Senior Leadership Team (ID 1078)

• Mr. David Mitchell
  Senior Deputy Head Teacher
  Mr. David Mitchell

  Mr Mitchell MSc, BSc Hons, PGCE, ELE

  Mr Mitchell is a Senior Deputy Head teacher at Phoenix Collegiate, having joined the school in January 2018. He has a passion for developing and supporting rich learning experiences for all Phoenix students. To do so, Mr. Mitchell values opportunities to work collaboratively with all stakeholders at the school - and with selected 'learning partners' beyond the school.

  Mr Mitchell focuses on the quality of education delivered at Phoenix. He believes leaders and all teachers must support each other to develop and embed excellent practice in order to provide for all learners the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to succeed in life.

• Mr. David Derbyshire
  Deputy Head Teacher
  Mr. David Derbyshire

  Mr Derbyshire BEd Hons, NPQSL

  Mr Derbyshire is the Deputy Head teacher at Phoenix. Born and bred in Wigan, he moved away from his northern hometown when he studied Education and Mathematics at Y Coleg Normal in Bangor, North Wales.

  Moving to the Black Country following graduation, he began his teaching career in 1994 in Kidderminster before moving on to teach Mathematics in Birmingham. He moved for promotion to a school in Sandwell before arriving at Phoenix Collegiate in January 2008.

  Mr Derbyshire passionately believes that education is the greatest equaliser. He believes that the role that Phoenix plays in the local community helps students to realise their full potential, and sees the schools role as one that supports students and parents/carers in removing any barriers to their learning.

  In his role as Deputy Head teacher, Mr Derbyshire subscribes to the school mantra of Aspire, Believe, Succeed. Through developing a challenging curriculum that meets the needs of the local community, and by continually challenging students to improve their results and outcomes, Phoenix students are able to go on and achieve their expectations and aspirations.

• Mr. Sunny Kumar
  Deputy Head Teacher
  Mr. Sunny Kumar

  Mr Kumar BSc Hons PGCE NPQSL

  Mr Kumar is the Deputy Head teacher at Phoenix having joined Phoenix Collegiate in September 2015 leading the science department. He is a graduate from the local area studying in Walsall and Wolverhampton completing a degree in Biological Science before working in several schools in the local area.

  Since joining the core senior leadership team in 2018, Mr Kumar has focused on the quality of education delivered at Phoenix with a focus on curriculum development, assessment and quality of teaching and learning. He is often supporting Year 11 cohort through their crucial GCSE year to ensure all students achieve their potential.

  Mr Kumar has spent his working career in secondary schools with various leadership roles in Education and continues that journey as part of a leadership team committed to serve the community and ensure all students achieve their very best.

• Mrs. Kathryn Barnes
  Director of Business and Finance
  Mrs. Kathryn Barnes

  Mrs. K Barnes ACIB, CSBM

  Mrs. Barnes joined Phoenix Collegiate (when it was Menzies High School) in 2006 after a 16-year career in Barclays Bank Plc, covering many roles including operational risk management, business support management, internal audit / inspection team and people leadership and management, latterly with responsibility for a team of 30 + staff support staff in a large, centralised processing centre . All of these experiences gave her the skill set and knowledge to perform the role of Business Director within a large secondary school, such as Phoenix.

  Her day to day focus is to ensure all of the support (non-teaching) functions of the school run efficiently and effectively including financial, administrative, human resources, facilities and contracted-out services such as the food and cleaning functions. It is critical that these support functions run seamlessly in the background, otherwise the teaching team are not able to do their jobs effectively i.e. delivering excellent teaching and guidance to the young people in the school's care.

  Mrs. Barnes is proud to be part of the Phoenix team that continually looks for ways to improve the academic and social experiences of the students during their secondary school years with us. We strive to create a culture of success for both staff and students alike and to be a place we all want to learn and work

• Ms. Charlotte Wilde
  Assistant Head Teacher
  Ms. Charlotte Wilde

  Ms. C Wilde BA (Hons) Secondary Education PGDip, MCCT, NPQH

  Ms. Wilde is the Assistant Head teacher at Phoenix Collegiate having joined in September 2020 having been a senior leader in two previous schools in Sandwell. She is a graduate of Manchester Metropolitan University with a degree in Secondary Education her subjects being Science and Physical Education.

  Ms. Wilde is our Designated Safeguarding and Anti-Bullying Lead who is responsible for both admissions and transition and helps to support ABQM evaluation. Ms. Wilde is also an Area Support Officer for the Combined Cadet Force and holds the rank of Squadron Leader. Ms. Wilde has worked in secondary schools in the West Midlands in various leadership roles and takes very seriously the role that strong pastoral support has for both the individual, the family and the community in improving outcomes for all students.

