OFFICE 365PARENT PAY UTC South Durham MENU SEARCH HomeSenior Leadership Team SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM We have a wealth of knowledge and experience in our staff team. Please see here for staff profiles for our senior leadership team at UTC South Durham. STAFF PROFILES TOM DOWER - PRINCIPAL I graduated from Cambridge University in 1995 with a 2:1 in Engineering (MA Hons) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science. I then worked for ICI on Teesside for 5 years as a chartered mechanical engineer, project manager and manufacturing consultant. I then joined Gemini Consulting based in London, leading organisational change projects for 4 years in industry, telecoms and retail for clients such as Corus, Railtrack, Vodafone and Boots. In 2002, I trained to be a teacher with a PGCE at Goldsmith’s College in London and worked at an outstanding school in south London as Head of Design and Technology. I moved home to Northumberland in 2005 and to Ashington High School, initially and Head of Department and then as a senior leader. I led teaching & learning, safeguarding, curriculum/timetable development and drove a culture change across the school through significant improvements in behaviour, attendance and safety. I also project managed the design phase of a £3.5m expansion to the school which was excellent preparation for my role in setting up the UTC. I have acted as a leadership consultant with other schools, presented at national conferences and developed materials for the National College of School Leadership middle leadership programme and on-line modules. I completed the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) in 2013. With a background as an engineer, business consultant and school leader, the opportunity to lead the UTC combines all of my professional interests and passion for the development of young people and supporting businesses in the North East. I now live in Durham with my wife and three boys, enjoy tennis, woodwork, and designing with my children. I am also a governor at Aycliffe Village Primary School. CATHERINE PURVIS-MAWSON - VICE PRINCIPAL - BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT, CAREERS AND MARKETING Working with young people has always been the focus of my career. I completed my Undergraduate Degree in English and History from Sunderland University in 2001 and went on to study a Post Graduate Certificate in Gender, Culture and Development in 2002, which allowed me to travel to the Canadian Arctic to study Inuit culture and settlements. I was then successful gaining a job with an environmental charity, Groundwork North East who supported me to complete my qualifications in youth work. I worked in a number of areas across County Durham and Darlington supporting young people to develop their personal and social skills. After doing detached youth work for 6 years I then moved to working for Newcastle and Durham Universities on a public engagement project encouraging community and academic staff to co create research together that had the aspiration to create social change. During this time, I gained my Masters in Youth and Community work from Durham University. Working with young people however was always my motivation, so moved to work in a secondary school in County Durham as their Enterprise and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Enrichment Manager in 2008. Here my role was about inspiring young people to enter into a STEM career. Developing relationships with business and industry to allow students to see what was available to them and gain access to a large variety of career opportunities was key to their personal development. Here at the UTC, I am able to use all of my knowledge and skills of young people as well as my significant network of business and industry partners to allow our students to gain knowledge from an extensive variety of careers and people to ensure they have the best start to their futures. DAN GLASBEY - VICE PRINCIPAL - CURRICULUM AND STANDARDS I graduated in 2001 with a Physics degree from the University of York and then with a PGDip in Computing from Napier University in 2004. I have worked in both Finance and IT. I started teacher training in 2005 and achieved a PGCE from the University of Nottingham in 2006. I have been teaching ever since, with the exception of a year out to travel the world 2008-2009, during which I worked for three months in Sydney Australia. In that time, I have worked in two Ofsted rating ‘Outstanding’ schools in North London, delivered exceptional results at both GCSE and A-Level, and been a Head of Physics, Student teacher-co-ordinator and a 2nd in Science. I have delivered Building Learning Power and Literacy showcase lessons to visitors from across London and been rated Outstanding for my teaching on several occasions, most notably by 'Challenge Partners'. I have also successfully completed an NPQML (National Professional Qualification for Middle Leaders) and the OTP (Outstanding Teacher Programme). In my role as Vice Principal, I am responsible for the creation and upkeep of the timetable, the Curriculum for Key Stages 4 and 5, student target grades and setting and the collection and reporting of assessment data. I also line manage the lead teachers of Science, CBI and Geography JAMIE SMITH - VICE PRINCIPAL - TEACHING, LEARNING AND CLIMATE I left Carmel College at 16 with a good set of GCSE results. My passion was Design & Technology and other STEM subjects, so a natural step for me was to take an apprenticeship and carve a route into the Engineering industry. I served a four-year apprenticeship at Darchem Engineering in Stillington as a Sheet Metal Worker / Fabricator / Welder. During this time, I worked on many large projects for various international companies as well as doing work in the aerospace, aviation, nuclear and offshore industries. During that time, I studied at Darlington College and gained my City & Guilds qualifications as well as an ONC in Mechanical Engineering. I left industry to travel and lived in Greece during the summer seasons in my early 20's; gaining some invaluable life experience as well as meeting my future wife. When I returned, I worked for a family engineering company Baydale Architectual Systems, manufacturing bespoke fire rated windows and doors as well as structural steelwork. In 2005, I decided to become a teacher and began a degree in Design & Technology at Sunderland University. With my industry background, I applied for a life cencertship in engineering which allowed me a fast track route through university. I graduated in 2008 and started my Engineering teaching career at King's Academy in Middlesbrough later that year. I