Our Staff

Miss Rothery is one of our Year 1 teachers. She recently graduated from The University of Chester with a Primary PGCE. Prior to that, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Business Management. Miss Rothery relocated from Cheshire to Fulham this year to pursue her teaching career with all the opportunities London has to offer. She has experience in both Key Stage 1 and 2 and is currently undertaking additional training and CPD opportunities from 3 different organisations.

Miss Rothery enjoys spending time with her friends and family and loves to meet new people. She is passionate about sport and healthy eating. She wishes to bring even more awareness of the benefits of healthy eating to all the children she teaches. In her spare time, she enjoys experimenting with new, healthy recipes.

Mrs McGovern has been working in music education for 15 years. After graduating from the Royal College of Music London, where she studied the oboe, she moved to Russia to complete postgraduate studies at the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow. Whilst in Moscow, she performed with orchestras and taught English in a nursery. It was during her time in Moscow that she became interested in music education after being inspired by the ability and musicianship of very young Russian children and wondering how the Russian method could be applied to music education here in the UK.

Mrs McGovern moved back to London in 2011 and the same year married her wonderful husband, a professional saxophone player, who had flown out to Russia and got down on one knee to propose in the snowy subzero temperatures! Since then, she has worked as a peripatetic teacher delivering lessons on the oboe and recorder in a number of prep schools while freelancing with orchestras and running her own chamber music ensemble ‘The Gelachter Trio’ who have been featured on Classic FM, BBC Radio 3 and in BBC Music Magazine.

She is very excited to join The Lyceum team and hopes to instil in the children a lifelong love of music. Outside of school the majority of Mrs McGovern’s time is spent home educating her four children but she also enjoys running, weightlifting classes and helping at her local church by working with the young children, playing piano for Sunday school and helping with the deaf ministry, having recently completed her Level 1 British Sign Language qualification.

Miss Wassenberg was born in Germany but grew up near Portsmouth. She graduated with a BMus in Music Performance from the University of Leeds and spent a year studying at Strasbourg Conservatoire in between her Leeds studies. One of her biggest achievements was playing the solo for Howell’s Elegy for Viola for the London Mozart Players in 2015. In the last 5 years, she has looked after children whilst living in Germany, France and England, using her knowledge of many languages to help out a variety of international families.

In her free time, she likes to freelance as a violist, go to gigs with friends, cook and plan hiking trips. She is eager to incorporate her love for music and languages into lessons and is very excited to be a part of the Early Years team at The Lyceum school.

Miss Marvin joined The Lyceum this year as Assistant Teacher for Year 3 and 4, after having a great time working as part of the Summer Club team.

After graduating with a Drama and Theatre degree from Royal Holloway University, she set up a theatre education company which toured around the UK providing workshops in primary schools and youth groups. In 2015, she decided to retrain as an English as a Second Language Teacher and spent the next few years teaching abroad in Europe. Having recently returned to London after three years in Italy, she is now studying for a Higher Level Teaching Assistant qualification.

Mrs O’Rourke has enjoyed a career in education spanning over 30 years . She has been privileged to serve as a Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and Senior Teacher. A dedicated high achieving classroom practitioner, she has a particular love of classic literature and relished the role of Literacy Lead in an outstanding school over two decades. Mrs O’Rourke has always prioritised the importance of developing pupils’ self-esteem and confidence and is firmly committed to ensuring all pupils in her care achieve their potential. Mrs O’Rourke loves reading, walking and discovering new places particularly on her beloved Pashley bicycle.

Mr Rodriguez was born and raised in Murcia, Spain. Since he was very little, he had a great passion for teaching and he achieved his BA in Primary School Education at the University of Murcia.

Mr Rodriguez lived for one year in Porto, Portugal, studying and working with children and adults with different special needs, mostly diagnosed within the Autism spectrum and where he got his specialisation in PE.

In 2017 Mr Rodriguez decided to move to London to carry on with his teaching career and where he got his QTS. He has being working as Early Years Educator and as private Spanish teacher.

Miss Graden is in her third year of teaching, having previously taught at a state school in Hoxton before joining The Lyceum this September. Growing up and studying in Canada, she gained a BA (Hons) degree in French and Linguistics, at which time she also supported the University’s French Department as a Teaching Assistant. During her summers throughout university, she would often be found coaching youth sports and working in children’s recreational programming, specifically supporting children with special needs.

Following a year abroad studying in the south of France, Miss Graden decided to relocate to London to pursue her PGCE at London South Bank University. As a lifelong lover of learning, with a passion for working with children and young people, becoming a teacher has always felt like her calling.

