Duncan Reith - Principal

Duncan joined St Clare’s as Principal in September 2022. He has over twenty years’ experience of education management in international, independent and state schools. Headteacher of Charterhouse in Shenzhen before joining St Clare’s, and Vice Principal of Shrewsbury in Guangzhou before that, he worked in pastoral leadership as Senior Housemaster at Durham School for seven years and in academic leadership as Head of Teaching and Learning at the British School in Muscat, as Head of English at Culford School and on the Sixth Form team at the Thomas Hardye School. He has also been actively involved on school governing bodies, including as Chair of Governors of Ixworth School in Suffolk.
 

Duncan read Classics MA at Exeter College, Oxford University, and English Literature MA at the Open University. He took his PGCE at Roehampton and his MBA at Durham University. His first teaching experience after university was in teaching English as a Second Language, first in summer schools in Oxford and then in Greece, after which he moved to the independent sector, taking on his first boarding housemaster role at Walhampton.

Coming from a diplomatic family, he has held a long-lasting belief in the importance of working internationally to promote understanding and co-operation. Throughout his career in schools, he has always believed in holistic education, in the need for students to develop a full range of life skills and the ability to lead change if they are to enjoy the most fulfilling lives and make a difference. He was married for 23 years, and has two sons, now grown up. He enjoys travelling, reading, hill walking, sport and going to the theatre.

Becky Allen - Vice Principal, Pastoral (IB World School)

Becky joined St Clare’s as Vice Principal, Pastoral in September 2023. Becky has extensive experience of pastoral leadership and management, having previously held the roles of Deputy Head: Pastoral and Head of Middle School at Roedean School in Brighton, and Sixth Form Housemistress at Ardingly College in Sussex. It was at Ardingly that Becky first taught the International Baccalaureate, and she has been a huge advocate for the programme ever since. Becky believes that excellent pastoral care supports both personal development and academic progress, and she is a keen supporter of the focus placed by the IB on students developing emotional literacy and effective interpersonal and communication skills.
 

Becky lives at St Clare’s with her partner and two children. Becky and her family moved to Oxford from Brighton, where Becky spent much of her time sea swimming and paddle boarding. Becky also enjoys yoga, cooking and travel, and her family are all keen campers and festival attendees. Becky has taught both English Literature and Language and Drama. Her particular areas of academic focus lie in early modern drama and post-war British theatre, and she is interested in how creativity and performance support teaching and learning.

Becky has a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an MA in English, both from the University of Warwick. Becky began her career in London, enjoying a brief stint as an animation studio manager in Soho before taking up the first of several roles at the British Museum. She spent six years as a curator working on a number of museum projects, notably the 2012 exhibition Shakespeare: staging the world and the 2010 BBC radio series A History of the World in 100 Objects. Becky oversaw the transformation of this ground-breaking series into an international touring exhibition, writing the accompanying catalogue and delivering lectures at the exhibition’s opening in Abu Dhabi.

Alongside her work at St Clare’s, Becky is a Team Inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). She is also the safeguarding link governor for a local secondary school.

David White - Vice Principal, Academic (IB World School)

David joined St. Clare’s as Vice Principal, Academic in September 2023. After beginning his teaching career in London, he left for what he thought would be a short sojourn teaching internationally and now returns to the UK twenty-four years later having worked in schools in Singapore, the UAE, and Romania. He has extensive experience working with the IBO as a teacher and examiner, and has worked in various leadership roles in this time. He finished his 17 years at United World College of South East Asia in Singapore as the IB Diploma Coordinator and Vice Principal, having previously worked as a Head of Grade, Head of Department and Boarding Houseparent. Following this, he was the IB Diploma Coordinator and Vice Principal at the American International School of Bucharest until last year when he moved online to help lead and coordinate the launch of the first ever online Diploma programme with King’s Interhigh.

Following a BA in English and Philosophy from the University of Southampton, David took his PGCE at the University of Bath and, more recently, has a Master's in Film from Staffordshire University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology from the University of Glasgow. Primarily an English teacher, he has also taught Film and TOK at IB Diploma level. He has a passionate belief in the IB ethos and its holistic, aspirational mission as a context within which students can thrive, both academically and personally.

David has experience of the IB programme as a parent as well as an educator, as he and his wife have three children, two of whom have recently completed the IB Diploma. They also live with three adopted street dogs, one from Singapore and two from Romania (none of whom have yet completed the IB Diploma). In his spare time, David enjoys walking with his wife and dogs, as well as running, swimming and writing. He is the co-author of a website for IB English teachers and the solo author of a draft novel that haunts him on a daily basis.

Suzanne Mowat - Director of Marketing, Admissions and Development

Suzanne joined St Clare’s in July 2018 and is responsible for providing strategic leadership with regards to all the core student recruitment, marketing and admissions activities undertaken across the college. 

After graduating with a BA (Hons) in Communication, Media and Culture at Glamorgan, Suzanne undertook several marketing qualifications, with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and then became an International Marketing Manager for a publishing company based in Boston, USA. She has over 14 years international marketing, admissions and recruitment experience from the Higher Education sector and was Head of International Student Recruitment, Marketing and Development at Oxford Brookes University. She has spent a lot of time working with international students, their families, schools, and universities overseas and has visited over 80 countries. 

Suzanne has two children that keep her busy outside of work and in her spare time, enjoys football and a sporting challenge – from half marathons to 100km cycle rides through the night.

Dobrila Arezina - Director of the International College

Dobrila is Oxford-born and Serbian-bred, bringing a blend of cultural richness and professional expertise to her role. After earning a BA (Hons) in Business Administration, Marketing, and Accounting, she joined St Clare’s in 1999 on a summer contract in the Bursary. Over the years, her journey at St Clare’s has been dynamic, with roles spanning administration, residence management, and now, Director of the International College.

With extensive operational experience in the international student sector, Dobrila has cultivated an impressive understanding of the market. Her deep expertise and approachable nature make her the go-to person for advice on a wide array of topics.

Dobrila’s passion lies in fostering a safe and inclusive environment where mutual respect, empathy, and appreciation for diverse cultures, beliefs, and opinions can thrive. She firmly believes that education holds the power to create meaningful, positive change in the world, and her dedication to this mission is at the heart of her work.

Justin Moore - Bursar and Clerk to The Governors

Justin joined St Clare’s in June 2019 assuming responsibility for the full gamut of the College’s non-academic activities. Justin has a law degree from the Open University, an MSc in Defence Management from Cranfield University and is also a Chartered Management Accountant (CIMA). He was commissioned into the Army after training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and spent over 24 years in postings on the UK mainland and Northern Ireland, as well as various tours and operational deployments overseas, often within multinational command structures. Latterly, Justin led a team of finance professionals within the strategic apex of the Army, costing the Army’s manpower, equipment, training activity, and infrastructure. However, an earlier and highly enjoyable tour at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom had sparked his interest in effective resource management in education, so when he left the Army in 2013, he took up the post of Bursar of Bishop Wordsworth’s School, in Salisbury.

Justin was drawn to St Clare’s because of its international outlook but readily acknowledges his linguistic shortcomings. When not taxi driving daughters, his interests include paragliding, hill walking, history, travel, cycling and all things outdoors. Having handed in his membership card of rugby’s Front Row Union he now enjoys time in the middle with a referee’s whistle.

Simon Talbot – Director of Summer and Short Courses

Simon has had an enjoyable career working with international students since 2007, in Summer Schools, Boarding Schools, Further Education Colleges and Universities in the UK and overseas. He joined St Clare’s in 2023 to lead the newly formed Summer and Short Courses division where he oversees a wide variety of programmes for over 1200 students every year.  

Outside of work, Simon is an avid traveller, a drummer in a local band and spends his free time taking his dog for walks in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside.

Chris Osbourn - Head of IB Admissions

Chris Osbourn is Head of Admissions at St Clare's. He has been at the school for over 20 years during which time he has represented the school internationally, meeting families from all around the world. Previously Chris worked in Admissions and Marketing at Cambridge University and King’s College London. 

In his spare time, he enjoys walking, cycling and cooking and supporting the Arsenal Football Club, he has been a season ticket holder for almost 30 years.

Sara Lynes - IB Admissions Manager

Sara joined the IB World School Admissions team in 2023. Having studied a BA in Italian and Spanish, Sara has a strong interest in language, culture and communications. She has lived both in Italy and Spain and enjoys connecting with people from different countries and backgrounds, and is passionate about creating a warm, welcoming environment at St Clare’s for prospective students and helping them feel inspired by the opportunities available to them in the college and in Oxford. 

Outside of work, she enjoys travel, long walks, and of course, keeping up her language skills whenever she can.

Fyonna Boateng - IB Admissions Officer

Originally born in the US, Fyonna brings first-hand experience of the St. Clare’s experience and community as an IB20 alumna. After completing the IB, she has worked in diverse industries such as marketing, quantitative academic research, and mental health support roles, all while pursuing her undergraduate degree. 

After graduating from the University of Reading with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology with Professional Placement in 2024, she is excited to leverage her skills to engage with prospective parents and students in a supportive and truly international environment.

Alex Palmer

Alex Palmer has taught at St. Clare's since 2011. After reading English Language and Literature at the University of Manchester, he began his career in Argentina in 2008, working with teenagers, trainee teachers, and corporate professionals.

On returning to the UK, Alex completed the Cambridge DELTA and taught across all programmes at St. Clare's International College, including University Foundation, English plus Academic Subjects, and exam preparation. As Director of Studies for the summer courses (2013–2015), he developed syllabuses to support progression to academic year programmes.

Since moving to the IB campus full-time in 2016, Alex teaches English A and B, Pre-IB English, and IGCSE, aiming to foster intrinsic motivation and cross-subject understanding.

Alexander Lawn

Alexander joined St Clare’s in 2025 as a Teacher of IB Economics and IB Business Management. He has taught in independent schools in Australia, where he also undertook pastoral care and curriculum leadership responsibilities.

He holds a dual degree in Business Management and Education (Secondary) from The University of Queensland. In addition to his main subject areas, his teaching experience includes Entrepreneurial Studies, Finance, Justice Studies, Religion & Ethics, and Christian Studies.

Alexander is committed to supporting students’ wider development and has coordinated water polo, coached teams, and supervised ski trips. His interests include travel, tennis, and following Rugby Union.

Andrew Young

Andrew Young, who graduated with Combined Honours from the University of London, has been teaching both History and Politics at St. Clare’s, Oxford since 1987. As Head of the Humanities Department he has recently overseen the introduction of the HL Global Politics into the curriculum. As an author he has published articles in Modern History Review on topics as diverse as Benito Mussolini’s rise to power, and Mao Zedong’s policies towards women. 

Andrew has a particular interest in an arcane branch of politics known as Psephology – the study of electoral systems and voting behaviour. He has helped to organise and co-lead multiple St. Clare’s trips including India, Israel, Prague, Northern Ireland, Krakow, Auschwitz and, most recently, World War One battlefield tours. As part of his commitment to advancing international education and understanding he runs the in-house Model United Nations group, and has co-led delegations to inter-school MUN conferences. 