• Mr. Andy Etheridge
  Assistant Head Teacher
  Mr. Andy Etheridge

  Mr Etheridge BAHons PGCE NPQSL

  Mr Etheridge is the Assistant Head teacher of Teaching and learning at Phoenix Collegiate. He graduated from Sheffield Hallam University where he studied Historical Studies. Mr Etheridge completed his PGCE in his hometown at Birmingham University.

  Mr Etheridge has been in education from 2006 where he joined Menzies High School. He developed his career to becoming Leader of the History department which was a post he held during the transition to The Phoenix Collegiate. He joined the Senior Leadership Team in 2017 working within the Teaching and Learning Team to push the academic success of the students.

  Mr Etheridge has worked at the school for a number of years and is devoted to improving the lives and outcomes for the students from the local community. He is passionate about challenging students, supporting them to exceed their own expectations and providing the best opportunities for students to achieve.

• Mr. Iain Eglinton
  Assistant Head Teacher (Maths)
  Mr. Iain Eglinton

  Mr Eglinton BSc Hons, PGCE, SENCO NA

  Mr Eglinton is the Assistant Head teacher at Phoenix who leads the Mathematics Department.

  He is a graduate of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, having completed a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science before going on to do a PGCE at the University of Birmingham.

  Since taking over the leadership of the Maths department several years ago, Mr Eglinton has focused on the quality of Teaching and Learning in the department and introducing the principles of a Mastery Curriculum.

  Mr Eglinton has spent his career in a variety of different settings, including working abroad and in the Alternative Provision sector, gaining experience in a wealth of different senior leadership roles.

  The Maths department at Phoenix are a wonderful team and Mr Eglinton is dedicated in ensuring that the students achieve the best Mathematical education possible.

• Mrs. Ella Barnfield
  Assistant Head Teacher
  Mrs. Ella Barnfield

  Mrs. E Barnfield BSc Hons, PGCE, MEd, NPQSL Â

  Mrs. Barnfield is the Assistant Head teacher at Phoenix having joined the school in January 2016. She is a graduate of the University of Birmingham having studied Biological Sciences, PGCE and a Masters in Education. She started her career in Sutton Coldfield in teaching science and PSHE. Here, she became an accredited Advanced Skills teacher and an Associate SLT member in leading Teaching and Learning. She has supported teachers of all experiences, both within the secondary and primary sector. Mrs. Barnfield's passion for research and evidence informed practice supports the school's value of excellence in everything we do, by striving to always do her best for our students.

  As a former student at the school, Mrs. Barnfield jumped at the opportunity to re-join Phoenix. She is keen to play her own part in making a positive and significant difference for Phoenix students, especially those that have particular barriers to learning and find academic studies more challenging. She is dedicated to ensure all students receive the very best lessons and during interventions to support students in being able to overcome their barriers and make progress in learning new skills or knowledge.

• Mrs. Kirsty Northwood
  Assistant Head Teacher
  Mrs. Kirsty Northwood

  Mrs. K Northwood BA (Hons) NPQSL

  Mrs. Northwood is Assistant Head teacher having worked at Phoenix since its inception in 2010. She is a graduate in Media and Communication from a local university. Prior to the creation of Phoenix, Mrs. Northwood worked at Manor Foundation and has undertaken various leadership roles within the English department.

  Since joining the extended leadership team in 2016, Mrs. Northwood has focused on the development of the English curriculum and is part of the team driving improvement in students' literacy at Phoenix.

  Having spent all of her teaching career working in the local area, Mrs. Northwood is passionate about ensuring Phoenix students achieve their very best and leave school with all the skills and qualities they need to become successful and well-rounded individuals.

• Mrs. Kirti Bagri
  Assistant Head Teacher
  Mrs. Kirti Bagri

  Mrs. K Bagri BSc Hons PGCE

  Mrs. Bagri is an Assistant Head teacher and also Head of Science here at Phoenix, having joined the school in September 2013. She is a graduate of the University of Wolverhampton, where she studied Biomedical Science and then a PGCE in Secondary Science.

