Meet our Leadership Teams

Please click on the staff photographs below to learn more about our team.

Senior Leadership Team

• Ms Katie Scott
  Executive Principal
  Ms Katie Scott

  Executive Principal

• Mr Mark Kemp
  Vice Principal
  Mr Mark Kemp

  Vice Principal

• Mr Dave Webb
  Vice Principal
  Mr Dave Webb

  Vice Principal

  I began my teaching career in Croydon where I spent three years at a school in special measures teaching PE and History. I then moved to another Croydon school and became Head of PE. During this time, I coached a nationally successful school, district and county football teams.

  In 2004, I became Assistant Headteacher initially overseeing the school's Technology specialism and then as Raising Standards Leader and Pastoral Lead. During my time as RSL the school saw a significant uplift in both its attainment and progress data. I also spent a year on the Building Schools for the Future programme planning a new school before taking a career break of a year to help raise my young family.

  In 2011 I was promoted to Deputy Headteacher, overseeing Behaviour and Student Welfare, Curriculum and RSL. In 2016 I spent 9 months as Acting Headteacher before joining Langley Park School for Girls in early 2017 as Deputy Headteacher. Whilst at LPGS I held several different briefs including data, assessment & reporting. I have also led on the Langley Park Learning Trust's Middle Leaders Training Programme.

  I joined Hatcham College as Vice Principal in December 2022.

• Ms Niamh McGuinness
  Head of School (Jerningham site) / Vice Principal
  Ms Niamh McGuinness

  Head of School (Jerningham site)

  BA (Hons) Religion & History - Dublin City University

  PGCE Secondary Education - National University of Ireland, Galway

  MA Curriculum, Pedagogy & Assessment - Institute of Education, UCL

  Chartered Teacher - Chartered College of Teaching

  NPQH - Ambition Institute

  It is an absolute privilege to join Haberdashers' Hatcham College in September 2024 as Head of School (Jerningham site). I began my teaching career in 2007 and have had the pleasure of serving many diverse London communities over the past 17 years, from the London Boroughs of Newham, Barking and Dagenham, Kensington and Chelsea and now Lewisham. I have worked in various roles over my career to date and bring with me a wealth of experience of working with children, young people and the adults who work with them. With a track record of nurturing academic and personal excellence, I'm dedicated to fostering communities that thrive on shared values, driving positive change at every step of everybody's learning journey.

  I believe in the power of community and know that with this opportunity to serve Hatcham College, with the support of the Haberdashers Trust, we will be able to work together to ensure our that our students and our wider community gain the knowledge, understanding, skills and sense of community so that they can learn, grow, celebrate difference, break down barriers and flourish.

  I am proud to be a Haberdasher.

• Ms Sophie Pia
  Associate Vice Principal (Quality of Education)
  Ms Sophie Pia

  Associate Vice Principal (Quality of Education)

  BA (Hons) Philosophy and Hispanic Studies: King's College London.

  PGCE Secondary Education (MFL) – Goldsmiths University.

  NPQSL - Ambition Institute

  I joined Haberdashers' Hatcham College in May 2023 as an Assistant Principal for Teaching, Learning & Assessment. I began my teaching career in 2012 in Southwark Borough and since then, have continued to work throughout South London within the following boroughs: Southwark, Lambeth, Bromley and Lewisham. I started my career as a teacher of Modern Foreign Languages (Spanish specialism) and gained a range of skills and experience as a Head of Department; a Regional Lead for Modern Foreign Language across London and the South-East and as an Assistant Principal for Teaching & Learning in my previous school. I have loved having the opportunity to work with a diverse range of pupils and communities across South London for the last 13 years.

  I am hugely passionate about education and ensuring the highest standards for all students in every classroom to achieve the best outcomes possible. Additionally, I have a variety of other interests such as a love of travel, reading, foreign languages, film and the arts.

  I believe in the power of community and collaboration. I believe that at Hatcham College, with the support of the community as well as Haberdashers Trust, we will be able to work together to ensure that all of our students can achieve outstanding results both personally and academically. I am proud to work in such an inclusive and joyful college.

  I am proud to be a Haberdasher.

• Mr John Deane
  Associate Vice Principal (Raising Standards Lead)
  Mr John Deane

  Associate Vice Principal (Raising Standards Lead)

  BSc(Hons) in Mathematics - The University of Exeter.

  PGCE in Mathematics - The University of Gloucestershire.

  NPQSL - UCL Institute of Education.

  I graduated with a Bachelor's of Science (BSc) in Mathematics before beginning a career in teaching. Prior to joining Haberdashers' Hatcham College in January 2019, I had eight years' experience teaching within inner city London schools. During this time, my responsibilities have included raising the quality of outcomes and progress for students through effective use of data and successfully leading mathematics departments within two separate schools.

