James is Executive Headteacher of three of Aurora’s primary schools including Glenleigh Park. He has worked for the Trust since it was formed in September 2012, initially as Headteacher of King Offa Primary Academy before taking on his current role. Prior to this he held senior leadership positions in a number of schools and has taught internationally. He has a strong record in bringing about rapid school improvement and building sustainable and successful schools. James also chairs the East Sussex Education Improvement Partnership Network which brings together local authority schools and academies and works across all phases of education to improve pupil outcomes. He is also a member of the East Sussex Primary Board.

I am extremely proud to be the head of school at Glenleigh Park. Having worked in schools for 22 years, I can safely say that I learn something new every day. For me this is the most exciting thing about education. Education has the power to change lives and this excites me! Teaching, learning and curriculum design are passions of mine and currently we are working hard at Glenleigh Park to design a curriculum that actively engages the learners to deepen and embed skills and transfer knowledge across the curriculum.

When I am not in school, I enjoy spending time with my husband and two children. Being active is important to us as a family; we enjoy rambling over the Firehills, exploring Battle Woods or strolling along the seafront on a sunny day. Cooking is one of my favourite pastimes; I adore experimenting with new flavors and trying new foods. An interesting fact about me is that I undertook the 3 Peaks challenge to raise money for the charity CRY, it was one of the most exhausting but exciting experiences of my life!

My name is Libby Barnard and I am the Assistant Head and SENCo at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy. I joined the team in April 2019. I love working at Glenleigh Park because the staff and children are so amazing and every day I get to learn something new! At home, I live with my two daughters, who despite only being 4 and 9 years old seem to have a better social life than me! I am not a huge sports fan but I do enjoy walking with my girls and my extended family. We love a seafront stroll or a muddy forest adventure.

When I was at secondary school, I received my bronze Duke of Edinburgh award, which involved a lot of walking up mountains in both Wales and the Lake District. Art is my passion and although I don't have that much time for it right now, when I do have a spare day, I enjoy visiting galleries and exhibitions of different artists. An interesting fact about me is that I have a piece of my artwork hanging in the library at my old university.

My name is Samantha Bowe and I am the EYFS Lead at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy. I joined the team in September 2020 and thoroughly enjoy working here. I love to spend time with my family, and we enjoy going for long walks together all around the country. Our favourite place is the Lake District, and we look forward to going back there soon. Reading is a big hobby of mine and during school holidays you will often find me in my garden with a book and a coffee.

My name is Ruth Russell, I am married and have two young children and a dog!

I currently work as a year one teacher and Key Stage One, Reading and RE lead. I have worked at Glenleigh Park for a long time, and I love working in such a friendly and supportive team. In my spare time I love to bake and eat cake with my family. I love creating things and enjoy a wide range of craft activities and have even learnt how to knit! I love books and reading to my children. Also, I love being outside especially on the beach, I enjoy camping and walking. An interesting fact about me is I also collect hats and scarves!

My name is Rob Bennett and I am a year 6 teacher and Key Stage 2 lead at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy. I joined Glenleigh Park in September 2014 and have worked across the year groups in Key Stage 2. I love working at Glenleigh Park because every day a child makes me laugh so I always go home smiling! At home, I live with my partner Natalie and Winston our dog. I am a big sports fan and everyone knows that outside of school I will either be at the golf course, watching Arsenal on the TV or wandering in the woods with Winston. An interesting fact about me is I love to scuba dive. I dive in the U.K in the summer and whenever I am somewhere warm and sunny on holiday. I love to dive with sharks, in particular Tiger sharks. I am still building up the courage to dive with Great White Sharks!

My name is Rob Bennett and I am a year 6 teacher and Key Stage 2 lead at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy. I joined Glenleigh Park in September 2014 and have worked across the year groups in Key Stage 2. I love working at Glenleigh Park because every day a child makes me laugh so I always go home smiling! At home, I live with my partner Natalie and Winston our dog. I am a big sports fan and everyone knows that outside of school I will either be at the golf course, watching Arsenal on the TV or wandering in the woods with Winston. An interesting fact about me is I love to scuba dive. I dive in the U.K in the summer and whenever I am somewhere warm and sunny on holiday. I love to dive with sharks, in particular Tiger sharks. I am still building up the courage to dive with Great White Sharks!

My name is Samantha Bowe and I am the EYFS Lead at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy. I joined the team in September 2020 and thoroughly enjoy working here. I love to spend time with my family, and we enjoy going for long walks together all around the country. Our favourite place is the Lake District, and we look forward to going back there soon. Reading is a big hobby of mine and during school holidays you will often find me in my garden with a book and a coffee.