had various roles including deputy department lead, acting AST and acting head of year. In 2013 I became Head of the DT Department at Hurworth School in Darlington. There I launched Engineering into the curriculum, built a well-equipped workshop and CAD suite and had excellent success across the five areas of D&T we offered at GCSE. I joined UTC South Durham in the summer of 2018 as the Faculty Director for Engineering and Manufacturing JAK HESLOP - 6TH FORM TEACHING AND LEARNING I have been a qualified teacher for 22 years, teaching GCSE Sciences and A Level Chemistry at a variety of schools across the North East. Until moving to UTC South Durham in 2016, I had been Head of Science at a local Ofsted Outstanding school for the previous 12 years, and prior to that, Head of Chemistry, and Head of Science at a local Sixth Form Centre. Having completed A levels in Maths, Physics and Chemistry, I graduated from the University of Sheffield in 1992 with a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry and then moved on to do some post graduate research for the Ministry of Defence at Cranfield Institute of Technology. I completed my PGCE in Science with Maths at the University of Leicester. Throughout my teaching career, I have worked as an examiner, marking across the age range and have been involved in piloting new GCSE courses. As Vice Principal, my primary role is to monitor and develop Teaching and Learning strategies across UTC South Durham, coordinating quality assurance to ensure that all students are able to make the progress of which they are capable and organising professional development opportunities for colleagues. I closely monitor the progress of groups of students, coordinating intervention programmes where necessary. Although a teacher of Chemistry, in my role as Faculty Director for Core and Inclusion, I have been responsible for the quality of provision, and the progress made in Maths, English, PE and PSHE. I have also coordinated the strategic allocation of the Pupil Premium funding, monitoring whether its use has been effective. I believe passionately in encouraging students, and in particular, girls, to continue their studies of Science past GCSE. I have strong links with the University of Durham and other County Durham schools developing the profile and up take of Physics Post-16. My students and I were early participants in the Science Ambassadors scheme, and I currently enjoy coordinating the UTC Science Magnets, where our Year 10 students share and demonstrate their love of Science to local primary school pupils and at public events. LEANNE TIPPEY - STUDENT SUPPORT LEAD I have been working in education since 2006, specifically, dealing with behaviour and SEBD. Some of the proudest moments for me professionally, have been the impacts I have made. Throughout my career to date, I have successfully helped to change a negative mind set and relationship with both parents and students, which has been instrumental in improvements in both attendance and attainments. I believe that I achieve results, by actively recognising that students can make progress across all areas, once they have established positive relationships and barriers to learning are removed. I am also a skilled Restorative facilitator, helping students to understand the consequences of their actions and supporting them to overcome confrontations in a safe and inclusive environment. I am also a strong advocate for ‘student voice’ and have experience of leading and developing many student councils. Prior to working in education, I worked for the Prince’s Trust at Stockton Riverside College, as a Team Leader, delivering the 12-week Personal Development Programme. I was first introduced to the Princes Trust, whilst working for Darlington Building Society and was asked to complete the course as an employed volunteer. During my 2 years working for the Trust, I was fortunate to be chosen to lead two European Projects to Romania. At the age of 19, I was the youngest team leader to run the Programme. My trips included renovating a children’s hospital ward and building a gym within a Special Needs School. I really do believe strongly in life-long learning and in my role as an educator I feel it is essential that we equip students with the knowledge, skills, morals and attitudes necessary to enable them to be able to live full lives and make positive contributions to society. Here at UTC, I’ am privileged to lead the incredibly hard working Student Support Team. Student Support is very much the heart of the UTC, with students often referring to us, as their second parents. As a team, we pride ourselves in having fantastic relationships with all of our students, enabling us to identify barriers to learning quickly, so that supportive strategies can be put in to place. The Student Support door is always open and is a place where all students can feel safe and valued. NEIL MCGRATH - HEAD OF ENGINEERING On completion of my secondary education, I started a four-year craft apprenticeship in Toolmaking. This consisted of day-release, at what was then Darlington College of Technology, plus four days of training at work. Over the next eight years, I continued this day-release training to complete my full craft apprenticeship qualification, plus an ONC and HNC in Engineering. Over that period, I worked for a number of engineering companies- manufacturing photocopiers, manual and automated transmissions, televisions and superheaters for offshore companies. I had by then, developed a real interest in learning, so to continue this I enrolled on a teaching degree and soon successfully completed a BEd at York University. I returned to employment working locally in childcare for two years. This was within a secure unit working with some of the UKs most challenging children, working alongside psychiatrists and psychologists. The knowledge I learnt there has been invaluable in my teaching career. My teaching took another change in direction, working for two secondary schools in County Durham. One enabled me to work with sixth-form students, both as a tutor and teacher of A level courses. I also held the post of Subject Leader for Technology in one school for six years. Promotion quickly followed to a larger school in Sunderland leading the Technology Faculty, delivering a wide range of GCSE courses. The opportunity to work at the UTC was a massive attraction to me. It has enabled me to work with well-motivated students who have a real interest in engineering, maths and the sciences. The work based skills and excellent education on offer, will give our students the perfect start to employment or further education. 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