  As a teacher of mathematics, I enjoy working with young people and sharing with my love for the subject. I believe that mathematics is a subject which is often misunderstood. For me, it is not fundamentally about learning sets of rules; it is about developing a way of thinking which can help to more deeply understand all kinds of situations and problems in the world around you. I love trying to develop an appreciation of the subject in pupils and I also love the fact that I use my subject knowledge, practically, within my leadership role in order to support the school's work to help all our pupils reach their full potential.

  Outside of school, I enjoy running, playing football and golf and watching almost any form of sport. During school holidays, I often attempt to explore new places and countries.

• Ms Hannah Kennedy
  Assistant Principal (Sixth Form)
  Ms Hannah Kennedy

  Assistant Principal (Sixth Form)

  BA (Hons) Theology – University of Durham

  PGCE Religious Education – King's College London

  I joined Hatcham College in September 2023 as Assistant Principal Key Stage 5. For the previous 10 years I have worked in Southeast London as a Head of Year before beginning my journey into Sixth Form Leadership. I am a passionate teacher of Religious Studies – believing firmly that being taught, at a young age, to understand diverse beliefs and learn how to be critical of big ideas in an intellectual and respectful manner is one of the greatest life tools. I joined Hatcham with four years' experience as a Head of Sixth Form in an inner London school. I am hugely passionate about Sixth Form education as it is the last step on the precipice of adult life. As Head of Sixth Form I work hard to ensure that when students join in Year 12 that they feel they are joining a Sixth Form that will not only help them achieve their academic potential but develop them as a whole person – ensuring that they can access high levels of enrichment opportunity, excellent careers support and pastoral care.

  Outside of school I am an avid cake baker and enjoy reading and travelling to see new parts of the world.

• Ms Anieka Caynes
  Assistant Principal (Key Stage 4)
  Ms Anieka Caynes

  Assistant Principal (Key Stage 4)

• Ms Abigail Davies
  Assistant Principal (Personal Development)
  Ms Abigail Davies

  Assistant Principal (Personal Development)

  BA(Hons) in History - The University of Oxford

  PGCE in Education - Goldsmiths, University of London

  NPQLBC - Ambition Institute

  I joined Haberdashers' Hatcham College in 2024 as Assistant Principal for Personal Development. Prior to joining, I had six years' experience teaching within an inner-city London school. During this time, my responsibilities have included being a Head of Year for years 8 through to 11 and supporting the development of Early Career Teachers as ECT Lead. Teaching history remains my fundamental and earliest passion as a teacher. History supports pupils to think critically about their place in the world, to reflect on how our past has shaped our present and prepares pupils to prepare and present their own arguments with confidence and fluency.

  Outside of school, I love to cook, read and listen widely about politics and current affairs, as well as spending as much time as possible outside walking or running.

• Mr Dan Crowley
  Associate Assistant Principal and SENCO
  Mr Dan Crowley

  Associate Assistant Principal and Senior Teacher (Acting Head of Year 13)

  BA(Hons) in Cultural Studies - University of East London

  PGCE in Social Sciences - UCL Institute of Education

  MA in Sociology of Education - UCL Institute of Education

  NPQSL - UCL Institute of Education

  I joined Hatcham as a Newly Qualified Teacher when I was 29 and have worked here ever since. I love the strong sense of community at Haberdashers' Hatcham College and believe that we are a school that is strongly rooted in the local identity. The Haberdashers' Hatcham College name is well-known for prestige and status as well as for inclusion and high standards.

  I have worked closely with the Sixth Form team at Haberdashers' Hatcham College in a number of roles including Form Tutor, EPQ Coordinator, Oxbridge Coordinator and Head of Year. My vision is for young people to access all the amazing opportunities available to them at Haberdashers' Hatcham College and use them to carve out a varied and interesting future for themselves.

• Ms Bianca Stavrou
  Associate Assistant Principal (Professional Learning; Acting Head of MFL Faculty and Trust MFL Lead)
  Ms Bianca Stavrou

  Associate Assistant Principal (Professional Learning; Acting Head of MFL Faculty and Trust MFL Lead).

• Mrs Kathie Wheble
  Executive Assistant to the Executive Principal
  Mrs Kathie Wheble

  Executive Assistant to the Executive Principal

Extended Leadership Team

• Miss Jennifer Lindsay
  Head of English
  Miss Jennifer Lindsay

  Head of English

• Mrs Tamara Sherer
  Head of Mathematics
  Mrs Tamara Sherer

  Head of Mathematics

  BSc in Sociology and Social Research with Statistics - London School of Economics

  MSc in Comparative Politics - London School of Economics

  PGCE in Mathematics - Institute of Education

  Secondary Mastery Specialist - National Centre for Excellence in Teaching of Mathematics

  Accredited Professional Development Lead - National Centre for Excellence in Teaching of Mathematics

  I joined Haberdashers' Hatcham College in 2014, and have always enjoyed Hatcham's strong sense of community, shared values, and mutual respect between staff and students. I have had the privilege of seeing students all the way through their secondary school journey and beyond, having taught a fair few all the way from Year 7 to Year 13!

