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Roman Fields Academy and

Forest House Education Centre

Teaching Staff

Some of the Roman Fields staff work across both Roman Fields and Forest House Education Centre.

William Allen

Humanities Teacher

William retrained as a history teacher in 2018. He previously spent many years running local charities supporting disadvantaged groups, such as ex-offenders and pupils with mental health conditions. 

 

William is passionate about history and happy to explore any topics of interest with pupils, especially if they are new to him. He enjoys all things historical including films, board games and visiting historical buildings, and finds ways of bringing these into his lessons.

 

He is keen to nurture young minds and apply his past experience to help pupils to overcome whatever holds them back from achieving their potential.

 

Helen Boxall

Creative Arts Lead

Helen is our Music Teacher, and leads the Creative Arts team at Roman Fields. She started her career in 1999, and has a wealth of experience of teaching at Key Stages 2, 3 & 4. She completed the National Professional Qualification for Middle Leadership in 2013.

 

Helen studied music from a young age and plays a number of different instruments, which she enjoys teaching to others. She is passionate about her work and about providing the best possible care and education opportunities for the pupils she works with.

 

Dinah Buck

Science Lead

Dinah is the Science Lead at Roman Fields. She has many years of experience in teaching Science up to GCSE level and her specialism which is Biology up to A level.

 

Dinah started her teaching career in Hackney and having taught in a number of different types of schools as both Science and Pastoral Leads, joined the Roman Fields provision 12 years ago. Within the provision, she has initiated and established a Science department which has grown in size and success to cover courses up to GCE A level.

 

Dominic Bunce

Maths Lead

Dom is a teacher of maths with over 20 years of experience in both mainstream and specialist provisions, supporting pupils to reach their potential from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 5. 

 

Dom is passionate about teaching mathematics, investing time and effort in to pupils to help them achieve their potential.

 

Dom is an extremely keen swimmer as he finds this keeps him both physically and mentally fit. He has run marathons and competed in cycling time trials. Dom finds setting personal targets, both short and long term, helps with motivation and he applies the same model in supporting pupils to meet their own targets and achieve personal challenges.

 

Jane Burdin

Teacher

Jane qualified as a teacher in 1977. She worked in one school from 1979 to 2000, gaining experience in working across a range of ages in the First and Middle school. She was part of a curricular team within Humanities, also taking responsibility for PE as subject lead.

 

Jane then worked across a selection of schools, gaining experience within different community settings, which included working within the special needs sector at nursery, primary and secondary level. Using all of her previous experience, she ran a special needs unit which ultimately led her to working at Roman Fields.

 

Cara Burnell

Food Tech Tutor

Cara has been a Tutor at Roman Fields for over five years and teaches Cooking and Sport.

 

With several years’ experience, Cara previously worked in a local Special Educational Needs secondary school and a college within their Foundation department.  Educated to Degree level and as a qualified Dance Instructor, Cara has also introduced a weekly Dance class with a small group of pupils here.

 

Cara enjoys practical subjects and likes to create a fun, friendly learning environment for everybody. She believes that developing positive relationships with the pupils is hugely important.

 

Ian Cunningham

Technology Tutor

Ian worked for a local electrical contractor where he completed a City & Guilds apprenticeship in Electrical Installation. He then moved into the fields of electronics and electro-mechanical assembly working for companies in the military, aerospace and transport sectors. After a number of years, Ian returned to the world of electrical installation, running his own small electrical contracting business, taking on apprentices and so putting back something into the industry.

 

Having always had an avid interest in motorsport, and particularly motorcycles, Ian diversified and began working for a company that specialised in both racing car and race motorcycle preparation as a mechanic and as workshop supervisor, then later moving on to work for Triumph motorcycles in sales and workshop positions, and more recently to run his own business restoring classic Italian motor scooters, which is another of his obsessions.

 

Ian is passionate about helping to change pupils' lives by helping them to fulfil their potential by building positive relationships, developing practical skills, and growing resilience and confidence through personalised tuition built around individual special interests and aspirations for the future.  

 

Ruth Davies

Technology Tutor

Ruth Davies is a Technology Tutor, with experience of working in both schools and colleges. 

 

Ruth qualified as a Teacher, with a degree from Swansea University. She started working in St Albans as a teacher of Design and Technology.

 

In 2014, she started working in Oakland’s College with pupils in the Supported Learning Department. She has worked at Roman Fields since 2016.

 

Liesa Durrant

English Teacher

Liesa joined Roman Fields in September 2021.  She attained a degree in English Literature and History from The University of Leicester and has since gone on to complete a teaching qualification.  

 

Prior to joining Roman Fields, she worked at a Further Education college, initially supporting SEN pupils, then moving on to teach GCSE and Functional Skills English to both adults and young people.  She enjoys seeing pupils flourish and develop their confidence in the subject.

 

Liesa likes to keep herself fit by dog walking, Pilates, meditation and trips to the gym. 

 

Jo Duxberry

Higher Learning Teaching Assistant

My working background is one that began in Customer Service progressing through to Accountancy.

