Staff

Having completed a degree in Politics from the University of Warwick, Jan initially trained through the Teach First programme and subsequently taught Humanities in schools in Tottenham and Edmonton, latterly as Vice Principal for the Curriculum at a large 11-18 Comprehensive - a position he held for three years. He was the founding Headteacher of the London Academy of Excellence Tottenham and has been in post since January 2017.

Hannah graduated from Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design with a Textile Design degree and, after working in industry quickly returned to university to complete a PGCE.

After a couple of years teaching in North London, Hannah returned to study again, this time a master's at Chelsea College of Art and Design. The master's degree created a plethora of opportunities for Hannah, including a collaboration with UAL, becoming a founding teacher at an independent art school, and teaching art and design to young children, young adults and adults in different community settings.

Hannah joined LAET after 2 years as a Course Leader in Beijing, China, where she taught art and design students who aspire to study creative subjects at London-based universities in London.

When not teaching, Hannah continues to develop her own work - focusing on weave and print.

Rachel graduated from Durham University with a degree in Natural Sciences, specialising in Biology, Philosophy and Anthropology. She trained with Teach First to become a science and biology teacher, and worked in schools in South London for five years. Rachel returned to study in 2016, completing a Masters in Science Communication from Imperial College London where she embedded her love for interdisciplinary modes of thinking and learning, and exploring the intersection between the arts and sciences. Rachel taught for some years in Paris, and worked as an educational impact evaluator for a social enterprise before joining LAET. 

Having completed a degree in Biology at the University of Nottingham alongside building a career in veterinary care, Tyler began his teaching career lecturing BTEC students at an animal and land-based college in North London. Realising this role was fulfilling not only due to working with animals but also for the enjoyment of working with young people, Tyler returned to university and qualified with a Biology education post-grad from the No.1 university worldwide for teacher training; UCL's Institute of Education.

Tyler joined LAET in September 2023 coming from his previous role as Head of Biology at a leading secondary school. He brings a passion for nature and animals from his hobbies alongside his career history and knowledge in neurodevelopment and cancer biology from his time studying at the University of Nottingham.

Joan completed her master’s degree at Rensselaer (Troy, NY) in 1999, having researched heteronuclear coordination compounds.

While completing her Master’s she oversaw the lab component of the general chemistry course required by all undergraduates.  She has taught middle and secondary school at both public and independent schools in the US for over 15 years.  Most recently, she was an independent contractor, working with schools, families and students on increasing student confidence, navigating school policies and administrations, academic and test-taking skills, subject-specific learning, and US college admissions.

Joan started her academic life as a theatrical lighting designer and worked on off-Broadway and Broadway (contract electrician).  She is a cook, hiker, reader, writer, drawer, jewellery maker and a budding tenor recorder player.  Joan brings everything into the classroom with her, believing in a fully collaborative and integrated learning experience that fosters curiosity.

William Hems studied chemistry at Exeter University, University of Cambridge and Nagoya University, Japan.  He has spent nearly 20 years in research particularly looking at the use asymmetric catalysis in the synthesis of drug molecules. Since 2015 he has been teaching A-level Chemistry part-time at a number of schools in the south-east of England.

Wing is passionate about science and it was her A-Level chemistry teacher that inspired her to read Chemistry at University College London (UCL). During her degree she took part in outreach programmes centred on teaching science in local secondary schools and inspiring young people to “Aim Higher” and go on to further education and university.

After a few years working as a chemistry researcher at UCL and in investment banking in the City, she was missing the classroom and the opportunities to engage young people with science. In 2012, she retrained as a secondary school teacher completing her PGCE from the Institute of Education. She is seconded to LAE Tottenham from Highgate School.

Paul studied Chemistry at the University of Sheffield where he completed his Bachelor's degree, Master's degree and his PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry.

After a couple of years working in polymer research, he trained as a teacher and moved to London where he has taught science in sixth-form colleges for the last 10 years. He is a keen musician and sound engineer, and when not enthusing about all things Chemistry he can often be found pointing microphones at musicians. 

