SLT Profiles

Mr S Chamberlain

Executive Principal

At Felixstowe Academy our aim is to create a centre of excellence with a clear and unrelenting focus on raising standards of academic performance. We place great emphasis on the support and development of the individual student and on high quality learning so they will develop into enterprising and responsible young people with high aspirations and a real determination to succeed.

Mr A Salter

Headteacher of Garrison Campus

Mr Salter studied in Cardiff and Graduated from the University of Wales in 1983 with a Bachelor of Education, Honours degree specialising in Music Education.

His first teaching post was at Hartland Comprehensive School in Worksop, Nottinghamshire. After 3 years at his first school he was promoted to Head of Music at Holywells High School in Ipswich.

Mr Salter joined Deben in 1997 as Head of the Arts Faculty / Head of Music. He was later promoted within the school to Assistant Headteacher and it was under his leadership, at the time, that the school applied for and was awarded Specialist School Status in the Visual and Performing Arts, in September 2005.

Mr Salter has recently studied for and achieved the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) in January 2009. At the same time, he was appointed as Deputy Headteacher at the school and has joint responsibility to deliver standards directly related to Learning and Teaching at all Key Stages.

Ms P Doyle

Headteacher of Maidstone Campus

After graduating from Liverpool, Ms Doyle worked in industry and a private language school before entering state education.

She taught in large comprehensives in Coventry and Walsall before coming to Suffolk in 1991.  Her first post was to run the Felixstowe Sixth Form where she worked between Orwell and Deben High Schools. Following this she was appointed Deputy Head at Orwell.

Her roles have been varied and covered curriculum, finance, site and premises and pastoral as well as teaching in the history department. At one stage she was seconded by Suffolk County Council to support the STT at a school in Ipswich.  She has been in her current role since February 2010.

In addition to her Bachelor of Education (Hons) degree she has an Advanced Diploma in Continuing Education and a M.A in Education.

Mrs S Flint

Business Manager

Mrs Flint joined the administrative team at Deben High School in May 2000, working part-time due to family commitments. She was fast tracked into managing the ICT network with one of the Assistant Headteachers, and promoted to School Administrator in 2004.

Mrs Flint undertook the Certificate in School Business Management (National College for School Leadership) as part of her professional development and was appointed Business Manager in 2006. She went on to complete the Diploma in School Business Management in 2008.  In June 2011 Mrs Flint was one of only 30 school business managers from across the country to be awarded the Advanced Diploma (ADSBM) in the latest phase of the programme.

 Mrs Flint worked for Cambridge University for eight years ( St John’s College, and Newnham College as Assistant Domestic Bursar and Conference Manager) before relocating to Felixstowe in 1992.

Mrs Flint is Business Manager for Felixstowe Academy, working closely with the Executive Principal and Headteachers as part of the Leadership team on both campuses. 

Mrs G Lawson-Frost

Vice Principal (Teaching and Learning)

Mrs Lawson-Frost  studied Drama at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, before going on to work as an actress and director in Scottish Theatre for a short time. She then attended teacher training College for one year, before leaving the country to teach in the state system in Czechoslovakia for a year and in a private school in Greece for the second year.

On returning to this country, she took up a post working in an EBD school (for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties). Having spent some time as a Drama specialist in a large comprehensive in Hampshire, Mrs Lawson-Frost embarked upon a career at Deben High School as Head of Drama. Later, as Head of Expressive Arts, she played a key role in the move towards becoming a specialist college. Subsequently she took up a position on the Senior Leadership team as Director of Arts College before being appointed Vice Principal of the Felixstowe Academy.

Mrs Lawson-Frost is married with two daughters and lives in Felixstowe.

Dr R Riach

Vice Principal (Curriculum and Assessment)

After completion of his doctorate at the University of East Anglia, Dr Riach took up his first teaching post at Stoke High school in Ipswich. He was to stay here for 5 years and be promoted to Head of key stage 3 in Science and Assistant Head of ICT.

Dr Riach went on to be Assistant Head of Science at a large highly successful school in Colchester before arriving at Orwell High School as Head of Science in 2002. In 2003 he was promoted to Assistant Headteacher with responsibilities for Assessment and Raising achievement across the school.  In 2005 he was promoted again to Deputy Headteacher responsible for Curriculum, Assessment and Raising achievement across the school.