 

My move into education coincided with my youngest child starting school.  Prior to working in schools, I volunteered reading with children and as a governor of my local primary school.  

 

My previous experience is based in primary schools, working 1 to 1 predominately with children with autism. I qualified as a HLTA in 2020 leading to my continued 1 to 1 role plus covering classes and PPA cover; teaching art/craft, Spanish and many others.

 

My passions outside of work are first and foremost my family, learning to ice-skate, sewing and all things sparkly 

 

Jane Fox

PHSE Teacher

Jane Fox is a PSHE teacher at Roman Fields. Her role includes leading on the Personal Social and Health Education which is an integral part of the curriculum, with each pupil having a bespoke curriculum designed to meet their needs.

 

Jane has had a long and varied working life, including working for a Member of Parliament and many years in the voluntary sector for Save the Children. Jane came to teaching later in life, completing her PGCE at Bristol University in 2014, before moving to Roman Fields in 2016 as part of a move to be near her son who opened CrossFit Aylesbury. 

 

She is also a CrossFit Level 2 coach and a keen competitive Cross Fitter and Masters Weightlifter.

 

Caroline Harding

Teacher

Caroline attained her degree in Geography at the University of Lancaster, before completing her PGCE in 2006. She has predominantly taught Maths and Geography, across key stages 3, 4 and 5, in mainstream and specialist schools, both in the UK and abroad.

 

Prior to joining Roman Fields in 2018, Caroline completed her Masters in Educational Leadership and Management, and was Head of the Maths and Humanities Faculty in a mainstream school in Shropshire.

Caroline values the importance of building positive relationships with pupils to support their social, emotional, and academic growth. She is always striving to inspire our pupils to be the best they can be. Caroline is proud to be part of such a dedicated, dynamic, and caring team.

 

Paul Instrall

Food Tech Tutor

Paul has worked at Roman Fields since 2008. His background is mainly in catering from starting work in a hotel age 16, and he took on his first head chef role within four years.

 

 He has worked in most types of catering roles, from hotels to industrial catering and restaurants. He then started working for Herts county council with young people. 

 

In the early 1990s, he was running education projects for young people who had dropped out of the education system. Since joining Roman Fields, he has combined his love of cooking with his experience of working with young people.

 

Edwin Jones

Maths Teacher

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Monika Kalogianni

Art Tutor

Monika Kalogianni is our Art Tutor. She has a background in Fine Art, and recently completed an Art Therapy and Wellbeing course at the University of Hertfordshire, deepening her understanding of therapeutic practices.

 

Monika's practice reflects her strong knowledge of the subject, as well as her commitment to nurturing growth and self-esteem in pupils of all ability levels.

 

Chris McCarthy

ICT Teacher

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Mary McCrystal

Autism Lead/Teacher

Mary is the Autism Lead at the Roman Fields Academy. Mary has experience in mainstream schools as Head of Department, Head of Faculty and Pastoral lead, prior to her appointment at Roman Fields in 2015.

 

She is a dedicated, passionate, enthusiastic and experienced teacher. Mary has always put the educational aspirations, and the social and emotional welfare of pupils at the heart of her teaching.  A holistic approach is key to her interaction with pupils.  

 

Mary has always had a passion for building relationships with pupils, and their parents and carers, and has always believed that, with the right support, pupils can go on to fulfil their brightest aspirations.  This belief inspires her passion to help pupils have faith in themselves, and in the strength and resilience that lies within them.

 

Mark Milsome

Sports Tutor

Mark has worked as a Sports Tutor at Roman Fields for seven years. During this time, he has helped a large number of pupils improve their health, fitness, and positive views of themselves.

 

This support and positive reinforcement has not deterred him from thrashing them at pool during lunchtimes.

 

Chris Prashard

English Lead

 

 

Gail Ringrose

Art Tutor

Gail joined Roman Fields Academy in 2022 as our Art Tutor. She has an eclectic range of skills having studied Maths & IT, but as her passion from a young age was Art, she later attended a variety of courses at West Herts College.

 

Gail has 16 years of experience working in schools & 10 of these as a school Governor. She enjoyed designing & creating the end of year production scenery for over a decade. For the last 4 years, she was responsible for the maintenance of the IT systems in her previous school. In addition, she tutors Maths to GCSE level.

 

She believes art is a great tool for improving expression, concentration and communication as well as being therapeutic, so hopes to develop these skills with those students she works with.

 

 

Kate Schlesinger

Science Teacher

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Stephen Wright

HLTA

I started out teaching English as a foreign language.

 

I have worked for many years as a cover supervisor in mainstream secondary schools.

I've been in education for 25 years now.  In that time I have also worked with SEN pupils in a variety of roles in units and special schools.

 

Although the roles have differed over the years my commitment and love of building strong working relationships with young people has remained the same since day one. 

 

I'm a great believer in the fact that better learning and resilience building can be achieved if the pupils enjoy the school experience.

 

It's important to me that my interactions with pupils are always thought provoking and yes, I love making young people laugh.

 

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Roman Fields Academy,

11 Box Lane, Hemel

Hempstead, HP3 0DF

Telephone

01442256915

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