Married to a Californian girl, Barbara, they have four mid-Atlantic children: Acacia, Jemma, George, and Ian.

Angeles Torres-Armendariz

Angeles Torres-Armendariz was born and raised in Paris to Spanish parents, growing up with two cultures she loves sharing with her students. She has taught French B, Spanish B, and Pre-IB at St. Clare's since 2013 and has been a personal tutor since 2016.

She studied at the Sorbonne, gaining a BA Honours in Spanish and an MA in Teaching French as a Foreign Language. Before St. Clare's, she taught French at the Oxford University Language Centre and French and Spanish at Oxford Brookes University, preparing students for language examinations and the PGCE in Spanish. She began her career teaching both languages at Godstowe and Cothill House preparatory schools.

Angeles values the cultural diversity at St. Clare's and enjoys travelling, art, French baroque music, literature, cinema, and cycling.

Andrew Hennigan

Andrew graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry from Aston University and worked in industry before completing his PGCE at Keele University. Now in his 25th year of teaching, he has spent 17 years specialising in IBDP Chemistry, as well as serving as an IBDP Coordinator. His career has taken him from UK state and independent schools to international schools in Malaysia, Thailand, El Salvador, Slovakia, and Lithuania. 

Currently in his fifth year at St Clare’s, Oxford, Andrew also brings experience teaching Theory of Knowledge, Mathematics, and coaching rugby and athletics.

Ashley Armitage

Ashley Armitage graduated with Honours from Newcastle Business School. He then attended Leeds Trinity University for his PGCE in Business and began his teaching career in state schools in Yorkshire and Oxfordshire. Ashley has experience leading departments as a Head of House and Head of Business, before joining St Clare’s in 2022. He is particularly interested in marketing and was formerly a Managing Director of a tutoring and supply teaching company.

Ashley is a passionate sportsman, having represented his schools and universities in various sports including basketball, rugby, football and ice hockey. His sporting highlight was playing football at Old Trafford (the home of Manchester United). In his spare time, Ashley enjoys visiting national parks with his friends and family.

Astrid Fraser

Astrid Fraser is the Senior Librarian at St. Clare’s, and has worked at the college since 2004. She graduated in Politics and Media Studies from De Montfort University and worked in bookselling and publishing before doing a library traineeship at the Bodleian Library. She gained her MA in Librarianship from the University of Sheffield and then worked for Oxford University at the Politics and International Relations Faculty Library, before joining St. Clare’s. 

Astrid is a secretary of the Oxfordshire School Library Association. She loves to travel and has worked in children’s homes in India and Bangladesh. Astrid also enjoys visiting museums and galleries, watching films and reading.

Barry Egan

Barry has been working in teaching for the past nine years, both in English language and science. He has taught in Vietnam, Korea, Czechia, and the UK state sector before joining St Clare’s in 2024 as Head of Physics. After earning his BSc (Hons) in Biology and Experimental Physics, he travelled extensively across five continents and taught English to learners of all ages, eventually completing his CELTA qualification in Prague before coming to take his PGCE at the University of Oxford. He has experience teaching in several different education systems, from those in Vietnam and Korea to the GCSE and A Level curriculum in the UK. He is now eagerly delving into the world of IB teaching.

In his free time, Barry enjoys reading extensively and playing Gaelic football with the local and county teams. While he might still brag about his days playing U21 county football with Kildare, these days Barry’s guilty pleasure lies in solving physics questions and drinking fancy espressos. He looks forward to completing his Masters in Learning and Teaching with the University of Oxford and re-discovering his love of good fiction.

Dariusz Parczewski

Dariusz K Parczewski graduated MA of Arts from the University of Warsaw in Poland. He studied Polish Language, Literature and Anthropology of Film and Theatre. He is a teacher, journalist, poet, filmmaker and photographer. He taught students at secondary school, sixth form and university, across Poland and England. 

He published the comic book KOLBE and a book of poetry, ŚLADY. His poems were published in several anthologies, magazines and were awarded in a poetry competition. In addition, he won awards at various film festivals, for his documentaries and short films. 

He enjoys listening to the radio, reading books and making bread. Frequently, he spends time on his bike, cycling around Oxford and Lublin. He is a husband and father of five.

Darrel Ross

Darrel grew up on the Devon coast before studying at the Oxford School of Architecture. As a RIBA Chartered Architect, he worked with private practices on projects across the UK, Europe, and Saudi Arabia, specialising in the education sector.

His work in schools, colleges, and universities led him into teaching, where he chose to specialise in Maths, driven by a fascination with mathematical concepts, problem solving, and Maths' relevance to construction. After studying with the Open University, he completed a PGCE in Oxford, taught in three UK schools, and managed a department of 12 secondary Maths teachers before joining St. Clare's as Assistant Principal Academic in 2014.

Darrel lives in Oxford with his family and enjoys art, architecture, painting, woodwork, reading, and KenKens. He plays guitar, aspires to learn piano, and enjoys swimming and occasional surfing.

David Beale

David Beale studied Environmental Science at Kings’ College London and completed a Master’s degree at the University of Edinburgh. He worked in wildlife conservation in Oxford, Indonesia, Eritrea and Tanzania and then made wildlife documentaries at the BBC. 

He moved into teaching having completed a PGCE and over the last twenty years he has been lucky enough to work in some of the most amazing schools in the UK and Australia. He has taught IB Biology for over ten years.

David Chaplin

David Chaplin has been a member of the St Clare’s community for twenty years. He teaches Theory of Knowledge on the IB and Photography on our Pre-IB, summer school, and senior courses. He also teaches our History of Art course, which makes full use of Oxford’s rich cultural heritage.

In 2015 he began working as a Personal Tutor, and also works in the library where he recently set up an educational e-video platform for staff and students. He was awarded his first degree by the University of Wales in the Humanities, gained his PGCE in Oxford, and has studied Art and Design. He also has a certificate in teaching basic literacy and numeracy to adults with learning difficulties, which was inspired by his work prior to St Clare’s in the mental health division of the NHS.

Didier Descamps

Didier Descamps is a lifelong language teacher who has taught Dutch, French, English as a Foreign Language, and principally German throughout his career. After gaining an MA and PGCE in Germanic Languages from the Catholic University of Louvain, he spent ten years teaching in his native Belgium before moving to Oxford.

Didier has always favoured international contexts, also teaching first aid to asylum seekers with the Belgian Red Cross, managing residential English language summer courses in the UK, and helping run a youth theatre programme in the US. In the UK, he has taught IB German and GCSE and A Level French, joining St. Clare's in 2021 as a part-time IB Dutch teacher.

Outside work, Didier has a keen interest in post-WWII European and postcolonial history, which he incorporates into his teaching. He enjoys travelling, cycling, and walking his dogs, and is raising his young daughter trilingually.

Elena Fletcher

Elena was born and educated in Russia. She graduated from St Petersburg University (then Leningrad) with a Master’s degree in English and Linguistics. She later moved to Oxford, where she taught GCSE and A Level Russian for ten years. After completing her PGCE at Oxford Brookes University, she went on to teach in a variety of state and independent schools.

With her children now grown up and pursuing careers of their own, she has more time to enjoy her passions: reading, travelling, theatre, and gardening.

Emily Woodeson

Emily Woodeson is our Assistant Principal, Pastoral, Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and Biology teacher.  She joined St. Clare’s in 2014 having worked in a variety of local schools and internationally in Malaysia.  A keen traveller, Emily has worked in schools and charity projects in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Thailand and Nicaragua.

As a biologist she has a real passion for marine life and is a keen diver, recognising the increasing importance of preserving this critical ecosystem.  She enjoys watching and playing a wide variety of sports and has a keen interest in extra-curricular activities, believing that being part of a team is an enormously important life skill.

Fanny Gutjahr

Show more09:22Claude responded: Fanny Gutjahr has taught at St.Fanny Gutjahr has taught at St. Clare's since summer 2018. She studied Sociology, Pedagogy, and Philosophy in Mannheim and Darmstadt to master's level. For ten years in Germany, she managed a charity supporting schools with pedagogical development, taught at the University of Darmstadt, and led research into communication and mediation in schools. She also gained qualifications in family therapy and psychotherapy, contributing to Germany's first email emergency call service.

Her career as a teacher and translator took her to organisations including BMW and the Ministry of Defence. She studied creative writing at the Open University and gained her PGCE in Oxford in 2017.

Fanny speaks German, French, and English, and has travelled extensively across Europe, China, Georgia, Mongolia, and Russia. Her passion for education, language, literature, and the arts makes Oxford a natural home.

Francesca Shakespeare

Francesca Shakespeare is a practising artist and Art teacher. She has worked part-time for St Clare’s for fifteen years and teaches on the IB, Pre IB and the senior courses programmes. Francesca did a Fine Art and Italian degree at Exeter University, living and working in Italy before and during her course. Before moving to Oxford over twenty-five years ago, she ran a mural and decorative Art business in London with a studio in Notting Hill and commissions all around the country. She then started painting and teaching and exhibits both locally and further afield. Francesca is an active member of the local art community. She coordinates Summertown Artweeks (part of the big Oxfordshire Art Festival) and is a founding committee member of Young Art Oxford, a county-wide children’s art competition that exhibits at The Ashmolean Museum. 

She also works regularly with the Ashmolean’s education department to create interactive artworks for the galleries. As an illustrator, she has produced the decorative map of St Clare’s as well as ones of the River Thames and Cherwell. Francesca is married and has two daughters and a son. 

Francesca's website

Ida Kenward

Ida joined St Clare’s in 2017 and has taught Psychology and Swedish literature as well as supervised Extended essays and run the popular CAS activity Psychology film club. Ida has a degree in Politics & English and a PGCE from Uppsala University, and a Psychology degree from Stockholm University. She studied parts of her Uppsala degree as an exchange student at the University of Hull and at Oxford Brookes University. 

Ida is currently living in Stockholm and continues to teach Swedish literature at St Clare’s, as well as English, Politics and Psychology at a Swedish upper secondary school.

Inger-Marie Olsen

Inger Marie moved to Uk in 1997 and worked at the Norwegian school in London for 13 years. In 2010 she began teaching in the IB context and she has now taught students of all ages, including IB Norwegian Literature, IB Norwegian Language and Literature and Norwegian Language B in different London-based IB World Schools.

Inger Marie qualified as a teacher after studied at the Arctic University in Tromsø, Norway. She studied at the same University for a BA.

James Eve

James Eve joined St Clare’s as Head of English in September 2023. He has a degree in English from the University of St Andrews and a Masters in Renaissance Literature from the University of York. The first ten years of his working life were spent as a journalist, first on the Arts and Books sections of The Times in London, then as a sports reporter for Reuters in Rome. In 2007 he returned to England to fulfil a long-standing ambition to work as a teacher. Since then, he has taught in the state and independent sectors. 

His previous roles include Head of English at Magdalen College School in Oxford, and Director of Studies at the Royal Grammar School High Wycombe. In his spare time, James enjoys reading, running, going to the cinema, and practising his rusty Italian.