Having completed a degree in English Literature and a Masters in Creative Writing at Glasgow University, Ewan spent five years teaching English as an additional language in Japan, Italy and Ethiopia.

Since returning to Scotland in 2010, he has taught in secondary schools in the Highlands, Oxford and London.

Ewan is a keen long-distance runner and short story writer. His most recent novel, 'The Sound of Sirens', was published in 2021.

Having completed a degree in English Literature and a Masters in Creative Writing at Glasgow University, Ewan spent five years teaching English as an additional language in Japan, Italy and Ethiopia.

Since returning to Scotland in 2010, he has taught in secondary schools in the Highlands, Oxford and London.

Ewan is a keen long-distance runner and short story writer. His most recent novel, 'The Sound of Sirens', was published in 2021.

After completing her fully-funded doctorate in English at the University of Oxford in 2018, Helena moved to Santiago, Chile, where she worked as a Research Associate in art history. She was then appointed as a Senior Lecturer in English at Bath Spa University and a Tutor at the University of Oxford. Helena subsequently retrained as a secondary English teacher, completing her PGCE in 2022 and starting at LAET later that year.

Dan studied Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester before completing a law conversion course at Manchester Polytechnic and working as a commercial litigation solicitor. He subsequently worked as a photojournalist until 2010 when he began teaching A-level history and politics in London.

Angus studied Maths and Philosophy at Edinburgh University, and then Critical and Cultural Theory at Brighton University. He has been teaching Maths, Further Maths, Philosophy and Critical Thinking at Secondary schools for 20 years. Outside the classroom, he is an Area Coordinator for the Advanced Maths Support Programme, and a Principal Examiner for Cambridge Assessment. He loves sailing, reading and Maths.

Andrew holds a degree in Mathematics and Biophysics from Cairo University, followed by a PGDip in Health Physics. He worked as a Medical Physicist before moving to education. He has been teaching Maths and Further Maths at Secondary schools for over 20 years.

Andrew is a Teaching for Mastery Specialist, NCETM PD lead and NPQLTD.

Greg studied Maths and Philosophy at King's College London and has a post-graduate diploma in pure mathematics.

After teaching abroad as a volunteer for two years in East Africa, he returned to the UK and took a PGCE in Secondary Mathematics, going on to teach Maths and Further Maths in FE colleges in London for 15 years, latterly as Coordinator of Maths and Computer Science at a large central London sixth-form.

Greg is part of the teaching and learning team at LAET as well as a member of the London Sixth Form Teacher Network.

Darshan read Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Warwick, spending 4 years in Coventry and qualifying for the integrated master's degree. He remained in Coventry teaching at a secondary school for a further 3 years, studying for a Postgraduate Diploma in Education and training with Teach First during that time. In his free time, he loves to listen to rock and metal music, watch football, play Fantasy Premier League and is a keen traveller, having been to 30 countries so far.

After spending his formative years in the sleepy riverside town of Reading, Michael completed an undergraduate Master's in Mathematics at the University of Oxford. There he developed his burgeoning love for the subtlety and beauty of mathematics, as well as the addictive thrill of problem-solving. He went straight into teaching and is now in his 8th year.

He began his teaching career at a school in Barnet, before moving to Highgate School and spending a year at LAET. He then took a two-year hiatus to Hanoi in Vietnam, where he taught Maths, including the IB, before returning to LAET in 2023.

Michael's favourite areas of Maths are group theory and proof, and he spends a disproportionate amount of his spare time watching mathematical YouTube videos. He tries to bring enthusiasm and deep insight to all of his teaching and firmly believes that to truly excel, mathematicians must understand the "why", rather than just the "how".

Outside the classroom, he is a keen yet unskilled rugby player, as well as a board game enthusiast.

Gabriel studied for an undergraduate degree Mathematics at the University of Leeds before going on to complete his Masters in Mathematics at the same institution. Before joining LAET, Gabriel studied for his PGCE and taught at a secondary school and sixth form in west London. There he went on to be the KS5 lead in a successful Mathematics department. Gabriel loves climbing, football, board games and all things nerdy. 

