Our school improvement work is co-ordinated by our Directors of School Improvement and their teams. Their work is supported by the resources of the Saffron Teaching School Hub, one of the first hubs of its kind to be designated nationally.

Our School Improvement Team

Doug Brechin – Director of Secondary School Improvement

Doug Brechin is Director of the Saffron Teaching School Hub (TSH) and Director of Secondary School Improvement (SI).  As Director of Saffron TSH, Doug leads the TSH team in the delivery of the Early Career Framework programme; Appropriate Body Statutory Induction for Early Career Teachers; National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) and Initial Teacher Training.  In his role as Director of SI, Doug leads the SAT Specialist Leaders in Education (SLE) team, across the four SAT secondary schools.  Doug is a History teacher and has taught in schools across Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk.

 

Kerrie McGivern - Director of Primary School Improvement

Kerrie McGivern is the Director of Primary Improvement for the Saffron Academy Trust, and works collegiately with primary leaders and teachers to develop knowledge and skills, refine and improve curriculum and ensure progressive outcomes for pupils across the primary phase. Alongside her teaching and leadership experience, Kerrie is also an accredited NCETM Mastery Specialist and Professional Development Lead and has supported schools across the region to implement, embed and sustain their mastery curriculum. In addition to her Trust directorship, Kerrie is also Assistant Director of the Saffron Teaching School Hub, which includes facilitation of the Early Career Framework and specialist National Professional Qualifications (NPQs).

 

Saffron Academy Trust SLEs

School Improvement work across the trust is carried out by our team of SLEs.

 

Neil Chamberlain: Neil has been Lead Teacher of the SAT since 2020, having previously been Director for Mathematics at SWCHS since 2013. He concentrates on working across the secondary schools to ensure a high level of Maths teaching and learning across the trust. Neil studied Law at Birmingham University and then Mathematics PGDip and his PGCE at Cambridge University. Previously he was Head of Maths in schools in Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. 

 

 

Shaun Collins: Shaun has been Assistant Headteacher since January 2023, having been Head of History and Politics at SWCHS since September 2013. He leads whole-school teaching and learning and has responsibilities for continuing professional development, data and reporting. He also works across Saffron Academy Trust to support school improvement. Shaun studied History at the University of Oxford and trained to teach as part of the Teach First graduate programme. Before arriving at SWCHS, Shaun was Head of History at a secondary school in Enfield. He returned to Oxford to study for his masters and was awarded an MSc in Learning and Teaching in 2017.     

  

 

Micha Eversley:  has been one of the SLT SLEs for Saffron Academy Trust since joining SWCHS as an Assistant Headteacher in September 2023. At SWCHS, he is co-lead of the Teaching and Learning Team. Micha studied Human, Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cambridge, followed by a PGCE in History, a Masters in Educational Leadership, and the NA-SENCO qualification. Before joining SWCHS, Micha was an Assistant Principal at a school in North East Lincolnshire.

 

 

Claire Hall: Claire joined SWCHS in 2015 as Deputy Area Co-ordinator for Languages and Head of German, having previously taught at a school in North London. She studied German and French at Durham University followed by her PGCE and MEd at Cambridge University. As well as her role within the SAT school improvement team, she is a Year 12 tutor and Gold DofE leader. 

  

 

 

Kirsty Jenkins: Kirsty joined SWCHS in September 2007 as a Teacher of Geography. She joined the Sixth Form team as an Assistant Director before becoming Head of Geography. In 2019, Kirsty returned to the Sixth Form team as Assistant Director, supporting students with SEND requirements or vulnerabilities. Kirsty studied Geography with English at ARU and for her PGCE at Cambridge University. Kirsty is a Specialist Leader in Education and experienced mentor on the PGCE and SCITT courses and recently an ECT mentor. She has worked widely in the SAT schools since 2020. 

 

 

James Sleightholm: James joined SWCHS as Head of French in September 2017 and has been Deputy Area Coordinator for Languages since September 2022. James is a PGCE mentor, has co-coordinated the SWCHS China Trip and currently co-leads the SWCHS USA trip. James completed the NPQ in Leading Teaching through Teach First in January 2023. James studied French and Spanish at the University of East Anglia where he also studied for a Masters in Translation Studies, followed by a Masters degree in Education at the University of Cambridge. He led Spanish at a Cambridgeshire school before joining SWCHS. 

 

 

Pete Wilson: Pete Wilson joined SWCHS in 2003 and has worked as an English teacher for the past twenty years. As well as being Head of Key Stage 5 English, he is an experienced Teaching and Learning Coach and Specialist Leader of Education for English across the Trust. 

 

 

 

 

Expert Practitioners

We also work with a wider team of Expert Practitioners drawn from schools across the Saffron Teaching School Hub area.