Our Team
Rachel Taylor | Secondary ITT Lead (Partnerships)
Rachel joined Future Teacher Training in 2022, having previously led a secondary SCITT for another outstanding ITT provider. She has held a range of leadership roles at departmental and whole-school level, as well as provided school-to-school support within her role as a Specialist Leader of Education (Science). Rachel leads on ITT recruitment and works closely with Ciara on the implementation of our ITT curriculum across our partner schools.
Joanna James | Secondary ITT Lead (Curriculum)
Joanna James joined Future Teacher Training in 2020 after working as a senior leader in one of the highest-performing schools in the country. A passionate linguist and curriculum expert, Joanna leads the design and implementation of the Secondary ITT curriculum, ensuring it is both rigorous and responsive to the needs of trainee teachers. She also facilitates Spanish training and oversees the work of subject leads, ensuring a cohesive and comprehensive approach to teacher development. With her strong leadership and subject expertise, Joanna is dedicated to equipping our trainee teachers with the skills and knowledge to excel in their classrooms.
Ciara Sutton | Head of ITT & ECT
Ciara joins the Future Teacher Training team from a leadership role overseeing Teaching and Learning in an outstanding school. Having also been a leader of English, Ciara has a wealth of experience in developing teachers through expert facilitation and coaching. With her strong leadership and passion for professional development, Ciara is dedicated to ensuring that all trainee teachers can excel as individuals and support the progress of students.
Francesca Wood | ITT Coordinator
Fran joins the Future Teacher Training team as SCITT Coordinator after six years of experience as a secondary school teacher and department lead. With a passion for education and teacher development, Fran coordinates the administration and operations of the SCITT, supporting all trainees throughout their training year.
Natalie Parker | Director of Teacher Development
Natalie oversees the delivery of our training programme, regularly sourcing expert teachers to lead sessions to our trainee teachers with a particular focus on sharing evidence-informed practice.
She has a background in teacher education, having worked on teacher training projects in several countries alongside acting as an associate tutor for the Teach First programme.
She has an MA in Educational Leadership from the Institute of Education with a focus on continuing professional development.
Anna-Maria O'Toole | Head of SEND
Anna-Maria O'Toole is the Trust lead for learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
She works with our SENDCOs and other school leaders to ensure that students with SEND can thrive in our schools.
Subject Leads
Based within the curriculum centre at Pimlico Academy, the subject leads write the trust curriculum and provide subject specific teacher development.
They lead regular ITT training sessions within our programme, aimed at applying the ITT curriculum to the subject domain, as well as discussing subject specific pedagogy and common debates. To provide additional support subject leads also visit trainees in trust schools to discuss curriculum resources and observe lessons.
Lastly, subject leads provide a bank of online resources to support trainee teacher development in their subject.
You can read more about our inspirational subject leads below.
James Goundry | History Lead
James returns to Future Academies after over a decade in school leadership, bringing with him a passion for History and education. An Oxford graduate in History, James is committed to fostering academic excellence through thoughtful curriculum design and professional development. His expertise and dedication to his subject ensure that students develop a rich understanding of history, while teachers are supported in delivering engaging and impactful lessons.
Georgina Charles | Senior English Lead
George joined Future Academies in 2024 from her role as Vice Principal at the top performing Harris Academy. She has a track record of exceptional outcomes and subject leadership and is undertaking a curriculum review of English alongside leading the rollout of the Reading curriculum across the MAT. George’s strategic leadership and deep expertise in English education ensure that high standards of teaching and learning are maintained, benefiting both students and teachers.
Idara Hippolyte | Mathematics Lead
Idara has held middle-leadership roles in two other large multi-academy trusts, including Mastery Lead responsible for the implementation of both Ark Mathematics Mastery and White Rose Maths curricula, department head and initial teacher trainer. After her BA in Mathematics and English Literature she cheated on the discipline with an MPhil in English, an MBA and then a DPhil – again, in English – before her PGCE (Secondary Mathematics). Ultimately, she enjoys co-creating conditions for learners to make better decisions and produce more beautiful mathematics.
