


Head of Year 8
Imogen Riley, BA (Oxon) PGCE


Head of Year 9
Lauren Berridge, BA PGDE


Head of Years 10 and 11
Julia Childs, Dip BA MA

Meet our Senior Staff

Mr Steve Allen

“It has been a real privilege to have been a teacher at St James for the past 13 years. The feeling of the whole school community is unlike any I have experienced elsewhere and means that the school is a very special place to work. Being able to follow the development and growth of our pupils from Year 7 through to Year 13 is a real humbling experience and has been mirrored somewhat by how my role has changed from classroom science teacher to Assistant Head pastoral. Being able to support pupils through the highs and low of their formative school years is a blessing and a continuous source of inspiration and motivation.”

Mrs Yolanda Saunders

“I grew up in Greece, but came to the UK for university and have worked at the St James family all my working life – first as a Greek teacher for Year 4-11 girls in the days when Classical Greek was a core subject even in the Junior School, then as Head of Classics at the Senior Boys’ School looking after five subjects – Greek, Latin, Classical Civilisation, Ancient History and Sanskrit – and finally as Head of Sixth Form at the Senior Girls’ School. Both my children (now in their twenties) are born and bred St James pupils – they are such fun, kind and intelligent people and great company! I love working with the awesome Sixth Form Girls, I feel very privileged to play a small part in their futures and I am in constant awe of the magnificent people they become.”

Miss Anna Holliss

“I have worked at St James for 13 years! It is such an amazing and wonderful community which I know is unique.

Apart from my love of going on holiday, I am very passionate about sport. Prior to retiring from hockey, I played for the South of England and coached Hertfordshire County U18s. I now enjoy my own training in Crossfit and watching live sport; you can often find me at The Emirates Stadium watching Arsenal Women!”

Dr Josef Craven

“St James has been my happy place of work since Sept 2001. Prior to that, I worked towards a PhD in Modern History at UCL, alongside teaching in the Rudolf Steiner/Waldorf system, the University of Hertfordshire and the WEA. Moving to St James was great decision: my daughter, Jess, enjoyed both the Prep and Senior Schools. Over the years, my colleagues have all been wonderful and I have served under three great Headteachers. But most of all, the students here are marvelous: they make teaching here a delight!”

Teaching Staff


Stephen Allen, MA (Cantab) MSci PGCE – Head of Chemistry & DDSL


Ana Amador, BSc – Teacher of Science


Sarah Ashbolt, BA MA PGCE – Head of Psychology


Jennifer Ashton, BE ME – Teacher of Physical Education


Lara Basma, BSc MSc PCGE – Second Mathematics Teacher


Pauline Bath, BA PGCE – Teacher of History


Emma Bell, MA (Oxon) PGCE


Jonathan Bradley, BA PGCE – Head of Food & Nutrition & Head of Careers & Futures


Lauren Berridge, BE ME – Teacher of Physical Education


Suzie Brown, BA – Cookery


Mylène Chaudagne – Licence MA PGCE – Head of Modern Foreign Languages, Senior Teacher


Julia Childs, Dip BA MA – Teacher of English and Learning Development


Jessica Chorley, BMUS and PGCE – Director of Music


Josef Craven, BA MPhil PhD – Head of History and Head of Citizenship


Hannah Davidson, BA MA PGCE – Teacher of English


Fraser Dawson, BSc PGCE – Teacher of Chemistry


Timothy Fairhead, BA MA PGCE – Teacher of Religious Studies


Emily Ford, BA – Teacher of Art


Ioanna Georgiou, MSc MPhil QTS FIMA CMathTeach – Head of Mathematics, Senior Teacher, Head of Academic Enrichment and EPQ Coordinator


Lisa Hayat, MA PGCE – Head of History of Art


John Herriman, BEd – Head of Drama


Anna Holliss, BA QTS MEd CMgr FCM – Director of Sport


Alastair Horsford BA QTS – Deputy Head (Academic)


Amy Houghton-Barnes, BA MA, PhD PGdipED – Head of Religious Studies


Lucy Howard, BA MPhil PGCE – Teacher of Classics


Elena Jessup, BA (Oxon) MA MPhil – Head of Sanskrit


Warwick Jessup, BSc MA – Teacher of Sanskrit 


Rebecca Landon, BA, PGCert (NASENCO), PGCert Psychometric Testing, Assessment & Access Arrangements (CPT3A) – SENDCO


Jo Latif, BSc PGCE – Head of Science and Biology


Jane Mason, MA (Oxon) PGCE – Head of Classics, Head of Ethos and Meditation


Eileen McDonagh, BA PGCE – Teacher of Geography


Ann-Marie McIntyre, BA PGDip ED MA – Head of English


Nikita Mehta, BSc PGCE MA in Science Education – Teacher of Science


Julie Menon, Licence Maîtrise PGCE – Teacher of French


Christopher Prelogov, BSc Mathematics with Statistics and PGCE Secondary Mathematics – Teacher of Mathematics


Imogen Riley, BA (Oxon) PGCE – Head of Geography and Head of Outdoor Pursuits


Yolanda Saunders, BA PGCE – Teacher of Classics


Katie Swift, BA PGCE MA – Teacher of French Mrs Gordana Tarundzioska, BEd BSc – Teacher of Mathematics


David Treloar, BA PGDip – Head of Art


Sean Vertigan, Teacher of Business and Economics


Montserrat Wight-Rahona, BA QTS – Head of Spanish


Stuart Young, BSc QTS – Head of Physics and Head of ICT Strategy


Jun Zhao, PhD BSc of Computer Sciences MSc of Mathematics with Computer Sciences – Head of ICT


 

Support Staff


Katharine Boddy BA PGCE – Librarian


Alison Buchanan – Examinations Officer


Sandra Cousins RN RSCN – School Nurse


Carla Escoto Montero Lic Psic – Science Laboratory Assistant


Nuria Sole-Bonet MA – Assistant Librarian


Emily Walker, AMI Mont Dip ITEC Dip – Well-being Coach


 

Non-teaching Staff

Abigail Davies BA – PA to Deputy Heads


Selina Joseph’s – School Secretary


Marva Lewis – Sixth Form Receptionist evening


Patricia Snowdon BPhil – Registrar


Karl Graham – Caretaker


Dusan Jokic – Senior Caretaker


Vuk Matovic – Senior Caretaker


Alexander Groves – Caretaker


Kairon Millington – Caretaker


Nadia Bonomo Assoc CIPD BA – HR Manager


Claire Bullen – Credit Controller & School Fees Administrator


Océane Danezan BA – Marketing Executive


Freya Hunter BA – Events Manager


Davina Maroothynaden – Bursar


Sabrina Moutarde – Head of Marketing


William Wyatt – Chief Operating Officer


Nevena Khediri – Head of ICT


Ty Collins – IT Infrastructure Manager


Ellie Mello BA MA – Development Manager


Isabelle Cooper – Development Assistant


 

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