In her free time, Miss Graden loves travelling to new places (26 countries and counting!) and snuggling up with her greyhound. As a hiking and camping enthusiast, she plans to hike Mount Kilimanjaro with her partner in the near future.

Mrs Murray teaches the Year 3 children at The Lyceum. She graduated with a BA in English and History and a MA in English from the National University of Ireland in Galway. After almost 10 years working in IT and visual media companies in both Ireland and the UK, Mrs Murray re-trained as a primary teacher, gaining her PGCE with Qualified Teacher Status from St Mary’s University in Twickenham. Mrs Murray is passionate about English literature and Philosophy and, in her spare time, volunteers with youth groups as a coordinator and mentor.

Miss Ismail, has been a Primary teacher for nine years, teaching the National Curriculum both in the UK and Internationally across Key Stage 1 and 2. Most recently, she spent four years in the United Arab Emirates teaching at a British School, where she excelled to the positions of Head of Year and Head of Department in English. Before teaching abroad, Miss Ismail graduated with a Psychology degree from Royal Holloway, University of London, and began her career in the Inclusion Department of a Secondary boys school. She then went on to complete the Graduate Teacher Programme in Primary Education and achieved Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Whilst teaching, Miss Ismail has always enjoyed volunteering within the field of education. She has organised several residential summer camps where students experienced activities such as white-water rafting, kayaking, and abseiling. Miss Ismail has also maintained strong ties within her community and has regularly taught RE to primary aged children at Saturday school. Always looking to empower students, Miss Ismail is currently working on a project which is developing the Science Curriculum in schools in Tajikistan.

Miss Kaluzna has been a teacher and teaching assistant for seven years. She has experience working in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Poland and, during her time in these countries, has taught pupils from Nursery age to Year 5. She has worked with children from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds and, prior to joining The Lyceum, enjoyed teaching at Norwich School in Norfolk. She has a Masters Degree in Primary School Teaching with English and a Postgraduate Diploma in Early Music Education. In her spare time, Miss Kaluzna loves learning new languages as well as playing and listening to music. She is a keen trumpet player and plays at orchestral level.

Miss Hardman is the coordinator of Maths and Topic (History and Geography) at The Lyceum and currently teaches in Year 4 and leads assessment, Maths, Topic, and IT alongside supporting our NQTs. She joined the school in September 2020 and has enjoyed every minute since! Before venturing to London, Miss Hardman worked in Hexham at Hexham Middle School, teaching across Upper KS2 and Lower KS3.

Originally, Miss Hardman studied Nutrition, earning a 1^st class BSc (Hons) degree from Newcastle University. After this she retrained, completing her PGCE with Maths specialism through Durham University and Shotton Hall SCITT. Hailing from the Lake District, Miss Hardman’s love of all things outdoors is unsurprising; if she isn’t out walking or climbing, Miss Hardman is most likely to be found in the kitchen, pursuing a love of cooking and baking.

Miss Cortez has been working in education for the past seven years. She graduated in English Language and Literature from the University of São Paulo and qualified as a primary school teacher at Nottingham University. During her undergraduate years, Miss Cortez worked across both Key Stage 1 and 2 at the Independent British school of São Paulo (St Paul’s School), a practice she has continued developing since moving to London in 2018 and joining The Lyceum.

An avid reader, Miss Cortez had learnt how to read before the age of 4 and has taught herself different languages – such as English and Spanish. Being born and bred in a multicultural environment has nurtured her curiosity, respect, and passion for learning.

Mrs Rawn gained her BA (Hons) in Primary Education, graduating with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) from St Mary’s University, Twickenham. Alongside her degree, she completed an ‘Initial Teacher Education’ course at The National Gallery, which gave her greater understanding of how to incorporate the arts into core subjects.

Mrs Rawn has previously taught in Key Stage 1 and 2 in state schools in North and East London. Prior to completing her degree in Education, she worked in a PRU (Pupil Referral Unit), focusing on art and poetry as a means of expression. Her teaching extended into her travels, teaching English to children in Hangzhou (a province of China), and Kerala in South India. Whilst studying for her degree, she worked as a private household tutor, providing tailored educational programmes, and developing her understanding of how to prepare children for the 11+ entrance exams; she has successfully helped children gain scholarships in the West London area.

Growing up, Mrs Rawn found it difficult to read and put her thoughts on paper; she was later diagnosed with dyslexia. As a result, she has strived to adapt her teaching style to ensure all pupils can reach their potential and overcome any hurdles.

Ms Moreno is from southern Spain, where she originally studied nursing. She has spent half of her life in the UK and is happily settled with her partner and 2 sons.

