Senior Leadership Team

 

 Zoe Smallman - Principal

Zoe is a graduate from Pembroke College, Cambridge, with a Masters degree in Engineering.  After graduating from Cambridge, Zoe completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Law and a Legal Practice Course at Nottingham Law School, before completing a training contract and qualifying as a solicitor working in commercial real estate in London. 

A change in direction saw Zoe complete her PGCE at Brighton University, and start her teaching career teaching Maths in secondary schools in London.  She has worked with the 16-19 age group since 2008, initially teaching Maths and then moving into curriculum and then senior leadership positions in several colleges across the south east and north west, before being appointed Principal in August 2023. 

Helen Ruxton - Assistant Principal, Admissions and School Liaison

Helen is a graduate from Surrey University with a degree in Medical Microbiology and a PGCE from Reading University.  Having joined the College as an NQT, she was appointed as a Biology teacher in 1996 before becoming a Personal Tutor in 1999. 

In 2013, she became a Lead Tutor with responsibility for admissions, school liaison and marketing before being made Assistant Principal for admissions and school liaison in September 2018.

Helen has worked with young people in the 16-19 age group all her teaching career and continuously works to promote the ethos of the College in the wider community.  Her daughter was a student here, having joined from a small school, and loved her time at the College. 

 

Matt Smith - Assistant Principal, Pastoral

Matt completed his Sport Science degree and PGCE at The Chelsea School at Brighton University.  He taught Physical Education in a local comprehensive school until 2000 when he joined the Sport and Physical Education department at Farnborough.

Matt took on a range of roles at the College before becoming a Personal Tutor in 2005.  Since then he has enjoyed running a School Mentoring Programme in Partner Schools and completed a Diploma in Stress Management in 2014.  

Matt was appointed as Lead Tutor for transition in 2013 and became Assistant Principal with responsibility for welfare in 2018.  He is also the Designated Safeguarding Lead for the College.

 

Simon Reigh - Assistant Principal, Quality

Simon was appointed to the College in 1999 as Senior Curriculum Manager of Philosophy, Religious Studies and Critical Thinking.  He became a Director of Faculty before being promoted to Assistant Principal in 2015.  

He has a BA in Religious Studies and an MA in Religion, Culture and Society, both from Lancaster University.

Simon is the Ofsted nominee for the College and responsible for driving quality improvement across the curriculum through the implementation of quality assurance frameworks.