Teachers who love teaching, teach children to love learning

From 2024-2025, I have studied for my PGCE in English Literature & Language (Secondary) at the prestigious University of York with Pathfinder, with a first teacher training placement at Archbishop’s Holgate School recently awarded an Outstanding rating by Ofsted.

From 2021-2024, I studied as a mature student for an undergraduate BA (Hons) English Literature Degree (projected First) at York St John University, where I also am training for a CELTA Teaching Qualifcation in TESOL/TEFL. During this time I also self-studied for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test JLPT N5 exam which I passed in July 2024.

I previously studied from 1998-2000 at the Arts Educational School (Tring Park) where I received a vocational performing arts school training in drama and musical theatre, while studying English and Theatre Studies for A-Levels, and where I also received AVCMEd(Hons) education diploma certification in tutoring for Speech & Drama examinations.

Prior to that I went to school at Claremont Fan Court School in Esher Surrey where I took my GCSEs. I plan to next study for a Masters in Education (to include IB certification) with aspirations to progress to an Education PhD thereafter.

I began teaching Drama in the year 2001 when I graduated from drama school at 18 years old, as a professional Actor. When I retired from my office-based corporate career in 2019, I was excited to return to the classroom/rehearsal room. I enjoyed it so much I decided to return to study and obtain a formal teaching license.

While studying, I have taught part-time Drama both in York and online for the last 4+ years with the same companies: MZA (York), Frances Lyn Theatre School (Malton - including directing productions of We Will Rock You, Honk! and Beauty and The Beast) Bijou Talent (London/online) as well as workshops for Damien Poole (Harrogate), Hannah Dale (Selby) and for Yorkshire Rose Academy of Dance I have directed three large-scale Summer School productions of Bugsy Malone, Encanto and Mamma Mia! for hundreds of children in York.

I have also been a group and private LAMDA examinations coach, tutoring students for solo and duologue exams in all grades.

For Cole Kitchenn Theatre Production I started as a Production Administrator & then became Junior General Manager on West End Productions including multi-award-winning productions including Death of a Salesman (Lyric), I Am My Own Wife (Duke of Yorks), Daddy Cool (Shaftesbury), The Countess (Criterion), and line produced the annual Whatsonstage Awards for 10 years. I also received production credits on two feature films: The Time of Their Lives starring Joan Collins and Mrs Lowry and Son starring Timothy Spall and Vanessa Redgrave, and produced Nicholas Hoult and Phill Jupitus in their respective debut plays New Boy and Lifecoach (Trafalgar Studios).

I concurrently worked as a Talent Agent for actors and creatives under agency umbrella InterTalent, eventually leading the division full-time, representing world-renowned leading artists and newcomers & helping manage the team of staff.

I made my West End performing debut at 9 years old in Annie Get Your Gun (Prince of Wales Theatre) which led to an Acting career that continued through childhood and into my early twenties.

On screen I played lead roles in BAFTA & Emmy Award winning The Politician’s Wife with Juliet Stevenson, Plastic Man with John Thaw, The Boot Street Band with Idris Elba, Catherine Cookson’s The Girl, The Famous Five, Absolutely Fabulous and on film Tom’s Midnight Garden for MGM and Daisies In December. In the West End and on tour I appeared in Scrooge with Tommy Steele, Bugsy Malone with Sheridan Smith, Space Family Robinson with Hannah Waddingham, Snoopy!, Honk, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and recorded ‘Heaven on their Minds’ at Abbey Road Studios for Andrew Lloyd Webber album Musical Masterpieces with the National Symphony Orchestra.

Click here to read more about my fitness journey which led me to transform my health with the Rich Roll regime, running the Couch to 5k challenge, and then completing the Athens Marathon in 2023 with guidance from fellow vegan runners Dean Karnazes and Suzanne Shaw.

My experience was documented by York Press and on the podcast special Transforming where I drove by Tesla to the Netherlands home of ‘The Iceman’ Wim Hof with super-influencer Neil Henry for an interview about health, fitness and wellbeing, advocating the importance of an active lifestyle, connecting with nature, and to experience a crash course in the Wim Hof Method ice cold water therapeutics, including a live ice dive broadcast on Facebook to over 100,000+ viewers.

Click below to read more about my work in the Community, Volunteering and Charitable Endeavours, as well as more about my hobbies and interests.