
Sally Dennehy - Headteacher
As a teacher, I have 17 years experience delivering and leading English at secondary level. I feel I am fortunate to join The New School as this is an exciting time as the students progress into the older years. Throughout my time in education, I have learned that relationships and relevance are fundamental to learning. I also fully believe learning is at its best when students feel motivated and engaged. I am excited to join this sociocratic school; with our values aligned, I believe the study of English will become a powerful and enriching opportunity.
Over my years in education, I have also gained a Masters in Anthropology from UCL, researching the impact of data dominance on learning relationships. Among other things, I have subsequently produced a documentary about life after permanent exclusion, and published a paper on rural disadvantage in education. I am passionate about access to learning and inspiring futures for all young people. I am pleased to continue this journey at The New School

Callie Sharma - SENCo and Primary Teaching and Learning Coordinator
When I heard about The New School, I was very intrigued and thought it was a great addition to the area. I am really looking forward to joining and being a part of the school. I have a background in Primary education and have taught in schools in South London. A lot of my teaching career has been in Early Years. Within the classroom I am passionate about child centred education and a play-based environment. I am a qualified SENCO and really enjoy the challenges of adapting learning and the environment to support learner differences.

Luke Templeman - Secondary Teaching and Learning Lead and Science Lead Teacher
From my personal education journey, I can appreciate that mainstream education is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution. My experience of home education taught me a lot about how students can learn and the power of individuals having a sense of self, the importance of pupil voice, pupil wellbeing and community action. This is something that I have brought through to my career in education but hasn’t always complemented the mainstream methods.
I am passionate about the importance Science has in people’s lives, and the difference a good Science education can make to a person’s future. My Medical Science degree only furthered my interest in Biology especially, but showed me that although I enjoyed working with and helping people, the Medical industry was not for me. Having mentored people within my performing passions, I knew I thrived in this environment so turned to teaching and never looked back, as it was so fulfilling.
I also believe young people learn the most through the opportunities and experiences outside the classroom. I enjoy sharing my passions for Performing Arts and getting to work with young people in a different context than the Science classroom.
I am looking forward to the opportunities at TNS, and getting to know the individuals and members within the community, and be a small part of the young people’s journeys.

Giulia Fabris - Business Manager
With a diverse background in childcare, customer service, and administration, I am thrilled to be joining The New School team.
The school’s mission resonates deeply with me, and I am eager to contribute within a democratic, child-centered, and non-punitive environment.
I am passionate about building and nurturing lasting relationships, and I look forward to continuing this in my new role at The New School, always with a positive attitude and a commitment to helping others.

Mario Dellow - Pastoral Lead & Designated Safeguarding Lead and Year 10 Form Tutor
My role at The New School is to provide care for young people, and support adults and young people to care for each other. Before joining The New School I worked in pastoral care in mainstream secondary schools. I have a masters in Social Justice and Education from UCL. I also studied art at Oxford, and I make art about education and my adoption.

Charlotte Heathfield - EYFS Teacher (Sapphire Class)
The most amazing thing for me about working with children is supporting them to gain independence, giving them space to follow their interests and show care and respect for each other. In many settings, this autonomy is confined to the Early Years, but I believe that it should be common place in every school, at every age, to allow children to grow and blossom in their own way, in their own time. My experience of teaching has been in mainstream and private schools both in London and abroad, from Nursery lead to Year 4 teacher, and I am passionate about self-directed learning and giving children a say in their education. Being part of The New School is hugely exciting for me, to be part of something which I wholehearted believe in.

Mireille Pelletier - Primary Teacher (Diamond Class)
I started my career as a teacher in a democratic school in Montreal where I developed a passion for child-centred education and innovative pedagogy. Being part of this community of research allowed me to gain a practical experience of teaching in a multi-age context, according to the needs of the children and those of the class. After moving to London, I studied Therapeutic Communication for Work with Children and Families, and acquired a diploma in Wellbeing Practice. During this time I have facilitated a range of projects, from therapeutic cooking in schools, through to supporting newly arrived immigrants using visual arts. I have also worked with the paediatric play team of a hospital.
I am excited to be part of The New School team and to help co-create a space where children will be free to explore their interests and feel like active members of their community.