James Jacob

James Jacob joined St Clare’s as an IB History Teacher in September 2023. He has a BA (SOAS, History) and an MSc (UCL, Security Studies) and has taught in the state and independent sectors in London and Oxford. Before that, Jacob worked as an aid worker in Ghana, Uganda and Sudan. In his spare time, he enjoys cricket, debating, board games and history. Jacob’s favourite novel is ‘Quartered Safe Out Here’ by George Macdonald Fraser and his favourite film is Zulu.

Jennifer Taylor

Jennifer Taylor has been teaching Italian literature at St. Clare’s since 2005. She is passionate about her subject and has always been immersed in language and literature from an early age. 

Born in Turin, Italy, to an Italian mother and Canadian father she began her childhood in Germany, returning to Italy aged 7. Jennifer has a dottore in History of Art which she has studied alongside with Italian literature at Turin university and has grown up speaking 5 languages: Italian, English, German, Spanish and French. She studied in Berlin for a year having gained a place on the Erasmus scheme. She also obtained a creative writing diploma at Scuola Holden in Turin. She taught in Italy for two years before moving to the Cotswolds in 2005 where she lives with her family. 

Jennifer loves teaching at St Clare’s and continues to be very enthusiastic about her roots and regularly returns to Italy.

Jennifer Wirth

Jennifer Wirth joined St. Clare's Mathematics Department in 2011. She holds a BA in Mathematics from the University of Minnesota, Morris, and a Master's in Curriculum and Technology from the University of Phoenix, and uses her technology skills to keep colleagues and students current with calculator software.

Jennifer completed her teaching practicum in Australia, sparking a passion for combining teaching and travel. After teaching in the USA, she moved to the American Community School of Abu Dhabi, where she served as Head of Maths and the school's first IB Diploma Coordinator, and participated in Habitat for Humanity projects in India and Bangladesh. She subsequently taught at the American International School of Budapest before relocating to the UK.

Jennifer lives in Abingdon with her husband and two children. She enjoys travelling, local walks, and cooking with her family.

Jing Fan

Jing is a teacher of Chinese who joined St Clare’s in 2003. She currently teaches Chinese A: Literature, Chinese B, Mandarin ab initio and Pre-IB World Literature. She is also a personal tutor and has worked as an IB examiner. Trained as a teacher, Jing graduated from Central China Normal University with a BA in English Language and Literature, and she then did a postgraduate certificate in Comparative Literature in Wuhan, China. She also holds a PhD in Education and PGCE in Language Teaching from Goldsmith’s College, London. 

During her PGCE work placement, Jing spent one academic term at the prestigious Eton College, where she had an interesting and memorable experience. Before moving to the UK, she worked as a university lecturer, teaching English as well as Chinese to undergraduate students. 

In her spare time, Jing enjoys yoga, swimming and playing the piano. She also enjoys travelling with her family, exploring exotic places and authentic foods.

John Woodings

John Woodings has taught English Language and Literature at St. Clare's since 2015, following ten years teaching secondary English in Reading and positions as an English language teacher in Lima, Peru and Imola, Italy. Born in Leicestershire, he holds a BA from the University of Sheffield, a PGCE from Canterbury Christ Church University College, and an MA in Education for Global Futures from Reading University.

John has a wide range of interests that complement his teaching, including contemporary fiction, travel writing, cinema, and philosophy. He is a near-obsessive cycling enthusiast, racing mountain bikes locally and nationally with great enthusiasm if modest results.

He lives in South Oxfordshire with his wife and two young daughters.

Juan Pablo (JP) Ramos

Juan Pablo Ramos (JP) graduated in Psychology from the Universidad de San Simón in Bolivia and has a broad background in education, communications, and student welfare. At St Clare’s he is part-time librarian, senior invigilator, and House Parent of 121 Old House (121OH). 

A certified Green Badge Guide of the City of Oxford, JP shares his in-depth knowledge of the city’s history, culture, and hidden gems with students. 

Outside of work, he enjoys time with his 11-year-old daughter and travelling the canals of England on his narrowboat, The Temeraire.

Julia Hammett

Julia Hammett has taught English and History at St. Clare's since 2007, having previously lived and worked in Finland and Italy, teaching for the British Council. An experienced course designer, she has devised specialist English courses across many contexts, including technical courses for adults and a language course for diplomats at the University of Westminster.

A graduate of the University of Dundee, Julia holds an MA in English and History, a PGCE from Moray House, Edinburgh, and a Diploma in TEFL. Before joining St. Clare's, she served as Director of Studies for a busy summer language programme in Oxford.

Outside the classroom, Julia is an active community member and former local Councillor. As Chair of the Oxfordshire Badger Group, she liaises with councils on planning and wildlife issues, and is a Trustee of a British animal charity based in Sri Lanka.

Kevin Hennessy

Kevin Hennessy is Head of the Activities Department and the school’s Educational Visits Coordinator, (EVC). He has teaching experience in Ireland and Botswana. He holds degrees from University College Cork and a master’s in education from Oxford Brookes University. An experienced IB CAS workshop leader, Kevin promotes experiential learning through international trips, involvement in the Duke of Edinburgh Award and coaching the school football teams.

Kristel Vandenrijt

Kristel Vandenrijt joined St. Clare's Humanities department as a Teacher of History in 2018, also serving as a Personal Tutor and contributing to Model United Nations sessions. She holds an MA and PGCE from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and is both an IB History Examiner and CELTA qualified.

A firm believer in the IB's internationalism, Kristel has lived on three continents. After an exchange year in Arizona, she taught English as a Second Language in Vietnam before moving to the International School of Nice, where she taught History and contributed to curriculum development and school trips.

Outside school, Kristel has developed a passion for French cuisine, particularly cheese, and enjoys travelling to new destinations and hiking outdoors.

Lewis Fraser

Lewis Fraser is an Activities Teacher and the Pre-IB Coordinator at St Clare’s. He has worked at St Clare’s since 2015. Lewis completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Gloucestershire, graduating with a First Class Degree in Sport and Exercise Science, and his postgraduate degree at the University of Bristol, graduating with a Distinction in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public Health.

Since graduating, he has gone on to complete a Level Three Diploma in Personal Training and Fitness Instructing and offers training programmes to St Clare’s students. He has also completed a variety of other fitness instructing certificates, including gym-based boxing and studio cycling. He hopes to continue his professional development in the fitness industry to continue offering a variety of different classes. Since coming to St Clare’s, Lewis has taken leadership of the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme and believes passionately in the skills this challenging award can develop.

Matt Dolan

Matt is the Head of Science and a TOK teacher and has been at St. Clare’s since 2012. He studied Chemistry with industrial training at the University of Bath which included a year working in the research and development department of Shell in The Netherlands. 

Matt has always enjoyed opportunities for travel and has worked abroad in schools in Rome and Buenos Aires. In his spare time, Matt enjoys cycling and hiking, especially on trips to Scotland and Italy in his holidays.

Melanie Martindale

Melanie Martindale has taught Geography and Environmental Systems and Societies at St. Clare's since 2013. She holds a first degree from Liverpool University, a PGCE, and an MA in Geography in Education from the University of London.

Teaching since 1990, Melanie began her career in London before spending nine years in Botswana across government and independent schools. She returned to the UK in 2004 as Head of Geography at an Oxford independent school, then taught IB at an international school in Thailand before joining St. Clare's.

Melanie is an IB Geography Examiner, serving as team leader and standardisation team member for HL and examiner for internal assessment. She also contributed to writing an online IB Geography textbook. She has organised student trips to Botswana, Iceland, and South Africa, and enjoys travelling, tennis, and golf.

Nadia Jones

Nadia Jones was educated in Romania and studied Mathematics at Babes Bolyai University, Cluj.  Following her Master’s in Numerical Analysis and teaching diploma, she taught in various schools in her home country before relocating to the UK in 2004 to learn English.  Prior to her appointment at St Clare’s in 2009, she was a teacher of Mathematics at The Oratory School near Reading and at Wycombe High School.  She is married with two young children.  Although her passion is Mathematics, she also enjoys cooking, languages and travel.

Natasa Strabic

Nat joined St Clare’s as Head of Mathematics in September 2025. She holds a Graduate Engineer in Mathematics degree from the University of Zagreb, Croatia and a PhD in Numerical Analysis from the University of Manchester, UK. During her first year of teaching Mathematics in Sevenoaks School, Kent, she also obtained a PGCE. Her next role was at King Edward's School, Birmingham, where she focused on Mathematics extension and enrichment. 

When she is not supporting, inspiring and challenging her students to discover the beauty and power of Mathematics, chances are that Nat is reading. She loves fantasy, Supernatural, dragons and, in a break from the pattern, sloths.

Nisha Bauluck

Nisha Bauluck graduated from the University of Sussex with a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics and French which she followed up by completing a PGCE in Mathematics.  She has taught Maths since 1996 in various schools in England and joined St Clare’s in 2011. She is an examiner for the Standard Level internal assessment and is therefore very familiar with the requirements of this component.

Nisha has taken on many different challenges whilst teaching and these have included Head of Maths as well as Head of Year roles.  She worked with the University of Oxford on their PGCE programme where she was in charge of recruiting and training new Maths teachers. Now she has settled into the role of a full time Maths teacher as this is where she feels most fulfilled.

In her spare time, Nisha has been following a yoga course for the last six years, where the focus is on the physical as well as the spiritual benefits of yoga. Otherwise, she can be found at her sewing machine or with knitting needles in her hands.

Norma Turrisi

Norma Turrisi is a qualified Geography and Humanities teacher with an Italian background and international experience in the UK, Malta, Germany, and Italy, including prestigious colleges and grammar schools. She holds an MA in Education and Pedagogy, a Master’s degree in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, a degree in Science, and a degree in Nursing Science. 

Norma has taught across all designed curricula, leading fieldwork and innovative projects. She is especially passionate about addressing climate change and developing sustainable fashion initiatives, inspiring students to connect science, culture, creativity, and sustainability.

Paul Sinclair

Paul Sinclair is the Director of Studies for the Academic Programmes at the International College and enjoys both working with our university partners in the USA and advising students who apply to American Universities, a role he has fulfilled since 2007.  

He studied Medieval History at the University of St Andrews and also completed a year of study abroad at Queen’s University, Canada, and an MA in History at the University of Washington in Seattle before moving to Oxford to research thirteenth century England on a British Academic Scholarship at St John’s College, especially kingship, knighthood and the reign of King Henry III.  Paul teaches Liberal Arts courses on history and art history and gives seminars on a range of medieval topics, J.R.R. Tolkien and Victorian medievalism; he is currently researching the utopian writings of William Morris.  

In his spare time, he likes to explore eighteenth century English landscape gardens and listen to 1960s American soul music – although rarely at the same time.

Rebecca Atwell

Rebecca joined the St Clare’s English Department in 2025. She has a degree in English Literature from Cambridge University and an MA in Social Anthropology from SOAS. She began teaching after working on education projects in South Sudan and with refugees in Australia. 

In 2013 she gained her CELTA qualification whilst living in Brazil and taught English to migrant workers for two years in Singapore. After returning to the UK in 2016, she completed her PGCE and taught ESOL, English Literature and Language in a Further Education college for 8 years. 

