Mr Sweeney – Year 6 Class Teacher
Hello, I’m Mr C. Sweeney, and I am pleased to introduce myself as the Year 6 teacher for the 2023/24 academic year. I live in Liverpool and am thrilled to be at Tower College.
In the past two years, I was fortunate to have experience in many year groups across the primary sector ranging from ages 5 to 11. Completing my PGCE in primary teaching and my prior experience has provided me with a firm foundation for understanding the various stages of child development.
As a child, I threw myself into everything, whether sports, music, or other extracurricular activities. My love of teaching began with work experience in Year 11. I worked with primary school children in a sporting and musical environment. I am passionate about the impact sports and culture can make on a child’s well-being and support them in reaching their creative potential, both in their personal development and academic success. Immersing children in a wide range of subjects gives them the tools to push and accelerate forward where their passions lie.
I aim to bring a safe and challenging classroom environment so children can excel with a love of learning. Liaising with other subject professionals is critical in developing the curriculum, and I aim to collaborate as much as possible.
Outside of school, I am a keen musician and sportsman and enjoy fitness, swimming, football, table tennis and golf. I have a Music degree from LIPA, and my main instrument is the trumpet. However, I am currently taking piano lessons to broaden my musical scope. I am proud of my Gold Duke of Edinburgh award, which has reinforced my love of the outdoors and the value of working with the local community.
I look forward to starting my Tower College journey and working alongside great professionals.
Miss Carr – Art Teacher
Hello everyone, I am thrilled to introduce myself as the new Art teacher at Tower College. Creativity has always been a passion of mine and something I showcase in various areas.
As a teacher, I aim to inspire and motivate pupils to be the best version of themselves in and outside the classroom. My degree in Theatrical Special Effects Make-up allows me to demonstrate a broad range of techniques within the art world and exhibit the lengths that art can take you through various media. Planning engaging projects that allow pupils to experiment with multiple materials such as clay, watercolour, and 3D modelling ensures that everybody has the resources to discover and develop their love of art.
I can’t wait to work with you all and inspire the next artists at Tower College.
Miss Stedman – Science Teacher
My name is Miss Stedman; however, this time next year, I will be known as Mrs Poole! I am thrilled to be appointed as the new Chemistry teacher; what a wonderful school!
I have already had the pleasure of meeting with some pupils during my visit and was impressed with how polite, happy and welcoming you all were; a real pleasure to be around.
As a child, I loved every aspect of school life but was fascinated by the subject of Science, particularly the field of Chemistry and its ability to explain the world around us. I loved learning about the underlying principles and mechanisms behind everyday natural phenomena, from the air we breathe to the food we eat.
Having studied at The Liverpool Bluecoat School, I went on to achieve a degree in Pharmaceutical Science and Clinical Research at Liverpool John Moores University. Despite this achievement, my aim has always been to pursue a lifelong career that was challenging and incredibly rewarding. Therefore, in 2012, I completed a PGCE course enabling me to become a ‘Teacher of Science’, specialising in Chemistry. Teaching has given me an incredible opportunity to use my acquired subject knowledge and experience to help others reach their true potential. There is no better feeling than that.
Throughout the years, I have taught Chemistry, Biology and Physics at Key stages 3 and 4 (using AQA specification) and have delivered A Level Chemistry and BTEC Science to key stage 5 pupils.
I take every opportunity to fulfil my adventurous side in my spare time! Over the years, I have delved into various hobbies, including indoor bouldering, yoga, pilates, running and mountaineering. However, after breaking three metatarsals in my left foot (resulting in having to teach on crutches for 11 weeks), I am easing my way back into many of these hobbies!
I am incredibly passionate about creating and delivering fun and engaging lessons which captivate students’ interests. I cannot wait to start at Tower College and look forward to meeting all members of this school community.
Mr Leigh – Biology
Hello all, I have always been fascinated by how things work, and my parents often encouraged me to find the answers to my many questions, so it was natural that I would go on to study Science at university!
I studied Neuroscience at the University of Manchester due to a long-standing interest in the mysteries of the mind and Neurodegenerative disease thanks to the works of famous Neurologist Oliver Sacks. Still, my heart truly lies with the natural world. I spent many of my optional units and much of my free time learning about bizarre ecosystems and reading about differences in reptile hearts rather than learning about the human nervous system. Following this, I completed my PGCE in Manchester to allow me to share my passion for the Natural World with students.
In my career, I have taught many students who have carried on to become medical students, zoologists, pharmacologists and many other exciting scientific vocations.
At Tower College, students will be similarly inspired to become and remain curious about the world around them and seek answers to their questions. There are few greater joys as a teacher than students peppering you with explorative questions about your subject to discover more!
Outside the classroom, I have been fortunate enough to chase nature across several continents with Borneo, Sumatra, Costa Rica, the Great Barrier Reef and most recently, the Galapagos allowing me to get up close and personal with some weird and wonderful animals.
I am very excited about being welcomed as part of the Tower College community and can’t wait to meet the outstanding staff and students in September.
Mr Abbott – Maths
Hello everyone – With great pride, I can introduce myself as the new Maths teacher. I have always enjoyed and been interested in Maths from a young age.
After completing my degree at the University of Liverpool, I enrolled on a Mathematics PGCE at Edge Hill University. Since completing my studies, I have been a Maths teacher at a local high school for over ten years. I have been a valued member of a very successful department where we strive for the best outcomes for our students. I have held pastoral roles for 9 of those years; 4 years as an assistant head of year and five as a head of year (mainly the head of year 11).
I will use my wealth of experience to make Maths exciting and challenging so all students can succeed.
I can’t wait to start in September and look forward to meeting you all.
Miss Doughty – PE
While it feels like Miss Doughty has been with us for years, she has only been with us briefly. Yet, she has significantly impacted our PE, from revamping the Lower School PE curriculum to introducing a wide array of sports to be developed within the PE lessons and as part of our extracurricular provision.
Her passion for sports can be seen throughout her teaching. Within a short period, she has created a supportive ethos where pupils are encouraged to develop and succeed in multiple areas of sport.
The introduction of Cheerleading, Gymnastics and Roller Blading are all examples of how Miss Doughty has developed the curriculum to focus on all pupils’ development. This pupil-centred approach has sparked passion amongst all year groups, with a record number of pupils participating in this year’s ISA Cross Country events. Miss Doughty has also reignited our Netball teams, taking the Year 7s and Year 8s to their first competitions since 2019.
After an exciting start to the year, we look forward to seeing how Physical Education will develop under the guidance of Miss Doughty and will be looking towards this year’s sports days to finish off an incredible year of sport at Tower College.