In 2007 Dr Riach successfully completed his National Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and currently holds the position and responsibility of Vice Principal Curriculum.

Mr T Duffell

Vice Principal (Student Development and Well Being: Garrison Campus)

Mr Duffell joined the School in April, 2010  from Holywells High School in Ipswich.

He had been at Holywells since 2002, primarily as a Deputy Headteacher, but for approximately 2 years he was the Acting Headteacher  with responsibility not only for raising standards but also for Building Schools for the Future, the National Challenge requirements and the process involving the transition to Academy status. 

Having qualified in 1979, he began working at East Bergholt High, initially as a teacher of History, later assuming the positions of Head of Year and then Director of Studies (KS3) before transferring to Thurleston High in 1991 as Head of Lower School.  Before his move to Holywells, he was the Pastoral Co-ordinator (11-16) and had responsibility for the progress and welfare of all pupils, school promotion and reporting.

Mr Duffell holds a Bachelor of Education (Honours) degree, a BA in Humanities and Politics and an MA in Educational Management.  He passed the NPQH course in 2005, and he is keen to assist in the process of developing the profile of the Felixstowe Academy.

Mrs M Hough

Vice Principal (Student Development and Well Being: Maidstone Campus)

Mrs Hough joined Orwell High School in September 2009 as director of English and Learning Improvement.  She has worked on a number a number of projects within the two schools and is  proud to be part of the academy at a point of exciting change in the education provision for Felixstowe.

A Suffolk girl, Mrs Hough spent several years in commerce before returning to the area to train as a teacher, starting her career when her son started school.  She was a Head of Year for five years at St Albans Catholic School, before moving to Holywells High School (now Ipswich Academy).  There she moved into whole school literacy and Head of English.  Having had a career outside of teaching, she believes that we have a responsibility to our students to ensure that they are equipped to thrive beyond our doors. 

Mrs J Leeke

Assistant Vice Principal (14-19)

Mrs Leeke took on this new role in September 2006 thereby working at both Deben and Orwell High Schools leading cross-site developments for current 14-19 year olds in both schools. She was previously Head of Sixth Form at Orwell High school and before that taught in Stevenage, Hertfordshire where she was head of Business and Information Studies having started her teaching life as a History teacher.

In addition to teaching Mrs Leeke has co-authored Business and Information text books and worked for Suffolk College teaching various adult classes in ICT. She is currently a senior examiner for AQA in A’ level Psychology.

Mrs Leeke gained a BA (HONS) in History from London University and a PGCE from Strawberry Hill College. Following a secondment at Homerton College Cambridge she gained an advanced diploma in Vocational Education and has since completed an NVQ level 5 in Management.

Mrs S Burgoyne

Assistant Vice Principal (Teaching and Learning)

Mrs Burgoyne gained a BA (Hons) in English and Drama from Lancaster University but took three years out before embarking on a PGCE in Drama at Birmingham Polytechnic.  She spent most of this time working  with youngsters between the ages of 5 and 16 on the play schemes in Stevenage which she thoroughly enjoyed.  Her first teaching job was at a comprehensive school in Hampshire but it wasn't long before she moved to Essex to take up a post as Head of Drama and later, Head of Year. 

Mrs Burgoyne grew up in Suffolk and moved back to the County in the Summer of 2000, joining Orwell High School as Head of Year.  She completed her MA in Education in 2001 and in 2004 she was promoted to the post of Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for Learning and Teaching. 

Mrs Burgoyne is married with three girls who regularly remind her of a pupil's perspective of lessons; something which she finds very useful! 

Ms V Berry

Assistant Vice Principal (Student Development and Well Being: Garrison Campus)

Ms Berry decided on a career in teaching following a trip to Cairo with a group of students whilst still in the Sixth Form. It was a profound experience as it was the first time she had ‘smelt’ poverty as well as seen it first hand. As can be imagined, a great deal of debate ensued and she came to the conclusion that the only way to make a difference and to improve life was through education. She is still of that view.

