STAFF ORGANISATION STRUCTURE

KEY CONTACTS

THE LEADERSHIP TEAM

Helen Hannam, Headteacher & Principal	Senior Leader
Warren Griffiths, Deputy Principal	Senior Leader
Anna Weir, Head of HR	Senior Leader
Didem Allen, Head of Finance	Senior Leader

 

Shelley Thomas, Assistant Headteacher HIVE and Therapies

Josie Glover, Assistant Headteacher Nurture

Jerell Gumbs, Assistant HeadtHeeacher Upper School

Sarah Fraser-Thwaites, Assistant Headteacher Middle School

Rebecca Brosnan, Assistant Headteacher First School

Rachel Goymer, Assistant Headteacher The Link

Mary Keenan, Head of the Link Operational and Wellbeing

Katie Gear, Head of Intervention

Helen Hannam, Headteacher & Principal

I studied for my Degree (B.A Hons and PGCE) at Liverpool University. Following these studies I decided to travel and spent the next 10 years in Hong Kong working as part of the English Schools' Foundation teaching GCSE and A Level.

I have worked extensively within the pastoral system during my teaching career and moved towards Special Educational Needs taking my SENCO qualification at Reading University whilst Assistant Head at Cox Green School. During this time I formed a very close working relationship with Manor Green which is why I applied for the Deputy Head position in 2016.

I am passionate about making a difference through educational opportunities and my nine years at Manor Green have certainly allowed me to do this as part of an amazing team that has allowed me to progress to Associate Head and now Headteacher.

When I began at Manor Green, my 12 week old puppy, Lanson, was a new addition to the family. He has now fully embedded himself into the Link and Manor Green as the school dog and enjoys coming to work everyday as much as I do !

Manor Green is a fantastic school  with amazing staff and inspirational students.  I feel privileged and honoured to be part of Manor Green and  look forward to steering the school through the next phase of our journey, as we continue to develop and grow as a school within our own Multi Academy Trust.

 

Warren Griffiths, Deputy Principal

I am very grateful to be given the opportunity to come and work at Manor Green School in the role of Head of Wellbeing and Safeguarding. A few weeks before I had my job interview I was lucky enough to be given a tour of the school and was not only impressed by the excellent facilities and staff resources, but was  taken aback at how happy all the students were.  I immediately knew that this was where I wanted to work.

I have been working in Children’s Services for 12 years with my most recent role being the Manager for an Intensive Family Support Team. However, over the years I have had various roles working in a variety of settings including Social Care, Youth Offending Teams, and a Charity. I have also been a Foster Carer for the past two years.

Outside of work I live with my wife, two children and two lazy French Bulldogs (Nora and Lola)!

I look forward to meeting you all over the coming months.

Anna Weir, Head of HR

 

 

 

 

Shelley Thomas, Head of First School and Therapies

I graduated from Oxford Brookes University in 2009 with a BA(Hons) in Primary Education. I have a passion for SEN, so whilst at university I specialised in Special Educational Needs.

After graduating I started my teaching career as an NQT at Holyport Manor School (now Manor Green School), teaching in the Nursery class.

A few years later I became Key Stage Leader For Early Years and Key Stage 1. I am now Assistant Headteacher for First School and Therapies as well taking a lead on our exciting new project: The HIVE, which provides education at home for young people who are unable to attend a school setting due to being medically vulnerable.

Outside of work I live at home with my partner, my two girls and my dog Milo. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and going on long walks.

 

Jerell Gumbs, Assistant Headteacher Upper School

 

 

 

 

Sarah Fraser-Thwaites, Assistant Headteacher Middle School

I graduated from University with a degree in Outdoor Adventure Leadership and Management and went on to support many students with different disabilities in the outdoors.

I joined Manor Green School as a Specialist Support Assistant in 2012 and have held many various roles working with many students across the school since then. I am now Assistant Headteacher for Specialist and the Educational Visits Co-ordinator for the school. 

Outside of work I enjoy the outdoors and time spent with my family and friends. 

Rachel Goymer, Assistant Headteacher The Link

I have worked at Manor Green for five years. During this time I have been lucky to have the opportunity to work with a range of students and staff across the school.

I started my career in education specialising in Early Years Teaching. I spent time teaching in a variety of schools and across the primary age range. My time working in early years taught me how important it is to ensure children feel happy and safe in school, as well as the importance of learning actively through play. This has led to my further study for a master’s qualification in Education with a focus on emotional and social skills, as well as promoting positive mental health. I have worked in the secondary department in Manor Green and I have had full-filled the role of acting Key Stage Leader for Key Stage 3. After this I went on to continue to extend my skills by becoming Primary Link and Outreach leader and I currently hold the position of Assistant Headteacher for the Link. We offer a therapeutic intervention for primary aged children to help them to regulate and take on the challenges of school life. I truly enjoy working at Manor Green, with the fantastic students and staff, that I get the privilege of working with daily. I hope to be able to use my experiences in education to support the development of Manor Green School in the future.

My weekends are filled with visits to friends and family, we will often enjoy a variety of board games. I enjoy going for long walks by the sea or across the moors, painting, and studying neuropsychology. I am also learning to play the harp!

 

 

Josie Glover, Assistant Headteachure Nurture

I graduated from the University of Wales, Newport with a BA HONS in Performing Arts.

After graduating I spent five years travelling around Australia and began my teaching career after getting my PGCE at Charles Darwin University where I taught Dance and Drama. I arrived back in the UK in 2014 and after spending a few days volunteering at Manor Green School,  I found a new passion for working in Special Education and was lucky enough to get a teaching post here.

I started in Donaldson class in 2014 and then spent time in a variety of classes and key stages as I became a qualified teacher in the UK. I  spent the majority of my time teaching and mentoring in First School before I left to further my career at another special school in 2018.

After a few years as Early Years and Key Stage 1 Leader I felt it was time to pursue other avenues and further my career in Special Needs. I am now fortunate to be a Head of Nurture, where I get to interact with students across the whole school whilst supporting with behaviour. I am also part of the Manor Green Outreach Team.

Outside of work I spend  my time with my daughter Dolly and my family; enjoying time outside and finding fun and exciting activities to do together.  

Katie Gear, Head of Interventions and EAL Specialist

I graduated from University in 1998 with a BEd (Hons) in Primary Education with QTS. My passion for SEN started at university. We developed an activity programme for young adults with mild to moderate learning disabilities during the summer holidays.  I started my teaching career as a mainstream primary class teacher which became more specialised when I moved to RBWM and joined the Ethnic Minority Achievement Team (EMA). Through this team, the language needs of the students were supported across the Borough. 

Here at Manor Green School, I started in Key Stage 3 as a class teacher, following onto Key Stage 5. My role became more specialised through setting up the EAL department. I now lead on the interventions team which include specialists in Literacy, Maths, Food Technology, Design Technology, Music, Beauty and Horticulture as well as engaging and developing partnerships with parents, particularly the most economically disadvantaged groups in British society. 

Outside of work I live at home with my husband, two children, Emily and Thomas and our dog Barney. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and going on long dog walks in the countryside. 

Didem Allen, Head of Finance

I am a CIMA qualified accountant with 20 years of experience in finance and accounting. Prior to joining Manor Green School, I worked in the private sector, supporting businesses with financial forecasting, budget planning, cash flow management and management accounting.

I live with my husband and two daughters in Berkshire. As a family we like camping and caravanning and visiting new areas together.