Hannah Massih - Primary Teacher (Emerald Class)
I began my career in education when I was living in Lebanon, where I worked for many years with Syrian civil society organisations. I led and taught in a number of non-formal education projects, primarily with children who had experienced displacement and had been unable to enrol in formal education. I learnt about the multiple roles that an educational environment can serve, and how challenging assumptions about the way we teach and relate to young people is a central component of social change. I am incredibly motivated by The New School’s critical approach to the many structural issues at the heart of educational inequality, and the emphasis on fostering emotionally intelligent relationships with and between young people. It is an inspiring and hopeful approach to education, and I am excited to be part of the team.
Jack Park - Primary Teacher (Amethyst Class)
After finishing a degree in Fine Art, I worked in a young carers project and a South London secondary school before training to teach in Key Stage 2 Primary, which is the age group I have been teaching for the last four years. I’ve been a mentor to young people in care for over ten years and am particularly passionate about integrating pastoral support and teaching practice, in ways that prioritise the agency of a young person. I’ve had a long running research interest in democratic and radical education, which has informed the Masters course I have recently completed, and am extremely excited to put some of these ideas into practice. I love The New School’s emphasis on relational and non-punitive approaches and am excited about supporting the development of critical, social and practical skills within exciting and inclusive collective learning contexts.

Miriam Baez - Art Teacher and Year 7 Form Tutor
I’m an artist passionate about teaching art. My background involves history of art, graphic design, printmaking, and photography. I am an active learner and you can always find me researching and learning new techniques.
I am a strong believer in the importance of teaching and exposing young people to art and the positive impact it has on them. At Goldsmiths College, I specialised in visual art pedagogy, and over the last 9 years, I have been producing and delivering creative projects for primary and secondary schools and for museums and galleries like the V&A, Museum of Childhood and Royal Collection Trust. Collaborating with young people fulfils me; being able to inspire them as much as they always inspire me. I feel art is an act of freedom itself and to be able to produce any work of art, you need to be in a free environment. That’s why I am excited to be part of The New School and contribute to supporting young people’s creative freedom.

Lee Cooper - Computer Science, DT & ICT Teacher
I began my teaching career fifteen years ago and have since taught in a variety of schools across South London. As a Physics graduate my first focus in schools was science, but after taking time away from the classroom to care for my children I had the opportunity to change specialism to ICT and Media. This switch has allowed my creativity to come to the fore and I'm enjoying it immensely. I passionately believe in the value of teaching children the skills to access and engage with our digital society, and to express themselves as individual creators in the field. I’m excited by the opportunities that working within the team at The New School will bring and look forward to finding out what direction our young people will take us on their learning journey.

Gay Broadberry - Maths Lead Teacher and Year 11 Form Tutor
I have worked in a variety of educational settings for a number of years, including primary, secondary, mainstream and alternative provisions, and for the past twenty years I have been at a pupil referral unit, most recently as a Deputy Head.
I have been involved in teaching a range of subjects, but as a Mathematics graduate, I most enjoy being able to share the joy of Maths in varied and creative ways.
I am looking forward to becoming a part of the team at New School, as I believe that a holistic and individualised approach to education, giving young people enjoyable and satisfying experiences, provides the foundation for lifelong learning.

Gemma Jamieson - SDLT, Careers and Enterprise Teacher
As an experienced early childhood educator, who has been marvelling at the infinite possibilities that childhood and play can offer, I am a passionate advocate for the value of play, curiosity and wonder in our education system. I believe that learning should be engaging, authentic and connected to the real world and the lives and interests of young people. I have always been very passionate about developing a powerful sense of agency, enabling young people the opportunity to lead their own learning. My experience as an international teacher in Shanghai and Switzerland, opened my eyes to alternative approaches. This growing belief that another way is possible is what has led me to The New School and I am enthralled to be part of a school on a mission to positively change the way we educate our children.

Ugonna Ezeyi - Forest School Practitioner and Primary Science Teacher
I began my career as a primary school teacher over 10 years ago and have taught in a wide range of mainstream and alternative settings across London. I have a passion for the natural world, child led creativity and storytelling. In addition to my experience as a classroom teacher, I have run Waldorf inspired parent and child groups in South London, creating a haven for children and their carers to experience the beauty of gentle parenting. I have also run gardening and cookery workshops for children living in the inner city of London to delve into the healing power of nature. During my downtime, I create ethnically diverse Waldorf dolls and puppets and enjoy dancing to world beats.