Her first teaching post was in a state day and boarding school (a rare breed!) in Norfolk where she was also a resident tutor in a house of 150 students aged between 11 and 16 for four years. Again, this experience has profoundly affected her view of pastoral care and for the need to see students as a ‘whole person’ and not just as an examination statistic. There is so much more to education than schooling.

Being a residential tutor also taught Ms Berry the necessity and value of having a good life/work balance. She has a varied range of interests including researching her family tree, playing golf, digital photography and completing courses in alternative therapies such as Reiki, Aromatherapy and Indian Head Massage.

Ms Berry joined Deben High school in September 1998 after having previously taught in Wymondham, ( Norfolk) Harlow (Essex) and Lowestoft ( Suffolk). She has held a number of roles including Head of RE, Head of House, Head of Sociology as well as Head of PSE and Tutorial.

Ms Berry gained her first degree at Exeter University in History and Education. She achieved an M.A. degree from King’s College, London in 1988 and completed her NPQH (National Professional Qualification for Headship) in 2005. She also has a Diploma in Educational Management and a Diploma in Counselling Skills.

She is currently studying part time for a degree in Integrative Counselling with Middlesex University.

Mr J Avery

Assistant Vice Principal (Student Development and Well Being: Maidstone Campus)

John graduated from Preston Polytechnic in 1986 (French and English Literature). He initially worked outside education as a VAT Officer in H.M. Customs and Excise. He then qualified as a Modern Foreign Languages Teacher from St Martin’s College in Lancaster. After this he taught English in France for two years before taking a year to travel extensively. On his return to the UK he picked up his teaching career starting in Basildon and then in Leigh-on-Sea, Millom and most recently in Felixstowe. He joined the school in 2007. 

Ms D Cox

Advanced Skills Teacher

Dawn gained a degree in English & Theology with Religious Studies from the University of Surrey (St Mary’s College) and went on to gain a PGCE from Cambridge University. She has since completed her Masters in Innovation in Education at Warwick University.

Dawn started her teaching career in Colchester and in her first year became Head of RE. She then became the co-ordinator of trainee and Newly Qualified Teachers in which she mentored and supported many teachers through their training and first experiences in teaching.

She then went on to become an Assistant Principal in a West London Academy where she lead the Humanities faculty and a pastoral House of mixed aged students.

Coming back home to Suffolk, she came to Orwell High School in 2007 and since then has continued to lead the RE & Critical thinking departments. She is a qualified Advanced Skills teacher and her first love is teaching students in the classroom.

In her role, Dawn supports the senior leadership team in a variety of ways, from developing the Virtual Learning Environment to supporting the use of data and developing teaching.

Mrs H Ryland

Marketing Manager

Mrs Ryland came to school in January 2008 as PA to the Headteacher, and was appointed to the role of Marketing Manager at Deben in November 2008.

Prior to joining Deben she worked for just over six years in the marketing department at Greene King in Bury St Edmunds, as PR manager (Events and Campaigns). Her role was to maximise PR opportunities with consumer and trade national and local press and media, event management, experiential marketing, campaigns and internal communications.

Mrs Ryland has also worked in a variety of administration and communications roles for Suffolk County Council, including Education and Social Services.

Mrs K Pearson

Director of PSHE

Mrs Pearson completed her PGCE at Deben High School after completing a BA (Hons) Degree in the History of Art and Theory at the University of Essex as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in History. Mrs Pearson also taught at Westbourne High School for three years before returning to Deben High School to teach history and RE.

From September 2009, she was appointed Subject Leader of PHSEE and Citizenship. She very much enjoys the challenge of working with students to realise their academic as well as their personal potential. By focusing on the values and ethos promoted at Deben High School, students are encouraged to become healthy, successful and resilient adults who take an active role in their community.

As the recently appointed (September 2010) Co-opted SLT member, Mrs Pearson wishes to become further involved in underpinning the importance of both academic and personal development of students at Deben. She is also looking forward to taking up opportunities for professional development in order to further enhance students’ learning and involvement at Deben.

Although Mrs Pearson has lived in Suffolk for over 28 years, her Scottish accent remains as strong as ever!