My name is Carla Payne and I am a reception teacher at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy. I have taught here for the last 4 years and love being a part of the Glenleigh family. I have always worked with young children and started out in my career as a Nursery Nurse but have been a teacher for the past 16 years. I am passionate about teaching reception and love that you can turn any situation into a learning opportunity. I find the children inspiring and they make me laugh every day!

At home, I have two wonderful children, age 6 and 10 and we like to spend our weekends getting out and about, especially when the sun is shining. During the holidays we enjoy visiting theme parks and like to ride the biggest rollercoasters. We also love spending rainy Sunday afternoons snuggled on the sofa with hot chocolate watching a film. When I have the time I enjoy baking and being creative but I wish I could cook as well as I bake!

My name is Elizabeth Latter and I am a reception teacher here at Glenleigh Park, which means I get to see magic happen all the time as the children learn to read, write and do amazing things! I wanted to work at this school because it felt like a great big family. I work part time, so am lucky to get to teach my amazing class 2 days a week sharing them with one of my very best friends and also still get to be a Mummy to my lovely little boys the rest of the week.

Within our school, I am the lead for our ‘Wellbeing Curriculum’ and I also support the leads in other schools with this area of the curriculum. It is my passion to do all I can to develop and support the wellbeing of all the children in our school.

Something you probably won’t know about me is that a few years ago the BBC flew me to Glasgow to appear on a quiz show with a famous past pupil of mine- I didn’t do very well and discovered that my thinking faces are very funny and quite ridiculous!

I love living near the sea and enjoy walks on the seafront with my family - and maybe some chips or Ice Cream too! I am also Disney mad! You will usually find something Disney related on or with me, or even find me planning my next trip to Disney or to do something Disney themed!

My name is Ruth Russell, I am married and have two young children and a dog!

I currently work as a year one teacher and Key Stage One, Reading and RE lead. I have worked at Glenleigh Park for a long time, and I love working in such a friendly and supportive team. In my spare time I love to bake and eat cake with my family. I love creating things and enjoy a wide range of craft activities and have even learnt how to knit! I love books and reading to my children. Also, I love being outside especially on the beach, I enjoy camping and walking. An interesting fact about me is I also collect hats and scarves!

I’m Charlotte Pierce, and I joined the wonderful Glenleigh Park team in September 2020. I love being a class teacher at Glenleigh Park because the amazing children and teachers make the school such a happy place to be. In my spare time, I enjoy walking along our beautiful seafront, baking sweet treats, and travelling whenever I can. My favourite holidays have been to Italy, where I enjoyed seeing the breath-taking sights in Pompeii, and eating my body weight in gelato in Sorrento! I studied Psychology at university, and it is still a real passion of mine. I find our brains fascinating and enjoy reading about how we grow, learn, and think. But when I’m really relaxing, I like nothing more than watching a good movie and munching popcorn in my PJs!

My name is Sam Marchant, I am a Year 3 teacher and Physical Education lead at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy. I have been part of the Glenleigh Park community since January 2020 and I have loved every minute, I feel privileged to work with so many amazing children and such a hard working team! I have a strong passion for sport and general exercise, who knew you could keep fit, feel good and have fun all at the same time!? I enjoy playing and watching a wide range of sports, but football has to be my favourite. I play for a 6-aside team once a week, and when I am not playing I often go to watch my favourite team; Brighton and Hove Albion. When I was just two years old, I was the You’ve Been Framed video star of the week for some crazy dancing in my high chair. Visiting the ITV studios and appearing live on the programme is my claim to fame, I am not sure that my dancing is as good these days!

Proud owner of 5 guinea pigs. I joined Glenleigh in September 2020 and am a Year 3 class teacher. I like working at Glenleigh because it has a positive atmosphere and is full of smiley faces. My favourite film is Harry Potter. I enjoy watching lots of TV series, martial arts and music. One of my greatest achievements was graduating with a first-class degree and the other, was winning gold at a Taekwondo competition.

My name is Miss Sargent and I am the Maths Lead, Lower Key Stage 2 Lead and Class Teacher here at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy. I joined the team in September 2017 after teaching at two other schools in Hastings. At weekends, I love going for walks with my cheeky Labrador puppy and nephew. I love being outdoors, especially at the beach, which is my favourite place. When I have time to relax, I enjoy keeping active in the gym or playing sports.

My name is Miss Saunders and I am a Class Teacher and History subject lead at Glenleigh Park. I love working at Glenleigh Park because we work together like one big family! In my spare time, I enjoy reading, going out for walks and baking lots of delicious treats! I used to compete nationally as a trampolinist and I was also trampoline coach before becoming a teacher.