  She started her teaching career in 2006 at a school in Sutton Coldfield, where she was an assistant Head of House and a mentor to trainee teachers. Since joining the senior leadership team Mrs. Bagri has focused on improving the communication between parents, students and staff. She firmly believes in building positive relationships with all involved to help develop and build the culture at Phoenix Collegiate

• Mrs. Steph Robinson
  Assistant Head Teacher (English)
  Mrs. Steph Robinson

  Mrs. S Robinson - BA Hons, MEd, PGCE, NPQML

  Mrs. Robinson is an Assistant Head Teacher at Phoenix and also the Leader of the English Department. She completed a degree in English Language and Literature at the University of Birmingham and specialised with a Masters Degree in Education: the focus of which was raising the attainment of underachieving students.

  She has been with Phoenix since its inception in 2010, having previously worked at Manor Foundation. During her career, she has held many leadership roles within English and is dedicated to ensuring all students at Phoenix achieve outcomes of which they can feel proud.

  As the Leader of English, Mrs. Robinson and the English team recognise the importance of the subject in developing essential life-long skills in communication, reading and writing, all of which are integral to our students' successes as adults; therefore, they strive not only for academic outcomes for all students, but are passionately committed to developing them as individuals, equipped with transferable skills they can use to achieve future successes in their lives beyond Phoenix.

• Mr. Luke Stevens
  Head of Sixth Form
  Mr. Luke Stevens

  Mr. Stevens - Bsc Hons, PGCE, NPQSL

  Mr. Stevens is the Head of Sixth Form at Phoenix, having joined The Phoenix Collegiate in 2005 as the Director of Vocational Education. He is a graduate from the Black Country area, studying in Pensnett, Dudley and Wolverhampton, where he completed a degree in Psychology. Prior to becoming a teacher, he worked in a range of roles at universities and local authorities across the West Midlands, where he led on a range of projects related to raising the aspirations of young people and developing employability skills. The Phoenix Collegiate is the only teaching school he has worked in and he has taught a range of subjects including Sociology, Criminology and Psychology.

  Since moving from Vocational Education to the Sixth Form in 2015, Mr. Stevens has focused on the development of Sixth Form learners, aiding them in making the next steps into adult life. His role encompasses a range of areas from teaching and learning to support and monitoring, as well as the design of a programme that equips students with the skills required for employability and higher education. Mr. Stevens is committed to serving the students of Phoenix and ensuring that they achieve their very best.

• Mrs. Amrita Sangha
  Associate SLT Member
  Mrs. Amrita Sangha

  Mrs. A Sangha - BA Hons, PGCE

  Mrs. Sangha is an Associate member of SLT, leading on whole school reading and communication initiatives. She is a graduate of Drama and English and completed her PGCE at Warwick University. Mrs. Sangha joined Phoenix in 2019, having previously worked at a south Birmingham school for 10 years, supporting teaching and learning as a Lead Practitioner.

  As a passionate teacher of Drama and English, Mrs. Sangha strives for excellence in supporting her students to fulfil their potential. Having worked as a Lead Practitioner for many years, she is also dedicated to developing the practice of her colleagues, so that both staff and students at Phoenix are inspired to be the best version of themselves.

  Reading and communication is an integral aspect of life at Phoenix and Mrs. Sangha is committed to ensuring that students are supported and encouraged to fully engage with opportunities to develop their reading and oracy skills; skills that are essential for success in the wider world.

• Mr. Will Watson
  Associate SLT Member
  Mr. Will Watson

  Mr. Watson - MSc, BA Hons

  Mr. Watson is an Associate member of SLT, and the Head of Willow House, leading on whole school rewards and behaviour monitoring via Class Charts. He brings to Phoenix a wealth of academic and professional experience, including a Master's Degree in Political Science from the University of Birmingham, as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Japanese Language and Culture, and a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice. Mr. Watson has 15 years of teaching experience in the UK and joined Phoenix in 2019, having previously worked at a south Birmingham school for 5 years as the Head of Maths.

  In the classroom, Mr. Watson is committed to students gaining a practical insight into Mathematics in the real world, whilst at the same time building knowledge, skills and, importantly, confidence in the subject. Having worked across a variety of professions in 3 countries, including 3 years as an English teacher in Japanese secondary schools, his experience provides a unique perspective to teaching and learning.

  As the lead for rewards at Phoenix, Mr. Watson's goal is to improve behaviour and outcomes across the school by incentivising attitudes and actions that are linked to success. He firmly believes  that if students are rewarded for their efforts, they are more likely to repeat those behaviours and strive for even greater achievements. The reward's system he leads supports students to achieve their maximum potential and grade not through coercion, but through an acceptance of the fundamental benefits of positive attitudes, decisions and actions that will lead to long-term success in academics and beyond.