Staff

Jessica obtained her first degree in Economics at the University of Nottingham. She then went on to complete the Teach First Programme teaching Mathematics at a secondary school in Derby, whilst completing a PGCE from The University of Nottingham and MA in Educational Leadership from Warwick University.

Following on from her time in the East Midlands, Jessica joined Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre in East Ham as one of the originating members of staff, teaching A Level Mathematics and took on the role of Pastoral Year Leader. Prior to joining LAE Tottenham, Jessica taught at Harris Academy St John’s Wood, where she was a Lead Practitioner in the Mathematics department. 

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.

Stephen read Theology at The University of Cambridge before completing his PGCE at King’s College, London. Since then, he has taught in a variety of large North London schools, including Latymer, Edmonton, where he was head of Gifted and Talented and Citizenship, and Highgate School, where he ran the Religion and Philosophy department.

Stephen is now based at both Highgate School and LAE Tottenham. At Highgate, he remains Senior Teacher responsible for staff development and training. At Tottenham, he is responsible for the important network of partner schools that help LAE Tottenham to achieve what it does.

Daniel studied Urban Planning at UCL for his undergraduate degree before moving to Tokyo for a few years as a teaching assistant. Upon returning to London, Daniel completed his Masters in local economic development from The London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) before embarking on a PGCE at Oxford University. He is about to embark on a 2nd Master’s degree in which he hopes to look at how case studies can be contextualised in social sciences.

Elaine studied History at the University of Cambridge, where she also completed her PGCE and Masters in Education. Elaine has a wealth of experience, supporting young people and their families pastorally for over 15 years in education.

For ten years, before arriving at LAET as Assistant Headteacher in 2019, she taught History and Politics in three secondary schools in Hertfordshire and London with leadership roles including Head of Year (Sixth Form), Lead Teacher and Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator. She also worked at the London School of Economics as an Admissions and Access Specialist.

Elaine has observed that students can only achieve their academic potential when they are supported pastorally to thrive. She is now proud to lead the pastoral team in a school with approachable staff which truly values personal development and wellbeing.

As an undergraduate Lisa read Theology and Philosophy at Oxford and did a Masters in Pastoral Theology in London before completing a PGCE.

After teaching Religious Studies and Philosophy in a number of London schools, alongside Chaplaincy roles, she wished to dedicate more time to working with those who have additional needs, to enable them to develop academically and personally through the educational opportunities on offer. Further study was awarded a postgraduate certificate in SEND, specialising in Autism. A postgraduate qualification in psychometric testing, and membership of the British Psychological Society, led to the role of Access Arrangements Co-ordinator at LAET.

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. 

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.

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.

Carla graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in Fine Art in 2011, winning the University's prize for her immersive degree show installation. She then worked with a lithographic studio before moving to London and building her own textiles business, designing and selling pieces both in the UK and internationally. During this time Carla also worked as an Art Education Practitioner delivering workshops at different schools and galleries across London, which gave her the hunger to return to train as an Art Teacher. Carla first taught at Holland Park School in West London for several years before moving to LAET in 2020.

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.

Salina has taught Literature A level for over twenty years in London. She graduated from King’s College London with a degree in English Language and Literature and gained her Post Compulsory PGCE teaching qualification from the Institute of Education. 

Outside of teaching, Salina writes fiction and is working on her second novel.

Crystal studied and worked in financial auditing at Deloitte before switching careers to event planning through wedding planning. She comes from Washington D.C. and moved to the UK after completing her Master's degree in Global Hospitality Leadership from Georgetown University with a focus on meetings, events, and hospitality.

Crystal has over five years of experience executing events in high-pressure environments such as the higher education, food & beverage, and wedding industries. She is passionate about connecting attendees through audio and visual tools, event design, and show production and is experienced in collaborating with stakeholders and vendors for events of 200+ people.

In her current role, Crystal plans all-school events such as Open Houses, Alignment Consultations, Enrolment Day, Results Day and Prom/Prizegiving. She also supports prospective students and parents during the LAE Tottenham Admissions process.

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.

Oliver completed his Biology degree at the University of Manchester, choosing to specialise in climate change and marine biology after his year abroad in Denmark. Through these experiences, Oliver confirmed that his passion lies in the lab.

He worked in a research role for a healthcare company and subsequently pursued a COVID-19 medical laboratory technician role during the peak of the pandemic. During this time, Oliver acquired core laboratory skills, putting theory into practice while navigating the fast-paced and demanding work environment of the lab.

Oliver has now returned to what initially drew him into science - the practicals. At LAET, he utilises his skillset to ensure that the students have a fun, insightful, and smooth learning experience.

Hannah studied French and Spanish (BA Hons) at the University of Manchester, spending her year abroad working in Buenos Aires and Paris. She completed a PGCE at the Institute of Education upon graduating and has been teaching for the last decade in London schools.