When not reading for work or pleasure, she enjoys walking, swimming, going to the theatre, gardening and making bread.

Rebecca Pyrah

Rebecca Pyrah has been an Activities Teacher and the Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) Coordinator since 2007. She has gained a wealth of knowledge in the field of CAS and extra-curricular activities and enjoys adapting the provision of the programme to meet the needs and interests of the current students.

Rebecca has a first-class honours degree in Physical Education (PE) from Leeds Beckett University and studied for her PGCE at Loughborough University.

Ricardo Da Silva Esteves

Ricardo Da Silva Esteves was born in Coimbra, Portugal, and raised in Nantes, France. He has taught literature in French and Portuguese, and French and Spanish language at St. Clare's since 2005.

Ricardo completed a Master's in English and Portuguese at Nantes University, studied at Cardiff University on an Erasmus exchange, and gained his PGCE at Hughes Hall, Cambridge in 2000. He taught at Comberton Village College and Didcot School for Girls before joining St. Clare's, bringing experience across primary workshops, GCSE, A Level, and adult and business courses. He has also been an IB examiner for a number of years and organises annual trips to Paris and Lisbon.

A passionate linguist shaped by four cultures, Ricardo is an avid reader, cinemagoer, and gardener with strong interests in the visual arts and music, dividing his spare time between the UK, Northern Portugal, and France.

Sarah Jinks

Sarah Jinks is Head of Biology, Theory of Knowledge Coordinator, Learning Support Assessor, and Medics Supervisor at St Clare’s, where she has taught since 2006, she is also an IB examiner. Sarah holds a degree in Biological Sciences (Warwick) and a PGCE and Masters in Learning and Teaching (Oxford). She is a certified Microsoft Innovative Educator and has published textbooks and articles on Biology. Outside work, she enjoys beekeeping, sailing, singing, and trying to learn Italian.

Sophie Howells

Sophie Howells joined St. Clare's in 2016 as a teacher of English and Theatre, and serves as Head of Department for the Arts – IB Group 6. She currently teaches Pre-IB English, Pre-IB Theatre, IB English Language and Literature, and IB Theatre.

A graduate in English and American Literature from the University of Manchester, Sophie taught in northwest England before moving to an international school in Lyon, where she became a French Baccalaureate examiner. She subsequently spent ten years at an Oxfordshire independent school, developing expertise in university applications as Deputy Head of Sixth Form.

At St. Clare's, Sophie is an accredited IB English Language and Literature examiner and is actively involved in the IB Theatre circuit. She has grown the Theatre programme significantly, staging devised work, drama showcases, and cross-arts productions. Regular trips to Oxford, London, and Stratford are a highlight of the college arts calendar.

Susan Khampuwieng

Sue Khampuwieng is from Leeds in the UK. She is an experienced IB Visual Arts examiner and has led art departments in the UK and international schools in Saudi Arabia, Tanzania and Thailand. 

Sue completed her BA, PGCE and Master of Arts degrees at universities in the UK. She has taught A level, IGCSE and IB Programs. During her career, Sue has worked for several international charities working to improve education in refugee communities in Thailand. She hopes to contribute to Creativity, Action and Service at St Clare’s. Sue promotes the Arts as a powerful vehicle for developing communication, collaboration and problem-solving skills. 

When she is not teaching, Sue enjoys painting, reading and caring for her pets with her husband, Den, and son, Dew.

Sharon Sillman

Sharon Sillman was born in Yorkshire and grew up in South Africa. She joined St. Clare's in 2022 as a part-time Mathematics teacher, bringing more than 35 years of teaching experience. She holds an Honours degree in Mathematics Education from the University of Johannesburg.

Most of Sharon's career was spent in South Africa, where she also wrote lesson plans for a government organisation aimed at supporting schools struggling with the legacy of apartheid-era segregation. More recently, she taught at the International School of Bologna, Italy.

Outside the classroom, Sharon is an enthusiastic reader and walker. She has completed the Via degli Dei from Bologna to Florence and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. She has two grown-up children, one in Oxfordshire and one in Amsterdam.

Steve Marshall

Steve Marshall has been teaching Geography and Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS) at St. Clare's since 2007, where he is currently Head of both departments. He holds a BSc in Geography and PGCE from Newcastle University and has taught across the Seychelles, Jordan, Spain, Brazil, China, and Ethiopia.

Steve has held numerous roles including Head of Economics, Head of Humanities, IBDP Coordinator, and IB Examiner. He recently edited the Pearson IBDP ESS textbook and oversees quality control of Kognity online textbooks in ESS and Geography. He also leads IB teacher training workshops across the Euro-African region. At St. Clare's, he organises the annual Dorset field trip, has led student trips to Iceland, and coaches the school volleyball club.

Steve lives in Oxford with his wife and two sons. He is a sports enthusiast with a particular passion for volleyball, having played at national league level, and is a committed Newcastle United supporter.

Suso Rodríguez-Blanco

Suso Rodríguez-Blanco has taught Spanish Language and Literature at St. Clare's since 2002 and has been Head of Modern Languages since 2011. He completed his BA in Spanish and English Literature, a PGCE, and a postgraduate degree in Comparative Literature at the University of Santiago de Compostela. After beginning his career as a literary theory researcher, he taught Spanish at Liverpool University and Knowsley Community College before joining St. Clare's.

A passionate advocate of the IB Diploma, Suso has served as a Spanish B examiner team leader, contributed to standardisation and grade award committees, and participated in the IB joint groups 1 and 2 curriculum review. He authored the Spanish B Course Companion and Skills and Practice books for Oxford University Press and teaches Spanish literature and culture annually at the University of Santiago de Compostela.

Outside teaching, Suso enjoys independent cinema, early and sacred music, flamenco, classical art, and the landscape and gastronomy of his native Galicia.

Tatiana Soloveia

Tatiana graduated from Moscow State University with a degree in Soils Science and spent several years mapping and studying soils. 

Tatiana joined St Clare’s in 1998 and has been supporting science teachers since then by providing practical support in the labs and on the field trips. Since 2006 she also has been a Personal Tutor. 

Additionally, she co-runs Pets and Plants club with Sarah. In her free time Tatiana enjoys reading and looking after her allotment.

Teodora Petranova

Teodora has taught Bulgarian Literature at St. Clare's since 2011, joining the Theory of Knowledge team in 2012 and teaching critical thinking on summer courses. She has also worked in the college library and has been a House Parent in one of the boarding houses since 2019.

Teodora holds a BA and MA in Journalism from Sofia and an MSc in Media and Communications from the LSE. Earlier in her career she worked as a journalist and PR in Bulgaria before moving to London, where she was a Producer-Presenter in the Bulgarian section of the BBC World Service from 1995 to 2003.

Her teaching career began in 2004 at the Anglo-American School in Moscow. Following her return to England, she taught Colloquial Bulgarian at Oxford University's Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages and, in 2015, co-founded a weekend language school for Oxford's Bulgarian community, which she continues to manage.

Ulf von der Osten

Ulf-Wedig v. der Osten is the head of Economics and Business Management. He has been teaching since 2006 and at St. Clare’s since 2010. He graduated from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany with an MA in Economics and Management in 2002.  After working at the University of Navarre in Pamplona and the European Parliament in Brussels he did his teacher training at the Institute of Education in London. He is the Link teacher for the Young Enterprise group at St. Clare’s and he is also a Personal Tutor to a group of Pre-IB students.

A German native, he enjoys building birch plywood furniture with his German engineered power tools and spending time with his family.

Vicky Watson

Vicky Watson has lived and worked in France, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom. She holds a BA in French and Italian from the University of London, a maîtrise from the Faculté des lettres d'Avignon, a diploma in TESOL from Trinity College London, and a PGCE from Christ Church College, Canterbury.

Vicky has taught English at St. Clare's for two decades and is an IB examiner for Group 1 English and an IB teacher-trainer who has led workshops worldwide. A firm believer in the IB's power to improve the world, she has also taught numerous IB revision courses.

Outside the classroom, Vicky enjoys learning languages, riding horses, painting, playing musical instruments, and reading widely. She is a member of the Linguistics Association of Great Britain, a Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award holder, and a politically active pro-European

Victoria Staveley

Victoria Staveley works at St Clare’s in various capacities. In addition to teaching Theory of Knowledge, she is the Academic Office manager. She also teaches Liberal Arts courses in Renaissance Studies, European Crime Fiction, and Jane Austen. She studied English and French at Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada before coming to do postgraduate research at St. John’s College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada doctoral fellow.

Wei Sha-Hembury

Wei has been part of the St Clare’s community for over twenty years. She holds a BSc in International Securities, Investment and Banking and an MSc in Development Finance from the University of Reading. 

A native of China, Wei enjoys teaching Mandarin to both children and adults. In addition to her role as a Personal Tutor, she also works in the Academic Office. 

Her hobbies include yoga, Pilates, swimming, travelling, and spending time with her family.

Zachary Latcham-Ford

Zach Latcham-Ford has been a member of the Psychology Department at St. Clare’s since 2025. He holds a BSc in Psychology, an MSc in Clinical Aspects of Psychology from the University of Reading and obtained his PGCE in 2021.

Before joining St. Clare’s, he taught psychology at a school in Southeast London; alongside his teaching role, he was Head of Year 12 and 13. He previously worked in mental health with Oxfordshire Mind and the University of Oxford Counselling Service. 

In his spare time, Zach enjoys cooking and watching or playing football, rugby union, and the NFL.

Meredith McDill - Head of University and Careers Counselling

Meredith McDill joins St Clare's after decades of experience in both university admissions/enrolment management and university counselling. Most recently, she spent three years as a University Counsellor at Branksome Hall School in Toronto, Canada, and prior to that she served as an international admissions officer at Smith College in Massachusetts, USA.

She and her husband are happy to be back in the UK after having met here 35 years ago, and she enjoys biking, all manner of outdoor recreation and international travel.

Becky Ryan - University and Career Counsellor

Becky Ryan has worked in roles supporting young people across charities, universities, and international schools in Spain and Germany. She holds an MSc in Career Guidance and Development and is a Registered Career Development Professional (RCDP) with the CDI, UK. She is passionate about everything careers: how to explore your interests, imagine your futures, and informed decision-making. Over the last four years, Becky has supported international students in Germany with planning their next steps to destinations around the world.
Having relocated with her family to Oxford, Becky enjoys exploring the city and surrounding countryside. In her free time, you will either find her with a cup of tea and a book, or working on a creative project or two!

Alessia Zulian

Alessia joined as the School Nurse at St Clare’s in 2022. She trained as a dual paediatric and adult nurse in Padua, Italy, before moving to the US and eventually to Oxford to work in a surgical paediatric ward at the John Radcliffe Hospital. She later joined St Clare’s becoming part of the pastoral and safeguarding team. 

Her passions include cooking, traveling and playing volleyball. She’s been a player for 15 years and is one of the coaches for volleyball CAS in the school.

Alison Magnall

Alison gained her qualifications as an Adult and Children's nurse in Liverpool and as a Health Visitor at University of East London; Alison also has an Honours degree in English and a master’s degree in Humanities from University of Oxford.  She has worked in Liverpool, London and the UAE in some challenging nursing, teaching and management roles.