Sam Hayhurst | Senior Maths Lead
Sam joined Future Academies having worked in school leadership in inner-London schools for a number of years. A passionate mathematician, Sam led on the implementation of a trust-wide maths curriculum and works closely with school leaders to ensure effective implementation. Sam’s strategic approach and expertise in curriculum design ensure that teachers and students across the trust receive a consistent and impactful maths education, fostering both understanding and enthusiasm for the subject.
Charlie Furber | Classics Lead
Charlie is the Subject Lead for Latin at Future Academies and the Director of the Department for Education’s Latin Excellence Programme. After completing degrees in Classics at Oxford and King’s College London universities, he started teaching in January 2015. He trained with Future Teacher Training at Pimlico Academy in September 2016, coinciding with the launch of Latin at the school. Due to student success and demand, since September 2019, the subject has been taught at all primary and secondary schools in Future Academies. In September 2022, Future Academies launched the DfE’s Latin Excellence Programme, which will develop Latin and Classics provisions in forty schools across England. Charlie is passionate about teaching Latin and making the subject accessible, challenging and enjoyable to everyone.
Adam Hirst | Computer Science Lead
Adam, formerly the Head of Computer Science at Pimlico Academy, now leads the design and implementation of the Computer Science curriculum across the Trust. He has a strong track record of supporting and mentoring teachers in various capacities, including as a school-based professional mentor and mentor to numerous educators. His extensive experience as Head of Department highlights his expertise and commitment to delivering an effective Computer Science curriculum across the Trust.
Phil Robinson | Science Lead
With over a decade of classroom experience, Phil Robinson brings a wealth of expertise to his role as Science Lead at Future Academies. For six years, he successfully led Key Stage 3 Science at Pimlico Academy before transitioning to a trust-wide leadership position. Holding an MSc in Chemistry, Phil has a strong interest in curriculum design and is dedicated to developing science programmes that are both engaging and academically rigorous. His focus on fostering scientific curiosity and critical thinking helps to ensure a high standard of science education across the trust.
Kate Stockings | Geography Lead
Kate is a key member of Future Academies, bringing extensive experience in Geography education. Previously, she served as Head of Geography for six years across two schools before taking on her current Trust Lead role. Kate is also deeply involved in the geography community, having presented, consulted, and authored for the Geographical Association, the Royal Geographical Society, and various publishers and organisations. Her expertise and ongoing contributions ensure that the geography curriculum remains innovative and effective.
Shahid Wahad | Spanish Lead
Shahid leads on writing the Future Academies bespoke KS3 Spanish curriculum. He believes firmly in the importance of teaching language through the acquisition of highly generative chunks, alongside the rigorous and explicit teaching of grammar, that can be manipulated and unpacked to serve different communicative functions.
Shahid splits his time between his role as Assistant Principal at Pimlico Academy and work in our other Trust academies, where he supports with curriculum implementation. Before training to teach with Future Teacher Training, Shahid read Modern and Medieval Languages at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he also completed his MPhil in Latin American Studies.
Nickael Briggs | Social Sciences Lead
Nickael, Senior Vice Principal at Trinity Academy, has been instrumental in leading Social Sciences training for Future Teacher Training for several years. With extensive experience as a coach, mentor, and PSHE lead across a Multi-Academy Trust, Nickael brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. Her dedication to the development of Social Sciences education ensures that both trainees and educators receive high-quality support and guidance.
Lisa Duggin | Drama Lead
Lisa has dedicated nearly 15 years to teaching Drama at Pimlico Academy, where she has played a pivotal role in developing the curriculum. Throughout her time with Pimlico Academy, Lisa has held various positions within the ITT programme, including professional mentor, mentor, and Drama Subject Lead. Her extensive experience and commitment to the field ensure that the Drama curriculum is both innovative and effective, supporting the growth and development of future educators.