Juliet Simpson - Higher Level Teaching Assistant and Primary Modern Foreign Languages Teacher
I was born and raised in France where I attended a democratic primary school. This helped form my expectation as a child and commitment as an adult and parent to principles of freedom, creativity, and empathy.
After graduating from Central St Martins, I worked for many years as a Theatre Designer and Theatre Design assistant before becoming a teacher. I started out working in an art centre and later retrained as an MFL teacher at Goldsmiths subsequently working in secondary, special needs and for the past 6 years in a primary school.
I love children and find their authenticity, imagination, and energy immensely inspiring. I am excited to be part of the new school team and look forward to help facilitate an environment where children’s free play, curiosity and autonomy is valued and nurtured.
Naomi Potter - Pastoral Assistant & Afterschool Club Lead
I began my career studying Primary Education at Roehampton University before going on work as a tutor at an Alternative Education Provision. I then worked my way up to Divisional Manager where I overlooked the day to day running of multiple AP’s and was able to support young people across all ages, from all walks of life.
I believe in promoting independence, creativity and autonomy so when I heard about the work TNS do with young people, I was keen to become part of the community and have a chance to develop my ideologies alongside TNS pastoral principles.
I am also now leading the After School Club and look forward to working closing with your young people!

Selina Candengue - Higher Level Teaching Assistant
Art should be liberating and I believe in education being wide-spread, diverse and inclusive, where every child is catered to and encouraged to always try their best and believe in themselves. The New School mission aligns with these values and I’m glad to be a part of this. My experience working in commercial galleries, and creating alongside other artists exposed me to the wider art community, and so working at The New School inspires me to share my experiences with the new generation and help nurture their creative endeavours.

Justyna Ziarek - Higher Level Teaching Assistant
I have been passionate about progressive education for the past five years, which is what drew me to The New School. With experience as a Dance Specialist and supply teacher in a wide range of mainstream schools across London, I became curious about alternative ways of relating to students—centered on mutuality, understanding, and deeper connection. I have also been actively engaged in Nonviolent Communication (NVC), which emphasises that everyone’s needs matter and invites openness to the conflicts and actions that underlie behaviour.
Through my work in dance and drama, I love bringing creativity, joy, and freedom of expression into the curriculum. I believe in nurturing curiosity and a sense of adventure in learning, and I hope both to inspire and be inspired by students at The New School through creativity, play, and movement.

Sheila Frost - Higher Level Teaching Assistant
I've worked in childcare and education for around 6 years, the last 2.5 as a Teaching Assistant in a mainstream primary. I've been learning about neurodiversity since my first child was born in 2009 and on this journey have become a passionate advocate for the true acceptance and understanding of neurodivergence. It is so exciting and refreshing to be in a place where colleagues are so knowledgeable and receptive, where we are afforded space to learn and grow as practitioners to support young people, and where all young people are treated with deep care, respect and empathy.

Mo Hassanzadeh - Higher Level Teaching Assistant
I started teaching in the classroom 6 years ago and have been engrossed since. The practice and implementation of democratic education is a natural passion of mine and to serve those who are most underserved. I am incredibly proud to be at the forefront of this education movement at The New School and it brings me great joy to be a part of that process. I’ve always felt at odds with the teacher training methods and outcomes as well as the compartmentalisation of students into the current academic expectations and forced predetermined focus for what is and what is not worth learning. I flourish as an educator when I am in the position of helping to scaffold a child’s learning, not dictate it. I thrive when I am helping to galvanise students’ ideas driven by the subject areas that enthuse them. Learning should be deeply fulfilling and spark curiosity not squander it. It gives us all an opportunity to learn and understand together and I’ve often noticed that passion and genuine interest is contagious. Education doesn’t necessarily change the world, but it certainly can change the people who will.

Kareema Shakur-Muhammad - Chef
As a plant-based chef, I'm excited to be part of the team at the new school. I cannot wait to bring some great plant-based meals and ideas onto the menu. I feel it's extremely important that all children's nutritional needs are met. That's my main focus. Making sure the children are happy. I hope that my experience with the catering industry can bring some excitement to the lunch table.

Georgina Kavanagh - Kitchen Assistant
I started at The New School in September 2022 as a Kitchen Porter. I am looking forward to my new role as Kitchen Assistant and spending more time in the kitchen.
Having an early years qualification and being a mother of a primary school aged child, I understand the importance of the children getting the nutrition they need to help them grow and learn and I look forward to being a part of the process.

Dhama Sangarabalan - HR Lead / Data Protection
I am an experienced educationalist who has worked in a wide range of roles - including class teacher, senior leader, teacher trainer and curriculum developer in global citizenship - in the UK and overseas - in Japan, Malawi, Ethiopia, Seychelles and Spain. I moved into alternative education a few years ago when my family and I took a gap year, travelling through Europe and South-East Asia to experience voluntary exchanges, worldschooling and self-directed learning. I have been a facilitator at an outdoor democratic school in Tenerife and believe in child-led unrestricted play and a focus on emotional and social well-being to help children become independent and resilient lifelong learners. I am also a certified life coach and believe passionately in autonomy and choice for young people and the empowerment of all within learning communities.




