Alison has enjoyed working at St Clare’s since March 2024 in term time and in the Summer School.

Beth Ebrey

Beth first joined St Clare’s in 2023 as part of the Summer School Staff and returned in 2024 as a Senior Houseparent for the Summer School. After graduating from Northumbria University, she became a Graduate Boarding Assistant and again supported the as Senior Houseparent for Summer School 2025. 

Alongside her studies, Beth worked in the Snowsports industry in Italy and with the National Citizen Service, helping young people build confidence, develop skills, and give back to their communities. Passionate about working with young people, Beth also enjoys skiing, football, swimming and basketball.

Dolly Rimkeviciute

Professional experience

Dolly joined the Boarding team at St Clare’s in 2022. The aspect she enjoys the most about working in boarding is seeing how different cultures, religions, and life experiences can bond students into one family.

Interests

Dolly loves reading various books, listening to all music genres and going to the theatre. She also likes to hike and travel around the world with her husband Audrius to see the differences between cultures, nature and food. This helps her bond quickly with international students when they arrive at St Clare’s.

Flori Iacobescu

Raised in Romania, Flori relocated to England to complete her Linguistics degree at UCL, which included a year abroad at University of Tübingen. Afterwards, she worked at a Montessori kindergarten near Vienna. She then returned to the UK to study for her Master's in Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching at University of Oxford, while also working as an Office Coordinator for Summer Boarding Courses before joining St Clare's. 

She is also passionate about sports, scouting, visual arts, theatre and poetry.

Gwenan Vickers

Professional experience

Professionally Gwenan has specialist experience within the residential environment. Gwenan is a Senior House Parent.

Beginning as an English Teacher for an international language school, progressing to managing activities programmes, House Tutor roles and managing residences themselves, Gwenan has also assisted in teaching PSHE and running student engagement workshops focusing on photography, film and performance.

Education

Gwenan is a graduate from Aberystwyth University where they studied Film and Performance BA 2016, followed by studying Politics, Media and Performance Master of Arts in which they graduated in 2018. Their studies have placed interest in International Politics, the Event and Identity. Gwenan has also produced work which has been featured in Welsh film festivals. Gwenan is currently studying a part time BSc degree in Psychology.

Gwenan is also a member of the institute of boarding and has recently received their Level 3 Boarding Practitioner Accreditation following their completion of a leadership diploma with the BSA.

Interests

Gwenan is passionate about working with young people and supporting their needs, and actively participates in courses to support this commitment. They also assisted in the onsite Health Centre as a Health Care Assistant.

In their own time, Gwenan enjoys exploring the countryside, photography, performing and participating in film making. Gwenan also has a passion for performing as a drummer and vocalist, having done so from a young age.

Ida Henman

Professional experience

Ida started working at St Clare’s in 1999 and joined the residences team in September 2021.

Ida is very passionate about supporting students, having worked within the student environment for 21 years. She is the House Parent for 13 Lathbury Road and enjoys communicating with people within the St Clare’s community.

Interests

Ida is very family orientated and loves to cook in her free time.

Jadwiga Wanelik

Professional experience

Between 1986 and 1989 she taught French at the French Institute in Kraków, after which she moved to Oxford. During her first 3 years in England she worked for Oxfam as a part-time translator, translating monthly bulletins from English into French.

Jadwiga has been working at St Clare’s since 1993, teaching both Polish and French. She works as a House Parent, Duty Manager and Library Assistant.

Education

Jadwiga studied Literature and French at Jagiellonian University in Kraków and at Sorbonne IV in Paris. In 1986 she was awarded a Master’s degree in Romance Philology from Jagiellonian University, which included a Polish equivalent of the PGCE.

Interests

Jadwiga loves literature, films, art and has a keen interest in Japanese literature and culture. She also enjoys voluntary work for Mind, the mental health charity.

Jake Fernihough

Professional experience

Jake is a House Parent for the 155/7 and 159 houses, as well as a CAS supervisor for Fitness Circuit Training and Film Production. Jake has been a House Parent for 3 years and previously worked in summer camps as a camp counsellor in America before joining St Clare’s. Before joining St Clare’s Jake has worked in Banking, Marketing and being a Cabin Crew.

Education

Jake completed his BA in Film and Television Studies in 2016 from Aberystwyth University. Since then, Jake has created an interest in web design, fitness and mental health. Jake completed a diploma in Web Design in 2021. He has gained level 2 and 3 in Understanding Mental Health, which he plans to use towards completing courses in Counselling, specifically for young people and is starting a Personal Training course for fitness.

Interests

Jake enjoys being active. After spending 11 months in New Zealand back in 2019, he started with the travel bug that has seen him visit 6 countries since then. Jake loves fitness and going to the gym, as well as training in mixed martial arts. Jake is a lover of films, cake and writing stories.

Juan Pablo (JP) Ramos

Juan Pablo Ramos (JP) graduated in Psychology from the Universidad de San Simón in Bolivia and has a broad background in education, communications, and student welfare. At St Clare’s he is part-time librarian, senior invigilator, and House Parent of 121 Old House (121OH). 

A certified Green Badge Guide of the City of Oxford, JP shares his in-depth knowledge of the city’s history, culture, and hidden gems with students. 

Outside of work, he enjoys time with his 11-year-old daughter and travelling the canals of England on his narrowboat, The Temeraire.

Karen Hennigan

Professional Experience

Karen is currently a House Parent at 121 Banbury Road, where she brings a wealth of experience in international education. Her teaching background spans Phonics, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), English as a Second Language (ESL), KS3 History, and PSHE, reflecting her adaptability and commitment to supporting diverse learners.

Education

Karen holds a BA in Education and Geography from Manchester Metropolitan University. Alongside her teaching career, she has gained valuable skills in office management, further strengthening her organisational expertise. Her professional journey has taken her across Southeast Asia, Central America, and Europe, enriching her practice with a wide range of cultural and educational perspectives.

Interests

Beyond her professional role, Karen enjoys time with her husband and son. She has a strong interest in travel, genealogy, digital art, and crafting—pursuits that reflect her creativity, curiosity, and love of lifelong learning.

Kristina Galiniene

Professional experience

Kristina Galiniene started working at St Clare’s in 2011 and joined the residential team in September 2016. Prior to her role as a Senior House Parent, Kristina worked in several of Oxford’s international boarding colleges, providing both pastoral and security care.

Education

Being passionate about children’s care and welfare, Kristina specialised in Family Education and Protection of Children’s Rights and completed a BA in this area from the State University of Lithuania. On graduation, Kristina was awarded a special Certificate of Appreciation and Gratitude from the University’s Rector for outstanding performance throughout her studies.

Committed to providing high standards of care, she obtained a license from the Security Industry Authority. Kristina gained additional pastoral experience during her studies, completing a placement at a local orphanage. She found this role very rewarding and continued volunteering there after the placement ended.

Interests

In her spare time Kristina enjoys travelling and spending time with her daughter. Kristina is a Senior House Parent.

Megan Allen

Professional experience

Megan is a Senior House Parent for 121 Banbury Road. She has worked in boarding for 10 years, progressing to SLT roles in Boarding, Pastoral and Safeguarding departments in other schools.

Education

Megan completed her BA Hons in Literature through the Open University, before being awarded her PGCE from Bath Spa in Primary Education. Since working in Boarding, she has attained several other certificates and qualifications in First Aid, SEND and Safeguarding practise alongside Boarding-specific professional qualifications.

Interests

Megan enjoys spending time with her husband, Tom, and Cockapoo, Reggie. She also loves rock and metal concerts, baking, going swimming and to the gym, and collecting antique books.

Monika Jakubowska

Professional experience

Monika is the Senior House Parent for 10-12 Lathbury Road. Monika has poured her passion and dedication in international education , where she gained specialist experience of pastoral support within the residential environment. She enjoys meeting new international students every year and watching them blossom. Monica is Security Industry Authority licensed, she is committed to the security and the safety of her students.

Education

Having graduated from Bialystok Higher School of Economics, where she gained a Master’s in Economics with a major in Accounting and Finance.

Interests

Monika loves cats and spending time with her husband, friends, baking and going for bike rides in the beautiful countryside around Oxford. She also enjoys travelling and discovering different cultures, and spends her holidays exploring the world.

Stephanie Kucan

Stephanie is the College Counsellor at St Clare's; she has extensive experience supporting young people with social, emotional and learning difficulties and is particularly interested in neurodivergence and mood, which she is researching. Stephanie has family in Australia and Slovenia and loves both water and mountain sports.

Teodora Petranova

Professional experience

Teodora has been a teacher of Bulgarian Literature since 2011. In 2012 she joined the Theory of Knowledge team. In addition to the regular TOK lessons, she teaches introduction to critical thinking to teenagers on our summer courses.

Teodora’s career in education began Moscow in 2004. She taught in the Anglo-American School until 2011. After returning to England from Russia in 2012, Teodora taught Colloquial Bulgarian at the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages at Oxford University.

Education

Teodora’s background is in the field of media. She has BA and MA in Journalism (Sofia 1988) as well as an MSc in Media and Communications (LSE 1996). Earlier in her career, Teodora worked in PR for a national NGO, and as a journalist in a national daily in Sofia, Bulgaria.

After settling in the UK, she worked in London as a Producer-Presenter in the Bulgarian section of the BBC World Service (1995 – 2003).

Interests

As well as her teaching responsibilities, Teodora works as a Library Assistant and House Parent. She has also established a collection of books in Bulgarian in the college library.

In January 2015, Teodora and a friend established a weekend language school for Bulgarian children in Oxford. The school continues to support the Bulgarian community.

Karen Heath - Head of IC Admissions

Karen Patricia Heath is the Head of Admissions for the International College. She has been with St Clare’s since 2012, and has taught across the Undergraduate Programme, English Plus Academic Subjects, the University Foundation Programme, and bespoke courses. Karen holds a 1st class BA (Hons) in Modern History from London Guildhall University, an MPhil in Historical Studies from the University of Cambridge, and a DPhil in Modern History from the University of Oxford. Karen advises prospective students on their study options and warmly welcomes enquiries about all aspects of life at St Clare’s.

Zoe Hua - IC Admissions Officer

Zoe was born in Taiwan, raised in the Netherlands, and has been living in the UK since 2020. Having attended international school for the first nine years of her education, she took an interest in learning languages and feels most at home in an international environment. After earning her BA in Foreign Languages and Literatures, she moved to the UK to complete a Masters in Linguistics, Philology, and Phonetics at the University of Oxford, specialising in Historical Linguistics and Sociolinguistics. Upon graduating, she decided to expand her knowledge of language acquisition by completing a CELTA qualification at St Clare’s. 

In her spare time, Zoe enjoys challenging herself with recreating dishes from all over the world and exploring the Oxfordshire countryside.

Ruth Cooper - IC/Summer Admissions Officer

Ruth joined St Clare’s in 2025. Previously, as Registrar for Campus Oxford, she combined strategic oversight with a hands-on approach to guide international students in the choices for their Gap year. Her own studies began at Leeds Metropolitan University then moved through a variety of roles including at Oxford Tutorial College, Adult Learning Inspectorate and the Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust. Oxford has been a focal point for Ruth’s work, designing programmes, supporting students and helping institutions run smoothly and effectively.  