Lizzie Hughes | Head of Art, Pimlico Academy
Lizzie has been teaching Art for over 14 years and is currently Head of Department at Pimlico Academy. Lizzie studied fine art at both UAL Camberwell and Edinburgh College of Art, where she completed a BA Hons in Drawing and Painting and a Post graduate diploma in Tapestry.
Since becoming a teacher Lizzie has written and implemented a new KS3 curriculum which is still in use at Pimlico Academy and has now been Head of Art for three years. Lizzie has a proven record of excellent GCSE and A level results and has mentored a number of trainees and new teachers throughout her career. Prior to being Head of Department Lizzie was also a Head of Year in the sixth form where she gained valuable knowledge about how students learn and how to create a culture of independence.
Hawys Elis-Williams | Music Lead
Hawys has successfully led the Music department at Pimlico Academy for the past five years. In her role as the Music Subject Network Lead for Future Academies, she collaborates closely with Heads of Department to enhance music provision across the schools in the trust. Her expertise and leadership in music education support the development of a rich and dynamic music curriculum, fostering creativity and excellence.
Subject Facilitators
We draw on the expertise of colleagues across our Future Academies schools and partner organisations to help facilitate aspects of our teacher training programmes. We collaborate with a range of subject practitioners, with proven outcomes within the classroom, who work closely with our subject leads to support our subject-based sessions and the development our trainees' subject-specific pedagogical knowledge.
You can read more about some of our subject facilitators here.
Sophie Evans - Lead Teacher, Latin & Classics
Sophie joined Pimlico Academy in 2018 as a teacher of Classics and is now a Lead Teacher on the Latin Excellence Programme. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Manchester in Classics and Ancient History and has a PGCE in Classics from the University of Sussex. Having attended a non-selective state school herself, Sophie is passionate about making Latin a subject that is available and accessible to all. She also leads on the teaching of Ancient History and Classical Civilisation in her school, giving her comprehensive knowledge and experience of all the Classical subjects available at KS4 and KS5.
Lauren Patrick - Lead Teacher, Latin & Classics
Lauren splits her time between her roles as Lead Teacher for the Latin Excellence Programme and Head of Classics at Pimlico Academy. After reading Classics at St John’s College, Oxford, Lauren completed her training with Future Teacher Training in 2016, and has been teaching at Pimlico since. She is an experienced mentor of both trainees and early career teachers and is currently completing an NPQ in Leading Teacher Development.
Cladia Tardelli - Lead Teacher, Latin & Classics
A trained linguist and philologist, with over 10 years of experience in higher education and research, Claudia joined Barclay Academy in 2019, where she successfully introduced Latin to all pupils in Year 7 and was soon after appointed as Head of Latin. In 2022, she was seconded to Centre of Latin Excellence, where she contributes to the delivering of the Department for Education's Latin Excellence Programme. She oversees teacher development in our Hertfordshire schools and supports school leadership with the smooth running of the Latin programme.
Claudia was a Gates Scholar at the University of Cambridge, where she completed a PhD in Medieval Italian Studies. She has a PGCE in Education and is passionate about language teaching and learning as well as the intersection of language history and culture. Claudia is a published author.
Subject Mentors
Based within your school, the subject mentor will provide developmental support daily. Progress against training priorities will be assessed by the subject mentor on, at least, a weekly basis.
New knowledge and training will be discussed in weekly mentor meetings, so that enactment and practise within the school setting can be adapted to the specific context and training needs of each trainee.
We are very proud that our mentors are often subject leads or curriculum experts who put themselves forward for this important role. In addition, there are a growing number of alumni now mentoring trainees - a track record we are very proud of.
Professional Mentors
The professional mentor is a senior staff member within the school setting, who provides training within your school context.
They ensure that your ITT training integrates purposefully with your school-based training, and provide an extra layer of developmental support.
They will also provide you with ongoing wellbeing support.