My name is Emma Farren and I am a year 5 teacher at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy. I joined the team in January 2021 as a Newly Qualified Teacher. I love working at Glenleigh Park because I get to teach fantastic children and work with a brilliant team 5 days a week! I enjoy dancing and singing, although I am no professional, you are likely to find me dancing around my classroom and singing along to the Wicked soundtrack. Maths is one of my passions, particularly fractions so you might also find me dancing around my classroom whilst teaching fractions! An interesting fact about me is that I have met Strictly Come Dancing’s judge, Craig Revel Horwood, and he called me fab-u-lous!

My name is Debbie Sinfield and I am a class teacher at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy where I have worked for 4 years. Before I started teaching, I worked in West Sussex managing a range of different children's services and prior to that I trained as a dancer and even got to dance in the West End. While growing up I was a regular on stage at the De La Warr Pavilion performing in the Christmas Pantomime, dance shows and as a member of the Bexhill Light Operatic Dramatic Society. I have 2 daughters who are 8 and 10 who keep me very busy. We love being active, going for walks and the beach. In my spare time I love being with family and friends, reading and running.

My name is Rob Bennett and I am a year 6 teacher and Key Stage 2 lead at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy. I joined Glenleigh Park in September 2014 and have worked across the year groups in Key Stage 2. I love working at Glenleigh Park because every day a child makes me laugh so I always go home smiling! At home, I live with my partner Natalie and Winston our dog. I am a big sports fan and everyone knows that outside of school I will either be at the golf course, watching Arsenal on the TV or wandering in the woods with Winston. An interesting fact about me is I love to scuba dive. I dive in the U.K in the summer and whenever I am somewhere warm and sunny on holiday. I love to dive with sharks, in particular Tiger sharks. I am still building up the courage to dive with Great White Sharks!

My name is Philip Green. I am a Year 6 teacher and KS2 English and reading lead at Glenleigh Park. I have been at Glenleigh for 4 years and love working here. The children are so enthusiastic and I love getting to know them all. I am a big sports fan. I love watching and playing lots of different sports. I particularly enjoy football and play for a team on Saturdays. I also love running. You may bump into me running along the seafront! Make sure you give me a wave!

My other big passion is reading. I particularly love reading children's books. We are so lucky to have so many brilliant children's authors around at the moment. My current favourite author is Katherine Rundell and I would recommend reading all of her books! An interesting fact about me is that I grew up living on a farm!

My name is Charlotte Axell and I am a Teaching Assistant at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy. I also work in the after school club too. I joined the team in September 2015. I love working at Glenleigh Park as no day is ever the same. I love working with my lovely colleagues and I am lucky enough to not only work with the children in my class but I get to work and know children from all year groups, seeing them flourish and grow. Outside of work, I enjoy being active, I play netball for a local club which is great as I get to see my friends as well taking part in something that I enjoy. I also enjoy going swimming and walking in the countryside with my extended family. I love history and enjoy visiting history museums and watching history programmes on TV. I went to Rome a few years ago, visiting the colosseum, and seeing all the ancient ruins, it was amazing! When I was at secondary school I received the ‘Sports Girl of the Year Award’ in my year group for my achievements in sport.

My name is Sam Evans and I am a Teaching Assistant at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy. I joined the team in September 2014 as a midday supervisor and Volunteer and then became a Teaching Assistant in November 2016. As a young child I wanted to be a teacher and never changed my mind, I went to college to study childcare and then I went on to work in local nurseries and since starting at Glenleigh I've never looked back. I love being a Teaching Assistant - I personally believe I have the best job and really look forward to everyday. I love working at Glenleigh Park because it is such a lovely place to work with lots of supportive colleagues, great children and many professional development and learning opportunities. I particularly enjoy teaching phonics - how amazing that we have the knowledge to teach children to read - a lifelong skill they will use for the rest of their lives. At home, I live with my fiancé and two sons aged 10 and 3. I love family days whether that's at home playing or watching movies or out on fun days out.

My name is Mia Cole and I’ve been a teaching assistant at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy for almost 3 years. I love working here because seeing the children learn something new everyday is such a lovely thing to be a part of. In my spare time I enjoy dog walks with my friends and family and reading books. I loved dancing growing up and I once danced in a parade in Disneyland Paris.