Beyond her working life, Ruth can be found exploring new places with her family, volunteering at music festivals and enhancing her garden.

Nadja Middleton - Welfare and Accommodation Officer

Nadja developed international awareness and understanding through growing up in different countries and study trips, notably a year spent in Egypt as part of her Oxford University studies. Before becoming a houseparent for St Clare’s IB students in 2011, Nadja worked in New York as a French language teacher and took on various roles in oral history projects and broadcasting.

In 2018, she obtained a PGCE in Primary Education from Oxford Brookes University and finds her teaching experience serves her well in her current role at St Clare’s. She also volunteers with Citizens Advice and is learning how to draw.

Christine Kim - Academic Administrator

Christine grew up in the United States and holds a BA in Sociology and Russian Language and Literature from McGill University. Her professional journey has taken her across borders, with diverse experience in international companies in Korea and Thailand. She earned her TEFL certification and taught English to pre-schoolers in Thailand and adults in Korea, experiences that deepened her passion for language education. Christine moved to the UK to pursue a Masters in Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching and later completed her CELTA training at St Clare’s. 

Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, taking long walks, and greeting every dog and cat she meets along the way—usually with a coffee in hand (or two).

Nikki Baker - Office Administrator

Nikki has been part of the St Clare’s community since 2015 and brings over a decade of experience working with international students. She is dedicated to helping the college deliver a world-class experience for all learners. Passionate about mental health and promoting a healthy work-life balance, Nikki brings empathy and insight to her role. 

Outside of work, she enjoys planning fun outings and activities with her young daughter, keeping life vibrant and full of adventure.

Amelia Farber

Amelia teaches Educational Studies at St. Clare’s while completing her DPhil in Education at the University of Oxford. Her doctoral research explores how children in the Galápagos Islands learn about their environment, with wider interests in environmental education, equity in learning, and ecological knowledge. She holds a Master’s in Latin American Studies and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Anthropology and Music from Stanford University. 

Outside academia, she enjoys baking, photography, and travel.

Anna Castriota

Anna is Italian and came to Oxford in 1994 following her Italian doctoral degree in Philosophy with a research fellowship at Oxford University. In 2001, Anna was awarded with a MA in History of Fascism at Oxford Brookes University with a dissertation on post-fascism in Italy. She joined St Clare’s in 2006 as a Politics instructor. Since then, her academic interests have focused mainly on the study of the far right and ideological radicalism. Since 2014, Anna has become involved in academic projects like the Radicalism Forum at the University of Northampton where she has been awarded with her PhD in political history with a thesis on fascist mysticism and neo-fascist terrorism in 2023. 

Currently, Anna is writing a book on Italian far-right terrorism to be published in 2027.

Barbara Spence

Barbara teaches Business and Society at St. Clare’s, drawing on over 20 years of experience in international development, human rights, and corporate social responsibility. She holds Master’s degrees in Development and World Economy Politics from the London School of Economics, alongside a Law degree from Universidad del Rosario. Founder of Fundación Sello Social in Colombia, she has led initiatives promoting ethical business practices and continues to research and teach on CSR, political economy, and business ethics.

David Chaplin

David Chaplin has been a member of the St Clare’s community for twenty years. He teaches Theory of Knowledge on the IB and Photography on our Pre-IB, summer school, and senior courses. He also teaches our History of Art course, which makes full use of Oxford’s rich cultural heritage. In 2015 he began working as a Personal Tutor, and also works in the library where he recently set up an educational e-video platform for staff and students. 

He was awarded his first degree by the University of Wales in the Humanities, gained his PGCE in Oxford, and has studied Art and Design. He also has a certificate in teaching basic literacy and numeracy to adults with learning difficulties, which was inspired by his work prior to St Clare’s in the mental health division of the NHS.

Émilie Hauzay

Émilie was educated in France and went on to complete a master's in education at Oxford Brookes University. She began her teaching career in Athens, Greece, where she taught French for eight years before moving to Oxford in 2013. Since then, she has taught at Oxford Brookes University, Imperial College London, and the Oxford University Language Centre. 

In 2023, she was delighted to join St Clare’s. Émilie enjoys spending time with her multicultural family and keeping active with different outdoor activities.

Esmeralda Frances-Martinez

Esmeralda Frances-Martinez was born and raised in Spain, where she studied Education and the Psychology of Education at the University of Alicante. She moved to Oxford in 2002 and began teaching Spanish and French. After completing a PGCE in Modern Languages, she taught in secondary schools before focusing on adult education. She currently teaches Spanish at the University of Oxford and has been working at St Clare’s since 2018. 

Outside of teaching, she enjoys dancing and spending time with her partner and two sons. 

Felix King

After becoming a teacher in 2014, Felix has been teaching English as a Foreign Language in Chile and the UK to students of all ages, levels and backgrounds. They first arrived at St. Clare’s in 2022 to work a summer, liked it, and have been here ever since teaching primarily adults down at the IC. 

When not in the classroom, they’re a trained and passionate cook, tea drinker, music lover and collector of second hand books.

Francesca Shakespeare

Francesca Shakespeare is a practising artist and Art teacher. She has worked part-time for St Clare’s for fifteen years and teaches on the IB, Pre IB and the senior courses programmes. Francesca did a Fine Art and Italian degree at Exeter University, living and working in Italy before and during her course. Before moving to Oxford over twenty-five years ago, she ran a mural and decorative Art business in London with a studio in Notting Hill and commissions all around the country. She then started painting and teaching and exhibits both locally and further afield. Francesca is an active member of the local art community. She coordinates Summertown Artweeks (part of the big Oxfordshire Art Festival) and is a founding committee member of Young Art Oxford, a county-wide children’s art competition that exhibits at The Ashmolean Museum. She also works regularly with the Ashmolean’s education department to create interactive artworks for the galleries. As an illustrator, she has produced the decorative map of St Clare’s as well as ones of the River Thames and Cherwell. Francesca is married and has two daughters and a son. 

Francesca's website

Ian Freeth

Ian holds a degree in Immunology from King’s College, London and draws on a varied career across Private banking, HR systems, systems integration and digital consultancy. His transition into education has spanned 20 years, including the development of postgraduate business modules for UK Universities, where his senior management experience has been invaluable. Alongside teaching, Ian continues to consult as an analyst, supporting organisations through operational change. Although recently, he’s begun exploring beekeeping, a quiet counterbalance to his structured professional life.

Ian Polychronakis

Ian is an Oxford University (DPhil & MSt) and London University (MMus) graduate, who has been teaching English since 2016 in various countries, including China, Czechia, and the UK. After teaching for several years at St Hugh’s and Exeter College of Oxford University, Ian achieved the status of Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Ian is also a classically-trained pianist and musicologist. 

When not teaching English and music, he enjoys attending concerts, travelling, and playing with his two adorable cats.

Julia Gutierrez

Julia has taught EFL since 1998 in Uganda, Australia, China, and Europe. She currently teaches English for Exams and has also taught on the University Foundation Programme and teacher development at St Clare’s. Early in her career, she volunteered in rural Uganda and later became Head of Foreign Teachers at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Middle School in China. Julia holds the Trinity Diploma TESOL and is a Trinity-approved Teacher Trainer. 

She has worked in management for schools in the UK and has been an author/editor for Oxford University Press’s ELT Division since 2012.

Julie Bolitho

Julie teaches Literature and Creative Writing at St. Clare’s. She holds a Master’s in Literature and Medicine from King’s College London and is a Truman Scholar. 

An accomplished writer with over 50 publications in poetry and nonfiction, her work has appeared in Vogue Italia and The Best New British & Irish Poets. She also guides meditation on Insight Timer, where she shares mindfulness practices with a global audience of over 30,000 followers.

Karen Patricia Heath

Karen Patricia Heath is a modern and contemporary historian, and she has taught at St. Clare’s since 2012. She holds a 1st class BA (Hons) in Modern History from London Guildhall University, an MPhil in Historical Studies from the University of Cambridge, and a DPhil in Modern History from the University of Oxford. She taught for many years at the University of Oxford, and prior to that, at Queen Mary, University of London. 

Her research specialism is 20th and 21st Century US history, although her teaching interests extend to 20th Century Europe and Britain, all with a focus on politics and policy, culture and the arts.

Kay Alty

Kay Alty is a marketing professional with over 30 years’ corporate experience in Publishing, IT and Marketing Services. She has been teaching Marketing courses at the International College since 2008 and advocates the application of business theory to actual business case studies and creative assignments to encourage interactive learning.

From 1996 to 2015 Kay was founder and MD of Data Print & Mail Ltd, a marketing services agency specialising in consultancy; database management; telemarketing and desk research; event management and CRM. Prior to setting up in business Kay was Client Services Director at ABC Promotional Services and Special Projects Manager at Pergamon Press. In 1982 she graduated from L’École Supérieure de Commerce, Reims (linked then to Middlesex Polytechnic, now with Lancaster University) on completion of the 4 year Diplôme des Etudes Européennes de Management/BAEBA programme.

Kay is a volunteer with The Oxfordshire Museum, Woodstock and New Yatt Riding for the Disabled Group.

Keith Ibsen

Keith Ibsen is currently the Programme coordinator of the University Foundation course and Director of Studies of the English language courses. Before joining St Clare’s in 2014 he taught in many schools and colleges in Spain and Japan. He grew up in Oxford and studied Modern Languages at the University of Westminster. 

As well as teaching he has worked as a restaurant manager, waiter, barman and lifeguard. He is a keen traveller who has spent time in several countries over five continents.

Lucrezia Rizzelli

Lucrezia Rizzelli is a graduate of Oxford University and John Jay College, where she studied psychology before specialising in Criminology during her doctorate. She has taught at Brookes University, while she is now a Research Officer with the DPRU at Oxford. In this role, she investigates capital punishment in the Global South and is hoping to expand her research endeavours to encompass mental health and torture. 

She lives with her best friend and, in her free time, enjoys baking, doing custom puzzles, and playing board games.

Magnus Moar

Magnus Moar is a graduate of Oxford and Sussex universities. After graduating from his Theology degree, he went on to complete an MA in Literature, Religion and Philosophy and a DPhil in Philosophy on the work of the Danish thinker Soren Kierkegaard. Magnus began teaching in 2001 and has been teaching Philosophy and Religion courses at the International College since 2007, working on all of the academic programmes. Beyond his work at St Clare’s, Magnus also works for Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education teaching adult learners in Philosophy in Oxford and Reading. As a former departmental head at another college, Magnus has been involved in tutor recruitment and training. 

He has a published article in the volume Despite Oneself: Subjectivity and Its Secret in Kierkegaard and Levinas’ (Turnshare, London) and is no stranger to the conference circuit. 

Magnus is currently working on an interdisciplinary text that examines the philosophy of human nature in literature.