  During my time at Haberdashers' Hatcham College, I have worked as a Key stage Coordinator, Deputy Curriculum Director, Teacher of Mastery Mathematics and I am currently the Co-Head of Mathematics. My professional life has always been led by the firm belief that every child can succeed in Mathematics, and all of us are mathematicians.

  Outside of school, I enjoy reading, going for long walks with my beagle, and baking. I'll usually (attempt to) make most of the Great British Bake Off recipes myself!

• Mr Rob Benson
  Head of Science
  Mr Rob Benson

  Head of Science

  BEng Avionic Engineering from Coventry University

  QTS Accredited by Bromley Schools Collegiate

  I am a passionate, enthusiastic practitioner of science and love leading a strong department of highly skilled science teachers. I started my teaching career aiming to increase the number of students, particularly girls, studying physics and engineering degrees at university. I have worked in a number of schools around South-East London and taught in a well respected school in Sydney. I am driving the delivery a new, outstanding, bespoke 5 year curriculum designed with support from the trust to ensure our students get the best experience in the classroom. I encourage all students to take a deeper interest in sciences and explore the world around them. When not in the classroom I enjoy playing a number of sports, including Saturday football and cricket.

• Dr Anna van Veldhuisen
  Director of Music
  Dr Anna van Veldhuisen

  Director of Music

  BMus Performance – The University of Melbourne (Victorian College of the Arts).

  Grad. Dip. Education – Deakin University.

  Master of Education – The University of Melbourne.

  Doctor of Education – The University of Melbourne.

  I joined Hatcham College in March 2024, having relocated from Melbourne (Australia) to the UK. I trained at university as a classical percussionist, but since that time have fallen in love with classroom music teaching and choral singing/conducting. In Australia, I taught secondary music for 12 years in some very different contexts; in state, alternative, and independent schools with diverse music programs and students, and in both city and regional areas. I'm particularly passionate about centring music by composers of cultural and ethnic minorities and celebrating women composers in the curriculum, and exploring aural skills and composition practically in the classroom. I am also an education researcher in the field of music education, and in late 2023, I submitted my doctoral thesis to the University of Melbourne, exploring the professional lives of Australian music teachers. This research work has had me presenting regularly at conferences like the International Society for Music Education. In my spare time, I enjoy playing board games, reading, travelling broadly, and attending live music and theatre. I am excited to now be leading the faculty at Hatcham, where music forms a cultural heart of the school and our specialism welcomes gifted musicians from the local area. I'm looking forward to exploring all the musical opportunities SE London has to offer!

• Ms Estelle Cooch
  Head of Humanities & Head of History
  Ms Estelle Cooch

  • Head of Humanities & Head of History
  • BA Honours in International History at the London School of Economics
  • PGCE History at the UCL-Institute of Education
  • Historical Association Teacher Fellow

  On the noticeboard of the history office at Pepys site I have pinned the words of American historian, Howard Zinn: The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvellous victory. I believe schools are microcosms of society and all of us can contribute towards seeing the society we wish to see, within school.

  I joined Hatcham College in 2015 after working in a school in West London and previously in publishing. I am currently Head of Humanities and am interested in the debates around the decolonisation of curricula. I believe the humanities subjects (history, geography and religious studies) allow us to interrogate the legacies of past worlds and equip us with the tools to change our own world in the future.

  In 2019 I was privileged to work with 15 other teachers around the UK on a project with the Historical Association to improve the teaching of Transatlantic slavery in British schools. My project was based around Nigerian and Ghanaian history and the legacies of slavery and colonialism in those countries.

  In my spare time I enjoy reading history books, watching history documentaries and visiting historical sites, mainly castles.

• Mr Benjamin Rutledge
  Head of Social Sciences Faculty & Head of Economics and Law
  Mr Benjamin Rutledge

  Head of Social Sciences Faculty & Head of Economics and Law

• Ms Sam Ryan
  Head of MFL (mat leave)
  Ms Sam Ryan

  Head of MFL (mat leave)

• Mr Andy Waddingham
  Director of Sport
  Mr Andy Waddingham

  Director of Sport

  Bsc (Hons) Exercise & Sports Science - University of Exeter

  PGCE in Physical Education- University of Exeter

  I joined Hatcham College in January 2023 as Director of Sport. I have taught PE in several schools across London and also at an International School in Vietnam over the past 11 years of teaching. I am incredibly passionate about the value of PE and sport in education and its role in inspiring and giving students the confidence to maintain lifelong physical activity upon leaving Hatcham College. My dream is that all students come to at least one extra-curricular club per week and for as many students as possible to have the opportunity to represent Hatcham in a competitive sport at some point in their school life!

  Outside of school, I play football competitively (just about), play golf horrendously, enjoy travelling to new countries and cooking.

 

Subject Leaders

 

Heads of Year