Meet the Team

Emma Thomson

Maths

I have been teaching Maths for nearly 20 years in a variety of schools in the area. I have taught all levels of KS3 and GCSE students as well as A level and Core Maths to post 16 students.

I have been mentoring trainee teachers for many years and became Lead Subject Tutor for Maths at the SCITT when I started teaching at Twynham School 8 years ago. Mentoring and training the next generation of Maths teachers is a very rewarding part of my job. It is always great to visit other schools and catch up with past trainees and hear about their careers.

Nina Nicholson

Art

My teaching career began in 2008 and over the past 15 years I have had the privilege of working in two outstanding state academies in the South of England. I became a teacher out of a sheer commitment and dedication to my subject.  As an artist myself, I previously completed an artist residency programme in South Africa. During this time I ran a series of workshops with local children and through this experience I became acutely aware of the power of art education and the positive impact it can have on young peoples’ lives.

I have taken on a variety of different roles over the years, including Head of Department and consistently strived to continue to develop my own subject knowledge and pedagogical understanding. I have particularly enjoyed running sixth form trips to London and Paris.  Over the past 10 years, I have also worked as an external moderator for OCR, a role which has enabled me to become an A Level assessment specialist. In 2012, I completed an MA in Inclusive Arts Practice, an experience that continues to underpin many aspects of my teaching.

It has been an absolute pleasure to be involved in supporting trainee teachers and ECTs throughout my career. I feel enormously privileged to be a SCITT subject mentor and lead subject tutor. Having the opportunity to build these exciting working relationships is mutually beneficial.  Working collaboratively to build fresh ideas, debate subject-specific topics and practise new strategies is how we continue to move forward and deliver the very best education for our young people.

Kimi Bothamley

Science

I have been teaching for 20+ years in a variety of schools and in a range of jobs that have resulted in my current role as Director of Science. I have taught all of the sciences, in various guises, which has given me the opportunity to support many students to achieve their goals and potential. In addition to teaching, I have always been involved with the training and support of student teachers or newly qualified teachers and this has now led me to be here as Lead Subject Tutor for Science.

Keith Tyler

Business Studies

Katy Bacon

Music

Amy Mortimer

MFL

Emma Weir

Social Sciences

I have taught Social Science and Humanities subjects for nearly 20 years across Key Stages 3 to 5. I specialise in both Sociology and Religious Studies and have introduced GCSE Sociology and the WJEC Applied Diploma in Criminology during my career. Additionally, I serve as an examiner for AQA and Pearson Edexcel. Recently, I became involved in Initial Teacher Training as a mentor for the academic year 2023/2024, and I will also be an LST in 2024. I am passionate about enhancing my understanding of pedagogy and applying it in the Social Sciences classroom. Sharing this knowledge with trainees is a privilege, and I look forward to working with you.

Nicole Watters

Computer Science

Phil Crossley

Geography

Ryan Ellis

PE

I have been teaching since 2007 and I have always wanted to be a PE Teacher and follow my passion of making a difference to young people in a career that is extremely rewarding. I have had the privilege of taking on a wide variety of roles over the years, including Head of Year, Head of PE, Director of Learning and more recently as an Assistant Headteacher as the Raising Standards Lead.

I have taught Key Stage 3 – 5 and I have been involved with supporting trainee teachers and ECT’s throughout my career and thrive off the different challenges that teaching offers. Leading a department and achieving excellent outcomes consistently gives me the confidence that I have a lot to offer to my trainees. I believe having good subject knowledge is vital in achieving excellence. My areas of expertise within Physical Education are the passions I had at a young age. As a child I was Swimming competitively, before playing club level Football, Volleyball and Table Tennis. My main strength lies with Badminton as I am a keen Badminton player and coach. Previously winning the Dorset Championships and becoming the Dorset number 1 pairing in men’s doubles. I have previously been Head Coach for Dorset Badminton and Bournemouth Performance Centre as well as previously coaching the England U15 squad and leading the South West training camps. My favourite motivational sporting quote is from Michael Jordan – “I’ve failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” This for me underpins everything we do as teachers encouraging, our students and trainees to make mistakes so that they can learn from them and make progress.

I feel extremely privileged to have the opportunity to support and work with our trainees as the Lead Subject tutor for Physical Education.

Sarah Hubbard

D&T

Trevor Willis

RE

I have been teaching RE for almost 20 years in a range of different types of schools in different areas of the country.  Throughout my career I have taught across the entire secondary age range and have guided students to great success in both GCSE and A Level examinations.  I was a Head of Year for an extended period and am now the Subject Leader for RE at a very well respected Joint Church School in Poole.  The department that I lead was recognised as ‘outstanding’ in all areas in our most recent Section 48 Statutory Inspection and has been held up as an example of good practice to be shared with other schools.  In addition I have been a HLP (Hub Lead Practitioner) within Salisbury Diocese since 2021, running support meetings for other RE leaders in the local area and a Teacher Representative on the BCP local authority SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education) since 2019.

Louise White

Biology

I have been teaching science for over 20 years and had a hugely varied career teaching all subjects in science, up to GCSE, as well as A level biology, and now coordinating the delivery of GCSE sciences at Ringwood. I have gained a great deal of pleasure in my career from many aspects, including being involved in the development of trainee teachers, and I think it is crucial that we give the next generation of teachers the skills they need to succeed in a long and satisfying career.

Nick Jarvis

Chemistry

Kirsty McDermott

English

Claire Blackmore

Dance

My teaching career started in 2005, and I have had the privilege of taking on a wide variety of roles over the years, including Head of Department for Dance and Drama and more recently PSHE. I have taught across Key stages 3 – 5 and am a strong believer that learning outside the classroom is crucial to giving all students a rounded curriculum particularly through extracurricular activities, clubs and trips. Over the past 20 years, I have developed my own pedagogy through working as an external examiner for AQA, a role which has enabled me to become a GCSE assessment specialist. And, taken on roles such as a teaching and learning/CPD group leader, coach and line manager.

It has been an absolute pleasure to be involved in supporting trainee teachers and ECTs throughout my career. I have been a SCITT mentor and LST for over 12 years I feel enormously privileged to have the opportunity to support and work collaboratively with trainee and newly qualified teachers.

Laura Blake

Drama

Jess Elms

History

Sophia Fityan

Lead Mentor

I am an experienced Science teacher with a deep commitment to the development of new teachers. With many years of teaching experience across KS3, KS4, and KS5, I’ve held a variety of department roles. Since the early days of Bournemouth SCITT back in 2007, I’ve had the privilege of contributing significantly in various roles: first as a Science Mentor, then as a Lead Subject Tutor, followed by a position as Quality Assurance Manager.

Currently, I’m thoroughly enjoying the role of Lead Mentor, working closely with the Bournemouth Bay Teacher Training Partnership to support and train mentors. This role is focused on ensuring a consistent, high-quality experience for trainees across the partnership.  I find immense satisfaction in working with the Bournemouth Bay team, whose friendly, supportive approach fosters a strong sense of community. It’s especially rewarding to witness the successful career progress of previous trainees who now make valuable contributions across many of our partnership schools, many who are now mentors themselves.