In between jobs Hannah moved to New York for an MA in International Education Development at Columbia University and worked as a curriculum consultant with several NGOs. She then worked at the charity Researchers in Schools, part of The Brilliant Club, as the curriculum and development officer, before returning to the classroom as Head of Department.

Moving from Northern Ireland to Scotland, Andrew completed a degree in chemistry at the University of St Andrews. This included a final project on the synthesis of antimony compounds under an inert atmosphere; upon contact with air, these substances would be instantly destroyed.

As part of his degree, he also took a final year course which involved teaching in a local school in St Andrews. He enjoyed this experience so much that, after a period spent travelling, he enrolled at the University of Cambridge on its PGCE course, which he completed in 2021. His first year teaching was at Woodford County High School where he taught science, and chemistry up to A-Level. This year he is also completing a Master of Education degree part-time at the University of Cambridge.

Outside teaching, Andrew enjoys travelling, the outdoors, and learning Spanish, salsa and bachata.

Before joining LAE Tottenham, Alex was Chief of Staff at UnLtd, a UK-wide charity that supports social entrepreneurship. Prior to working in the voluntary sector, Alex spent time in a variety of roles in the Civil Service and start-up sector.

Outside of LAE Tottenham, Alex works with the charity GoodGym in Camden; is a trainee counsellor; and is also a trustee for a grassroots community organisation tackling health inequalities in East London.

Alex supports the management of LAET's Chrysalis East outreach programme.

Dan read Maths and Statistics at Oxford before completing a PGCE as part of the Teach First teaching programme in West London. He has taught mainly in London sixth forms over the past decade, with a brief stint teaching abroad.

He chose to specialise in teaching A-level maths early in his career as he believes this is where he can be most effective as a teacher.

Dr Gwen Nneji has a first degree in Biochemistry and a PhD in Biophysics. She has spent her career working in the university environment. Initially, for over 20 years, as a Research Scientist in muscle research and protein crystallisation at Imperial College, London. After her time at Imperial, she moved to Birkbeck, University of London, where she is an Associate Lecturer teaching on one of the Certificate Programmes.  

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. 

Ghislaine Reece-Trapp is a composer, organist, singer and music teacher. She studied music and was an organ scholar at Christ Church, Oxford, following organ scholarships at Wells and Guildford Cathedrals. Her organ and choral music is published by Encore Publications, Oxford University Press, The Royal School of Church Music, and Stainer and Bell Publications.

Her works have also been performed at the BBC Proms 2023, broadcast live on BBC Radio 3, and performed by ensembles including the BBC Singers, Magdalen College Choir, Oxford, and Clare College Choir, Cambridge.

Ghislaine is a founder and former co-chair of the Society of Women Organists, a prize-winning Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, and a Trustee of the Royal College of Organists.

Alejandro is an accomplished educator, holding both a BA (Hons) and MA in Education from the London Metropolitan University.

With 14 years of diverse experience, Alejandro has seamlessly transitioned between classroom and extracurricular roles. Currently, Alejandro serves as a valuable asset to the school, contributing to the SEN and the MFL (Modern Foreign Languages) departments.

Beyond his educational prowess, Alejandro is a devoted storyteller and quote writer, using his creative talents to inspire others. As a staunch advocate for learning diversity, Alejandro passionately believes in the possibility of social mobility through education, reflecting his commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable learning environment.

Serena holds a PhD in Astrophysics from Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands, a PGCE with distinction in Physics with Mathematics and Outreach from Canterbury Christ Church University/Imperial College London, Master's Degrees in Theoretical Physics with honours from Pavia University, Italy (with a master's thesis written at Lund University, Sweden), and a Bachelor's Degree in Physics.

Before becoming a teacher with the primary goal of transferring her enthusiasm for Physics to students, Serena worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the Israeli Institute of Technology, Israel. Having lived in five different countries, Serena considers herself a citizen of the world. Since 2018, she works at LAET on Mondays and Tuesdays, and you will find her the rest of the week teaching the younger students at Highgate School. Apart from Physics, she strives to inspire the younger generation with running, yoga, and languages.

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 where she unexpectedly uncovered a rap scene.

After studying Psychology at UCL, Nafisa spent a year working in PR and marketing, before pursuing her passion to teach Psychology. She subsequently completed a PGCE at the Institute of Education. She has experience of teaching in a large Sixth Form College in South London and has a particular interest in psychopathology, cognitive psychology and child development.

After a degree in Chemical Physics at UCL, Alex pursued a Physical Chemistry DPhil at University of Oxford where he developed an interest in surface forces, electrolytes and molecular lubrication mechanisms. Subsequently, he worked at the University of Geneva as a Research Associate and helped organise and supervise the Chemistry lab course for first-year students.

Alex recently joined LAET as an academic coach to explore a career in education.

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.