My name is Wendy Kennard and I am a Teaching Assistant at Glenleigh Park. I have been a TA for approximately 13 years. The best thing about being in my role is when a child you are working with has a ‘lightbulb’ moment. It is wonderful seeing their faces light up! My favourite food has got to be Marmite and chocolate, but NOT together, tried that once and it was incredibly YUK! Four years ago I queued up for a very long time, at Chessington, to stroke a baby panda, to only realise after that it was in fact a robotic panda! One day I will travel around Europe in my Motorhome Bessie, chasing the sun! Oh and I can wiggle my ears.

My name is Hannah Noble and I am a teaching assistant at Glenleigh Park. I joined the team in November 2017 and I am currently at university training to be a Primary School Teacher. I have three football mad sons, who all play for a local team, which means a lot of my weekends are spent on cold, wet fields. When I have free time, I enjoy camping with the boys - my favourite place is the New Forest.

My name is Hanje Martin. I am a Teaching Assistant at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy. I joined the team September 2020. I really enjoy working at Glenleigh Park because it is a welcome, friendly and supportive school with amazing children and very skilled and dedicated staff. Every day is different and we all keep learning from each other. I have 2 beautiful children, a boy 12 years and a girl 16 years old, who are my world. We are quite active with sport especially cricket, walks with the dog in the woods or near the beach, bike rides and we love to get out as much possible. I was privileged enough to grow up on a beautiful farm in South Africa with loads and loads of space and many animals. We moved over to the UK in 2003. I still have a noticeable accent as my mother-tongue is Afrikaans which I still speak fluently. My passion is gardening and animals. I once had meerkats, a chameleon and a cockatiel Louis. I enjoy exploring England and visiting places like National Trust and always end up taking too many photos. I also love music and play the piano and guitar too. I once played a baby grand piano at a National Trust House. One thing I still want to do is to go for a hot air balloon ride

My name is Nicky Turner and I am a proud mum of two girls aged 21 and 18. I worked at Sidley Primary School Nursery from 2007 up until we moved to Glenleigh Park in 2012. I am proud to be the Nursery Manager here at Ducklings Nursery. I have a great team and we all work well together and pride ourselves on having a fantastic nursery with wonderful children and families. I love walking my dog and socialising with friends and family and I enjoy a cheeky Chinese occasionally! My greatest achievement was completing the London 10k Snow Run a few years ago as well as taking part in mud runs and other running events.

My name is Amy Walsh and I work in the Ducklings Nursery as a Nursery Practitioner. I joined the nursery team in November 2020 when I moved down from London. The nursery team have made me feel very welcome from the start and the children and families are lovely. I have always been into sports from a very young age especially football. I was offered an opportunity to move to the USA to play football there, but it was too far away from my family so chose not to go. At the weekends, I enjoy going for walks and finding new places to visit, and going back to London to see my family and friends. Once a month I like to treat myself to my favourite take away, which is a Chinese.

My name is Daisey Yates. I started my college placement at Ducklings nursery in 2017 and was fortunate enough to be offered a position as a nursery practitioner when I qualified. I have really enjoyed my time at Ducklings, especially being part of a small team and getting to know many of the local families over the last 3 and a half years.

I am a proud mum to four school aged children and I thoroughly enjoy going for family walks with our Labradoodle. I have set myself a challenge for 2021, which is to see how many books I can read in a year because I absolutely love reading. I love reading to the children whilst at work and I like to wind down in the evening with my head in a book of my own.

My name is Sharon Croft and I am a nursery practitioner at Glenleigh Park and have worked here for 6 and a half years. I enjoy working in the nursery, as every day is different, and we all work well as a team. I have 2 children and 1 grandchild who I enjoy spending time with. I like going for walks in the country or along the seafront. I also enjoy going to Zumba and Powerhoop classes.

My name is Caroline Young and I have been at Glenleigh Park Primary Academy for over 6 years now. Recently my role changed to Nursery Finance & Administration Assistant for both Glenleigh Park and King Offa Primary Academies. I’ve been happily married to my husband, Martin, for nearly 25 years. I thoroughly enjoy working within Glenleigh Park and King Offa nurseries, as the staff and nursery environment are lovely to work within - they are focussed on providing excellent childcare, the schools are great and every day is different. On the sport side, our middle child has played cricket for Sussex for nearly 10 years now - so I have to say cricket, although our youngest is a very keen golfer and he’s won several competitions. Proudest moments with our eldest was her achieving a 1st in Music at Chichester University in 2020 and being with her when she was awarded her Duke of Edinburgh Gold at Buckingham Palace in 2018. I enjoy reading, walking, cycling and social gatherings. On an achievement front, I completed several London to Brighton and London to Cambridge bike rides in my younger years. I love anything to do with Christmas and would have the tree up all year round if I could, which has led my friends to nickname me Mother Christmas.