Vincent (pictured right) received a degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and is currently studying Mathematics at The Open University. Before teaching, Vincent worked in finance, living in New York, Tokyo, London and Singapore. Trained to teach at the Institute of Education, he has been instructing in London schools since 2012.  At LAET Vincent enjoys organising the school's UKMT and maths enrichment activities, working with the maths team and encouraging his students to read The New Yorker.

After studying piano at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and music at the University of Cambridge, Emma worked for fifteen years as an opera director in the UK and abroad. She then trained to teach on the School Direct programme at the Institute of Education.

She enjoys all genres of music and loves being educated about new styles. She is seconded to LAE Tottenham from Highgate School.

After completing a degree and a master in Physics Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano, Italy, Stefano moved to London where he completed a PhD in Physics at UCL. After leaving full time research, Stefano has been teaching Physics, Maths and Further Maths in a school in North London and has been a visiting scientist at the London Centre of Nanotechnology UCL, carrying out research in condensed matter Physics.

Originally from the UK, Dr Lucy Cane completed a first-class honours degree in Philosophy at the University of Sydney in 2008 and worked for a small refugee advocacy organisation in Australia. In 2010 she moved to the US, where she earned an MA and PhD in Political Science from Northwestern University.

She taught at several American universities and a prison, and published her first book, before returning to the UK in 2021 to teach in schools. In addition to leading the Politics Department at LAET, Lucy enjoys films, reading and, on occasion, writing.

She has recently published articles in newspapers and magazines on themes such as the Australian republic debate, UK teachers' unions, and the importance of including LGBT history in the secondary school history curriculum ON Weimar Germany.

Rizma is an experienced teacher of Psychology having spent over two decades teaching A-level Psychology at London sixth forms. She has always wanted to be a teacher, and it was as a student during one of her own A-level Psychology lessons that she decided that was the subject she wanted to teach!

She went on to read Psychology at Goldsmiths College and obtained her PGCE at the Institute of Education, University of London. Her particular interests are in mental health and cultural psychology. She is also the Diversity and Inclusion Lead, aiming to make all members of the LAET community feel a sense of belonging.

Having graduated in History & Sociology from the University of Surrey, Mark spent the early part of his career working in the commercial sector of the construction industry. Over time he became more and more involved in the HR side of the companies he worked for and found that he enjoyed that aspect of the business. With many years of HR experience, he decided post-pandemic to study for a formal HR qualification and is currently working towards his CIPD Level 5. A relative latecomer to HR within education, this is his second HR position in a school environment having previously worked at a three-academy trust in west London.

Mark is also a qualified ESOL / TEFL tutor and has worked part-time teaching adults for the London Borough of Hounslow since 2008.

Aziz has a degree in Geography and History which he completed in France. He has worked as a manager for a large coffee company for a number of years. He is also passionate about catering and likes to experiment with new dishes. 

Ginevra studied English Literature at the University of Bristol. After a two-year Teach First placement in a Hayes secondary school teaching English, she completed the Management Trainee programme in Marketing at L’Oreal, working primarily on cosmetics and hair campaigns as well as in market research. Realising that her true passion lies in the education sector, Ginevra returned to Hayes as 2IC and then Head of English.

She has nine years of experience as Head of English in three secondary schools and has spent the majority of this time working in East London schools, including LAE Stratford. After maternity leave following the birth of her second son, Ginevra decided to pursue a new challenge in the education sector.

As Director of External Relations at LAET, she works in internal and external communications, marketing, admissions, events, fundraising and alumni support.

Andre's journey began as a member of the first LAE Tottenham cohort in 2017. From there he pursued his passion for the humanities and graduated with a History degree (BA Hons) from the University of Cambridge in 2023.

Andre has since returned to LAET and currently serves as the Digital Marketing & Multimedia Officer, where he aims to spread awareness about the academy's achievements and foster a strong sense of community amongst students, staff, and members of the wider LAET community.

Apart from his official role, Andre has also been a member of the LAET Alumni Board since 2022. His focus is on empowering alumni to give back to the school, and he currently holds the position of the chair of the 'Offering' committee.