She has accumulated a wealth of experience in education, especially within Early Years. She began by volunteering in nurseries and schools, specifically interested in supporting children with SEN. She also volunteered for different charities within the local community, focusing on hard to reach families. Having worked in education for over 20 years, Miss Moreno has gained many qualifications, most recently obtaining a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership in the Children and Young People’s Workforce.

Ms. Moreno enjoys spending time with family and friends and has a passion for cooking healthy Mediterranean food. She also enjoys developing new skills which allow her to channel her creativity, such as sewing, singing and painting.

Mrs Ufland is a Year 1 Teacher and the Art Coordinator at The Lyceum. She gained her Primary PGCE in 2017 and has since taught in the EYFS and KS1. Mrs Ufland has worked in both the state and private sector prior to joining The Lyceum in 2019.

She completed her BA (Hons) in Textile Design at the Manchester Metropolitan University, subsequently deciding to pursue a career in Education. She is a passionate teacher who is particularly fond of using creative and interactive methods to engage students. Mrs Ufland has always been a keen artist, spending many hours completing sketch books and paintings as a child. In her spare time, she enjoys painting abstract canvases, spending time with her family, and travelling.

Tanya Sultana has been teaching for almost 5 years, having completed her PGCE in Secondary English in July 2016. Her first post as a teacher was at Chingford Foundation School in East London, teaching students from Years 7 to 11, with particular focus on students undertaking their English GCSEs. Whilst there, Ms Sultana also worked closely with students with special educational needs, specifically children who were diagnosed within the autism spectrum. After three wonderful years at the school, Ms Sultana decided to challenge herself by moving her attention to Early Years. She began this journey by initially accepting a short-term contract at The Lyceum and, after a refreshing and delightful experience, she accepted a permanent post within the Early Years team.

Ms Sultana, a proud Londoner, has studied in the city throughout her life, having graduated with a BA (Hons) in English Literature at the University of Westminster, before embarking on her PGCE at the University of East London. Despite her fondness for the city she grew up in, Ms Sultana loves exploring different parts of the world, having been on a number of adventures around the globe.

Ms. Lowdermilk has been at The Lyceum since 2000, first as a parent of 3 children who attended the school and then as a Assistant Teacher. She has worked with children across all age groups on the academic curriculum as well as in art, music, drama and physical education. From January 2019 – July 2020, Ms. Lowdermilk worked on Learning Enrichment Activities for both gifted and SEND children.

Ms. Lowdermilk received an International Diploma in Montessori Theory and Methodology (Early Childhood Course) from the Montessori Centre International (London, 2009). She has an M.A. in Modern Art from The Courtauld Institute of Art (London, 1996), an M.A. and Ph.D. in the Economics of Developing Countries from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts, University (USA, 1991) and a B.A. in International Relations and Economics from Brown University (USA, 1982).

Ms. Lowdermilk was born in Pakistan and grew up there as well as spending time with her family in India and Egypt. She returned to the United States to finish high school and to attend University. Prior to moving to the UK, Ms. Lowdermilk worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development as Food Security Adviser for Africa. She travelled and worked extensively in Africa advising governments on nutrition and food policy. Moving to the UK in 1993 was a life and career changing event. While living in London and raising a family, Ms. Lowdermilk’s interest in childhood development and the learning process prompted her to re-train as a Montessori teacher and to work in the field of education.

Ms Knox has been working with young children since 1998. Originally from Lithuania, she moved to England in 1995 to join her new family. In her country, Ms Knox studied and gained a degree in Economics and Computer Programming at Vilnius University. After moving to London, Ms Knox embarked on a career change to work with children. Within 2 years, she completed Levels 2 and 3 in Childcare and Education. Since then, she has been working with children of all primary school ages.

Ms Knox has been part of Minerva/Dukes since 2002 and joined The Lyceum School in September 2019. Ms Knox is hoping to start a crocheting club soon for those with nimble fingers. Apart from her native language, Lithuanian, she speaks Russian and English and has been learning French over the last few years.

Miss Leach has been at The Lyceum since September 2009. She grew up in London but has always been interested in the great outdoors. For many years, Miss Leach was a member of the Scouting movement, dedicating her spare time to volunteering. She ran her own Beaver and Cub groups, often taking the children on adventures to learn basic life skills and this is what encouraged her to pursue a career in childcare.

Before joining The Lyceum, she studied for three years at Bromley College in Kent, gaining both Level 2 and 3 in Childcare and Education. Miss Leach works in Early Years and is also our Head First Aider at The Lyceum. Each year, Miss Leach works with the Year 6 children in the Summer Term, running a course to complete their Young First Aider qualification.