Paul Sinclair

Paul Sinclair is the Director of Studies for the Academic Programmes at the International College and enjoys both working with our university partners in the USA and advising students who apply to American Universities, a role he has fulfilled since 2007. He studied Medieval History at the University of St Andrews and also completed a year of study abroad at Queen’s University, Canada, and an MA in History at the University of Washington in Seattle before moving to Oxford to research thirteenth century England on a British Academic Scholarship at St John’s College, especially kingship, knighthood and the reign of King Henry III. Paul teaches Liberal Arts courses on history and art history and gives seminars on a range of medieval topics, J.R.R. Tolkien and Victorian medievalism; he is currently researching the utopian writings of William Morris. 

In his spare time, he likes to explore eighteenth century English landscape gardens and listen to 1960s American soul music – although rarely at the same time.

Roald Morgan

Roald Morgan studied history and economics at Brasenose College, Oxford. He has worked as a teacher of economics for over 20 years, including several at St. Clare's. He has also worked in the "real world", as a marketing manager for a machinery manufacturer.

Roald is half German and grew up speaking English and German. He also speaks Spanish, having lived and worked in Spain for over a decade.

Sarah Stretton

Sarah has taught for over 11 years across Spain, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. She holds a History degree from the University of York, a Master's from Oxford Brookes University, and the DIPTESOL, completed in Barcelona. Before teaching, she worked in historic and rare libraries.

Sarah began her teaching career with young learners in Andalucía, then taught university students in Tokyo, followed by several years in Sydney and Wellington. She first joined St. Clare's in 2016 on the Summer School Programme and has since taught English for Life and Exams, a Gateway to Foundation course, and Children's Literature for Elon University's undergraduate students. More recently, she has moved into teacher training, delivering development courses including online programmes for teachers in Argentina and Mozambique.

Outside St. Clare's, Sarah is an award-winning writer with published short fiction and poetry, a Creative Writing tutor for Fusion Art Oxford, and organiser of an Oxford women's book club.

Victoria Staveley

Victoria Staveley works at St Clare’s in various capacities. In addition to teaching Theory of Knowledge, she is the Academic Office manager. She also teaches Liberal Arts courses in Renaissance Studies, European Crime Fiction, and Jane Austen. 

She studied English and French at Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada before coming to do postgraduate research at St. John’s College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada doctoral fellow.

Simon Halford-Thompson - Director of Studies

After studying International History & Politics at the University of Leeds, Simon began his EFL career in China. He then taught in Southern Italy and Northern Spain, and discovered summer schools, later managing Regent’s Stowe centre. Returning to the UK in 2019, he became Managing Tutor at Eckersley School of English before joining BSC Young Learners as Academic Operations Manager. In 2023, Simon returned to Oxford as Director of Studies. 

He enjoys music, sport particularly rugby, and cricket although he has now hung up his rugby boots after playing and coaching on his travels.

Mark Hewitt - Summer School Operations Manager

Mark joined St Clare’s in 2022 and is the Summer School Operations Manager, which means that he oversees the admissions, logistics and pastoral provision in the St Clare’s summer team. 

Prior to St Clare’s, he taught French and German in the state school sector for over 25 years. In his down time Mark enjoys cycling, gaming and quizzes. He can also do the Rubik’s Cube!

Andy Walsh - Group Programme and Short Course Coordinator

Andy first started working with international students in 2008 as an Activity Leader. He went on to work as an Activities Manager then Centre Manager in summer schools in the UK, Slovenia and Spain. Andy joined St Clare’s in May 2023 as the Group Programme Coordinator to take care of the many groups who come to St Clare’s. 

Outside of work, his passions are watching and playing sport, taking care of his leopard gecko Yoshi, and food and travel.

Claudia Cesaraccio - Short Courses Administrator

Claudia joined St Clare’s as the Summer School administrator in 2022. She comes from a background in EFL teaching and here at St Clare’s she is primarily focused on admissions and staff recruitment.

Ruth Cooper -  IC / Summer Admissions Officer

Ruth joined St Clare’s in 2025. Previously, as Registrar for Campus Oxford, she combined strategic oversight with a hands-on approach to guide international students in the choices for their Gap year. Her own studies began at Leeds Metropolitan University then moved through a variety of roles including at Oxford Tutorial College, Adult Learning Inspectorate and the Diocese of Gloucester Academies Trust. Oxford has been a focal point for Ruth’s work, designing programmes, supporting students and helping institutions run smoothly and effectively. 

Beyond her working life, Ruth can be found exploring new places with her family, volunteering at music festivals and enhancing her garden.

Jordan Wheel - Short Courses Operations Officer

Before joining St Clare’s, Jordan completed his PGCE in Business with SEND and went on to work as a Business tutor and pastoral consultant. He then joined the Summer Schools and Short Courses team as Summer Welfare Manager, before becoming Short Courses Operations Officer in 2025. In this role he supports all cohorts of short course students throughout the year. 

Outside of work, Jordan is always searching for the next great place to eat... recommendations are very welcome.

Karen Heath - Director of Teacher Professional Development Courses

Karen Patricia Heath is the Director of the IB Institute, and Director of Teacher Professional Development Courses. Her experience includes over a decade of research, teaching, and admissions at the university level. Karen holds a 1st class BA (Hons) in Modern History from London Guildhall University, an MPhil in Historical Studies from the University of Cambridge, and a DPhil in Modern History from the University of Oxford. 

Karen is a firm believer in the value of Continuing Professional Development and is just as keen to hear from those who are new to the teaching profession, as she is from those who are already well-established in their chosen field.

Devon Krohn - CELTA Main Course Tutor

Devon has worked in English Language Teaching for 28 years across Germany, Czechia, Hungary, Romania, Italy, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. She began her career teaching English as a Foreign Language before moving into educational management after passing her DELTA in 2000, working as Assistant Director of Studies in Budapest before specialising in CELTA and DELTA training.

Devon has delivered Content and Language Integrated Learning training for Kazakh STEM teachers and written teacher training workshops for Cambridge Assessment. She has been a Cambridge examiner and CELTA assessor for 14 years. Her MA TESOL thesis explored the role of decoding listening skills in EFL course books.
Outside work, Devon enjoys quizzing, travelling, and photographing trees on nature walks. She speaks English, French, German, and some Hungarian.

David Briggs - CELTA Teacher Trainer

Dave is an experienced CELTA tutor, who has delivered CELTA courses in Oxford, the United States, Spain, and Ireland, over the last 25 years. He taught English in Greece and Japan before settling in Oxford. During his time in Oxford, he has worked with refugee children at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, as well as teaching on the linguistics module at Oxford Brookes University. He is an inspector for the University of Cambridge, ensuring standards are being met for CELTA courses around the world, for both remote and in-person delivery. Dave’s work in the industry has also led to him being a published English as a Foreign Language author. 

In his free time, he enjoys reading detective stories, gardening, and being taken for a walk by his stubborn and determined rescue dog from Greece.

Claire Marshall - CELTA Teacher Trainer

Claire is an experienced Teacher Trainer and over the last 20 years has delivered CELTA courses in London, Spain, Italy and Japan. She has run CELTA departments for much of this time and has been a Head of Teacher Training in London. She started by teaching English in Japan then moved to London, teaching in private schools and Further Education. As well as teaching English, Claire has a wealth of experience delivering Maths and Numeracy classes to adult learners – mainly refugees and asylum seekers. She has developed courses and materials in this area and for Teacher Training. Having moved to Scotland in 2023 she divides her time between the countryside, working in London, and more recently Pisa and Oxford. 

In her free time Claire is a keen gardener and is currently trying to create a garden from a very soggy Scottish Lawn. She also volunteers for an historical printing press and shop and is enjoying learning about printing and binding books.

Louise Jones -  Marketing and Communications Manager

Louise has led the Marketing team since October 2022. She started her creative career in Visual Merchandising, alongside an Apprenticeship in Management, for which she was an ‘Apprentice of the Year’ Finalist at the Retail Week Rising Star Awards. 

After graduating from the University of Brighton with a BA (Hons) in Fashion Communication and Business, and being nominated for the ‘Fashion Styling and Creative Direction Award’ at Graduate Fashion Week, Louise built up professional marketing and management experiences spanning the luxury retail, social care, charity and education sectors. Louise has consistently been drawn back to the education industry, having worked in marketing, graphic design, admissions and multiple summer schools. 

Outside of work, her passions include human psychology, aviation, musical theatre and is a massive Friends nerd and Swiftie!

Giulia Marinelli  - Marketing and Creative Content Coordinator

Born in Rome, Italy, and passionate about storytelling, writing stories and poetry from a young age, she later moved to Oxford, where she graduated in 2015 with a BA (Hons) in Film Studies from Oxford Brookes University. She worked on a variety of different projects, short films, promo and fashion videos, taking different roles from Editing to Directing, Writing and Producing. 

In 2018, after her MA in Film Arts from RUFA, specialising in Directing and Screenwriting, Giulia decided to upskill as a Script Supervisor. She later successfully completed a Certificate course in Script Supervision and Continuity in Film and Television (in association with the BBC) from NFTS. Giulia currently works at St Clare’s as the Marketing and Creative Content Coordinator, where she applies her creative storytelling and video production skills mainly to create entertaining and educational digital content. 

Away from work, Giulia loves travelling, cooking, music and sports.

Alba Landra -  Marketing and Communications Officer

Having grown up in Vietnam and experienced life as an international student in Oxford, Alba feels at home in St Clare’s. After graduating from the University of Cambridge with a BA (Hons) in Natural Sciences, Alba moved to Japan where she began her creative career doing communications and graphic design for an environmental charity in Tokyo. 

Since then, Alba has built up marketing and design experience working in non-profits, fashion, conservation charities, and starting her own sustainable gifting company. Passionate about communicating stories that are close to her heart, she has joined St Clare’s to apply her design and marketing experience to a school that celebrates diversity and international education.

In her free time, Alba loves travelling, art, cooking, and is rarely without a book on the go.

Rachel Li -   Student Recruitment Manager

Rachel joined St Clare’s as a Student Recruitment Manager in 2021. Qualified to teach (BA, Capital Normal University, China), Rachel first worked as an English teacher at a prestigious school in Beijing and has subsequently facilitated entrepreneurial education and joint degree programmes in the UK. Armed with an MBA degree (MUN, Canada), Rachel has specialised in global partnership and business development, managing complex international projects at multinational corporations. 

With professional experiences spanning China, North America and Europe, Rachel feels passionate about education without borders, and strives to help young people to access first class education opportunities.

Lerrell Wilkinson  -  Student Recruitment Manager

Lerrell has been part of the team for the past two years as a Student Recruitment Manager, specialising in the MENA region. In this role, he builds meaningful connections with families, schools and agents while introducing students to the opportunities and community that St Clare’s offers. Having grown up in Oxford, Lerrell finds it especially rewarding to welcome students from around the world to a city he knows well. He values diversity, openness and support. 

Qualities that align closely with the ethos of St Clare’s and guide his approach to student recruitment. Outside of work, Lerrell enjoys staying active, exploring new places and cultures, and finding creative ways to unwind. 

His background and experiences have given him a global perspective, which he brings into both his professional and personal life.

Ivan Trebissov -  Student Recruitment Manager

Ivan joined St Clare’s Oxford as Regional Student Recruitment Manager with a strong background in international education and business development. Having previously represented leading UK schools and universities, he has successfully built recruitment networks across the CIS, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. 

