Headteacher, - Jo Fife

Jo has been teaching at Wandsworth Prep since 2015 and has been instrumental in the school’s development; establishing the new Upper School and leading Literacy and 11+ examinations, both of which were assessed as 'Excellent' in September 2019 Inspection.

September 2020 will mark Jo’s 24th year in education; during her career she has held Senior Leadership roles at Wandsworth Prep and Wimbledon Park Primary School where she was Assistant Headteacher. She has been both a University Lecturer and an Education Consultant delivering professional development and teacher training to schools and universities.

Qualifications:

BEd (Hons) (Kingston)

Head of Upper School - Alastair Hill

Alastair has fourteen years’ teaching experience from Year 2 to Year 7. Since starting at Wandsworth Prep in 2016, Alastair has led the Maths curriculum and more recently taken on a range of roles including Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and working closely with our Year 6 leavers through the 11+ process. In September 2018, Alastair assumed a senior leadership role as Head of Upper School and oversees teaching and learning and pastoral care in Years 4, 5 and 6.

Prior to joining Wandsworth Prep, Alastair taught at Notting Hill Prep, also in the role of specialist Maths teacher, giving him a grounding in the 11+ process and a good working knowledge of independent secondary schools in and around London. Previously, Alastair spent seven years teaching in Spain, five of which were at O Castro International School, where Alastair contributed his knowledge, energy and enthusiasm to help develop a young school. During a period of rapid expansion, Alastair spent one year as Primary Coordinator and a further two years as Head Teacher, an unforgettable experience that was both hugely rewarding and pivotal in his own growth and development. Before Spain, Alastair taught for four years in an outstanding school in Manchester, honing his teaching and learning provision.

Alastair was educated at the University of Durham and holds BA (Hons) in Education and Qualified Teacher Status with a speciality in Mathematics.

Qualifications:

BEd (Hons) (Dunelm)

Head of Middle School - Luke Butterworth

Luke has six years’ teaching experience from Reception to Year 3 with high expectations of all children at the cornerstone of his pedagogy. During his first year at Wandsworth Prep, Luke led the Physical Education curriculum and, during this time, improved whole-school provision to ensure more sporting opportunities for children throughout the school with regular fixtures and events. In September 2017, Luke assumed a senior leadership role as Head of Middle School and oversees teaching and learning and pastoral care in Years 2 and 3.

Prior to joining Wandsworth Prep, Luke taught at Wimbledon Park Primary School in Merton for four years, where he was responsible for the teaching and learning of Maths from Reception to Year 6 in a school with over 700 pupils. Luke was part of a team that helped the school gain an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted status and has brought this success to Wandsworth Prep, providing experience and training in many key areas such as Phonics, Read Write Inc, Mathematics Mastery, Bar Modelling and Physical Education. .

Upon his arrival at Wandsworth Prep, Luke was selected for the Emerging Leaders programme and has used this experience to implement structural changes at school, to improve learning for all children.

Luke was educated at the University of Lincoln and holds BA (Hons) in Criminology and a Primary PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status from Leeds Metropolitan University.

Qualifications:

BA (Hons) (Linc)

PGCE (Leeds Met)

Head of Lower School - Carla Ritchie

Carla has fourteen years of teaching experience working in both the state and independent sectors. Carla trained as a Primary School Teacher in New Zealand completing a Bachelor of Education.

She began her teaching career in New Zealand where she taught for five years. Working in two schools during this period, Carla gained experience as a Year 1 and Year 2 classroom teacher. During this time, she also undertook training in Reading Recovery, which is aimed to help children learn to read, as well as make rapid progress in reading.

Upon arriving in London, Carla taught as a supply teacher across a number of schools in South West London before starting a permanent position at a school in North London. Here, she held the position of Head of Lower School for seven years.

In September 2017, Carla joined Wandsworth Prep School as Head of Lower School and Year 1 classroom teacher. Carla was selected for the Emerging Leaders programme and is using this experience and knowledge to improve learning for all children across the school. She is currently working on the development and introduction on Wandsworth Prep School’s Values, which she hopes will have a positive impact on the children and their understanding of learner behaviours.

Carla was educated at the Auckland College of Education and holds a Bachelor of Education and a Masters of Education from the University College London (Institute of Education).

Qualifications:

BEd (Hons) (Auck)

MA (UCL)