Educated at Queen Mary, University of London (BSc in Business Management), Ivan is passionate about connecting students with transformative educational experiences in the UK. Based in Kazakhstan, he speaks both English and Russian and brings a culturally sensitive, data-driven approach to recruitment. 

Outside of work, Ivan enjoys travel, photography and spending time with his young family.

Sherri Zheng  -  Student Recruitment Manager

More information coming soon…

Francisco Bustos  -  Student Recruitment Manager

With over 24 years of experience supporting students coming to study in the UK, Francisco has seen how life-changing an international education can be. Throughout Francisco’s career, he has never taken lightly the trust families place in those guiding their children’s journeys. Beyond academic success, his focus has always been on ensuring each student’s experience abroad is genuinely transformative – building confidence, independence, and a global outlook. 

At its heart, Francisco’s work is about honouring that trust and advancing international understanding through education.

Phil Bingham  -  Head of Alumni Development

Phil joined St Clare’s in 2025 with the aim of building on the school’s commitment to ongoing relationships and communications with alumni across the world. Having left Newcastle University with a degree in Modern Languages, he spent over a decade working in the private wealth management sector in London before a year cycling through the Americas in 2010. 

On his return, he and his wife Liz launched and grew VeloVixen into the UK’s foremost retail and community platform for female cyclists. More recently, he worked as Business Development Manager for UK B-Corp Delphis Eco, helping to guide businesses into more environmentally sustainable practices. 

He thrives building relationships at all levels and, with two young daughters, offering the next generation educational opportunities to change the world for the better.

Shreya Khaund  -  Alumni Relations Coordinator

More information coming soon…

Jens Tholstrup  -  Chairman

Jens is Managing Director of Oxford Investment Opportunity Network, Development Director for SQW Group and Senior Advisor at Oxford Economics. He was previously Managing Director UK of Oxford Economics, Executive Director of Oxford Analytica and an Executive Director at UBS. 

He holds an MA in PPE and an MSc in Economic History, both from the University of Oxford. He is also a Visiting Business Fellow at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University and an external member of the Audit, Risk and Remuneration Committee of St Peter’s College, Oxford. 

He is a member of the Society of Business Economists.

Jim Woodhill  -  Director of Systemic Link Consulting

Jim is Director of Systemic Link Consulting, an Honorary Associate of the Institute of Development Studies at Sussex University, and Senior Consultant at the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford. The red thread of Jim’s professional work is engaging individuals and organisations in dialogue and learning to create a more sustainable and equitable world. 

He grew up in Australia and has a BSc in Agriculture from the University of Sydney and a PhD in Political Economics from the Australian National University. He works on global sustainability issues related to agriculture and food, is an experienced facilitator of strategic planning, dialogue and foresight processes, and has worked in numerous countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe. Jim has held senior positions in management, research, policy, consulting, teaching and advocacy. Former positions include Principal Sector Specialist for Food Security and Rural Development with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Director of the Centre for Development Innovation, at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. 

Jim has a deep interest in holistic approaches to education having worked with the Australian Outward Bound School and with an innovative university faculty that focused on problem based learning. He lives in Oxford, loves being in the outdoors and sea kayaking on the English coast. Jim has two daughters, one has graduated from St Clare’s and the other is currently a student at the school. 

Jim is a member of the Education Committee where his professional background and wealth of experience are invaluable.

Bart Ashton   -  Chair of the Finance, Personnel & General Purposes Committee

Bart graduated from Birmingham University. Since 2003 he has been the Bursar at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, where he is a Fellow. His areas of expertise are people and team management, particularly in operational or developmental contexts, although he has also contributed significantly to estates management, refurbishment and construction projects. Prior to 2003, he enjoyed a varied career in hospitality, working with local and international companies. Bart is also involved with the town and gown communities hosting the University Colleges’ Sustainability Guild, and being a member of the Oxford Fairtrade Coalition and the steering group for Good Food Oxford.

Bart is the Chair of the Finance, Personnel and General Purposes Committee and the Governor with oversight of Health & Safety at the College.

Chiara Simmons Wood

Chiara completed her IB Diploma at St Clare’s, graduating in the pre-pandemic world in 2019. She subsequently graduated from the University of Exeter with a First Class Honours in BA Sociology and a Dean’s Commendation for Exceptional Performance. This was awarded for her dissertation exploring the relationship between liberal arts programmes and the reduction of offending behaviour in young adults in the criminal justice system. 

Since university, Chiara has dedicated her professional career to the charity sector. Initially working for the digitalization of the not-for-profit sector, she planned, produced, and coordinated both in-person and online events for charity delegates. Currently, she is managing Age UK’s face-to-face donor acquisition channel in the wider Fundraising team. 

Having grown up between Nairobi and Rome, Chiara is multilingual and multicultural, and with first hand experience of the school in recent years, Chiara is keen to lend herself to the continued development of the school, with a particular focus on diversity and inclusion.

Libby Wood

Libby studied for her IB Diploma at St Clare’s, and graduated from the college in 2005. She subsequently read French with Management at King’s College, London, spending an intercalary year in Paris. Since leaving university, Libby has worked as an English teacher and higher education academic manager in Italy and Australia. 

Libby is Programme Director of the Masters in Finance at London Business School overseeing the strategy and implementation of the degree programme, which is consistently ranked number one in the world. Previously she was the Associate Director for Programmes at the Entrepreneurship Centre at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Libby’s motivation to serve as governor stems from her passion for international education and the significant impact St Clare’s had on both her personal and professional paths. 

Currently, she lives in the beautiful village of Bladon near Oxford and is a keen traveller, cook, and linguist.

Loren Griffith

Loren is an educational consultant with extensive experience consulting on strategy, performance improvement, and program implementation for corporate and non-profit clients including education technology companies and universities. He also runs a boutique advisory service for students seeking admission to universities abroad. 

He is the founder of Loren Griffith Education Advisors, Ltd. and was previously Director of International Strategy at Oxford University. Loren has a deep commitment to international education, and is a former Vice Chair of Governors and Chair of the Finance sub-committee of the Europa School in Culham, UK. He is a graduate of Yale University, has a Master’s (MPA) from Princeton, and a law degree (Juris Doctor) from Stanford. Loren has also served on President Obama’s Policy Working Group on Green Energy. 

Loren sits on the Education Committee where his extensive experience and market intelligence are highly valued.

Lucia Nixon  -  Chair of the Education Committee

Lucia’s education in Canada included a year at a French lycée in Montréal. She did a degree in Greek and Classical Archaeology at Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania. She holds two Master’s degrees (from the Universities of British Columbia and Toronto), and did doctoral research in Classical Archaeology at Newnham College, Cambridge. Lucia has been a Member of the Common Room of Wolfson College, Oxford and the sub-Faculty of Ancient History and Classical Archaeology since 1995. From 2005 until 2014 she was Senior Tutor and Tutor for Admissions at St Hilda’s College, Oxford. 

Before coming to Oxford, Lucia taught at Queen’s University, Ontario and the University of New Brunswick at St John. Lucia has published extensively on Sacred and Economic Landscapes, and on other archaeological and classical themes as well as gender, equality, and education. She has done archaeological fieldwork in the UK, Italy, Turkey, and Greece, and co-directs the Sphakia Survey in Crete. Lucia has a strong commitment to equality, inclusion, and diversity, and has been a member of the Oxford University Equality and Diversity Panel, and the Race Equality Steering Group; she was a mentor for the Oxford University Ad Feminam scheme. 

Lucia is also a governor of Oxford Spires Academy, a non-selective state secondary school in East Oxford. In her spare time, Lucia enjoys travel, cooking, choral singing, and opera.

Mary Louise Culpepper

Mary graduated from Brown University and received a Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. She also completed teacher training through the Program in Religion and Secondary Education at Harvard Divinity School and the Harvard School of Education. She taught English in an American high school and also English as a foreign language to adults in Germany and France. 

She served on the Board of Governors at the International School of Florence as Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, member of the Executive Committee as the Board Secretary, and member of the Marketing Committee. One of her children was a St Clare’s student and she also has 3 other children who have attended schools in Oxford. 

Mary Louise has the responsibility to oversee our boarding provision.

Moira Darlington  -  Governor, Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire

Moira has been a Governor of St Clare’s since 2013 and is the Governor responsible for Academic Overview. Moira has also been appointed as Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire. She studied Classics at St Anne’s College, Oxford, before taking a PGCE in History and RS at the University of London. 

She has worked for more than forty years in education, at senior and primary level, leading both academic and pastoral departments; she still works part-time at the Dragon School, where she was Deputy Head. She was an ISI inspector with responsibility for overseeing the Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural aspect of school life. 

She was a trustee of Emmaus (a charity for the homeless) for ten years, helping to establish the Oxford Community, and is involved with a range of local charities.

Paul Bright  -  Governor for Child Protection and Safeguarding

Paul was born, raised and educated in Gravesend, Kent. On leaving school, he worked as a trainee estimator, draughtsman and salesperson for a large shopfitting company while studying part-time for a business degree and a postgraduate management qualification from the University of East London, eventually rising to manager and director positions. Paul led a management buyout of a company in 1991, and subsequently his business career has blossomed to include interests in steel trading, real estate, petroleum and financial portfolios. 

Besides his business career, Paul has a strong interest in human rights and international relations. In recent years, for instance, he has acted as an aide to the former President of Ghana to support his aims of promoting democracy, good governance and women’s rights in Africa. Paul is comfortable interacting effectively at all levels and with people of diverse cultural backgrounds. Paul is married with one daughter, and lives in London and Lugano, Switzerland. He speaks fluent Italian and his interests include rock climbing, mountaineering, running and visiting theatres, museums and galleries. 

Paul is of dual British and Nigerian heritage. Paul is the Governor for Child Protection and Safeguarding.

Richard Dick  -  Executive Chairman & CEO of Lucy Group Ltd 

Richard has been the Executive Chairman & CEO of Lucy Group Ltd since 1990. Lucy was established in Oxford in 1812 as an iron founder. It remains a private company, and has diversified into electrical switchgear, street lighting and real estate The Group HQ continues to be in its original offices in Walton Well Road. 

Richard was High Sheriff of Oxfordshire in 2009 when, together with W Lucy, he started the High Sheriff Young Engineer Awards – now an annual event. His active charity interests are in young people and especially those under-performing, education generally and homelessness in Oxford and re-training. He is married with four adult children and three grandchildren. 

His hobbies include skiing, sailing and gardening.

Saira Uppal

Saira is a graduate of Durham University and has 20 years’ fundraising experience across Independent Schools and Higher Education. Having led multi-million-pound capital campaigns within Oxford University and Dragon School, she was appointed the first Director of Philanthropy for Blenheim Palace in early 2024. 

The first in her family to graduate, she is passionate about the transformative nature a quality education can bring, recognising the innovative and unique proposition St Clare’s offers its students through the teaching of the IB. 

As a mother of dual-nationality, bi-lingual children, she is wholly committed to Anne Dreydel’s original mission, and the values of St Clare’s.