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Leadership Team


	Head Nicole Janssen BA(Hons) Music, PGCE, NPQH	"I have had the pleasure of being at Parkside for four years and it has flown by. Appointed as Head in January 2019, I can honestly say I have enjoyed absolutely every minute of it. Previously Deputy Head at two different schools in Guildford and London, as well as a wonderful opportunity to work in School Improvement Teams in London, I have come to Parkside with a very clear idea of what I want for the pupils. I love my job and I wouldn’t do anything else. Every day is different and the numerous roles I play ensure boredom never enters my vocabulary; teacher, mentor, coach, planner, historian, chorister, proud ‘parent’ and hopefully, an inspiration. Spending time with my family and friends is very important to me; filled with fun, laughter and making and sharing new experiences. I enjoy playing the piano, cooking, reading, sailing and walking – discovering new places. The UK is so varied and beautiful there’s much to explore; I just need to get better at following charts/maps and my nose, so that detours become planned rather than unplanned!"
	Deputy Head & DDSL Madeline McMurdo BEd(Hons) History	"I have worked at Parkside for 15 years and thoroughly enjoy all aspects of my job which sees me wearing many hats.; teaching maths, prospective parent tours, building relationships with families, overseeing events and interacting with all the children in the School from Nursery to Year 8. I am fortunate enough to be able to walk to School and my passion is the outdoors and being by the sea. I am an active social person who likes to keep fit. I love to travel and am always positive. With a mantra of 'work hard, play hard', I am never bored and don’t like the quiet life!"
	Deputy Head Will Gudgeon BA(Hons) QTS MEd	I am thrilled to be returning to Parkside this academic year having been a Parkside Boy myself many years ago. I am excited to be a part of the nurturing, ambitious and forward thinking community that I remember from my school days and I am really looking forward to joining the dynamic staff team. I was previously Assistant Head at another Surrey prep school and my other past roles include Head of Mathematics and Director of Sport. I have a particular interest in the way pupil wellbeing and pastoral care impacts on attainment, which formed the basis of my research when completing my Masters in Educational Leadership. A Maths teacher at heart, I take great pride in providing opportunities for all pupils to make progress, regardless of their talent or ability. I aim to inspire children to be their best selves and have plenty of fun along the way. Outside of school, cricket is one of my biggest passions and I am a proud member of the neighbouring Stoke D’Abernon Cricket Club representing the 1stXI. Despite my ever-increasing handicap, I enjoy playing golf and I love skiing. Nothing gives me more pleasure than reading to my two daughters, Amelia and Tamara, and spending quality time with family and friends.
	Bursar Andy Fernando BA(Hons) Economics & Politics Chartered Accountant	"I am delighted to have joined Parkside School as Bursar, having spent the last three years as Financial Controller at Emanuel School, in South West London. Prior to this, I worked in Audit and Assurance (where I qualified as a Chartered Accountant), before moving into a financial modelling department, advising on a range of long-term project finance transactions both in the UK and abroad. I also spent two years at HM Revenue & Customs as a technical advisory accountant. Outside of work, I enjoy both watching and playing sport, particularly football, rugby and cricket. I am also a keen cook, and recently completed the first stage of the Diplôme de Cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu, London, learning all the classical techniques of French cookery. As well as seeing friends and family when I can, a lot of my spare time is now also spent looking after my dog Rex!"
	Head of Compliance / Estates David Williams BA(Hons) Planning Studies, PGCE	"I started my teaching career in 1988 at a boys only prep school and after five more schools, I returned to boys only here at Parkside since 2015. I have taught most subjects but particularly geography, history and games. My claim to fame is having coached Frank Lampard (Jnr) in his U11 football team! I am also an experienced ISI Inspector and have been inspecting since 2002. I am married to Fran, who is also a teacher (of maths) and we have two grown-up boys. In my spare time, I enjoy gardening, laying patios and supporting Sheffield United FC."
	Assistant Head Academics Jon Marler BA Educational Studies & English	"I have worked at Parkside for just over two years and I love working at such a special School. It is an incredible place full of wonderful pupils, staff and parents; it is a genuinely happy place to be. Outside of School, I enjoy playing and watching football. I am a big Ipswich Town fan and I play in goal for my team on a Saturday. I also love cricket and play through the summer whilst getting to Lords, The Oval and any other grounds, whenever I can. I also enjoy music, shows and the theatre."
	Head of Wellbeing & Modern Foreign Languages Anna Baker BA(Hons) French, PGCE	"I joined the Parkside modern foreign languages department in 2017. I have always been passionate about languages and travel, so I seek to inspire pupils to embrace other cultures. I enjoy walking and cycling with my family, and whenever possible I swim outdoors, whatever the season! Cooking is another love of mine, and by teaching food tech as well, I enjoy helping pupils to learn these essential life skills. I thrive on the great sense of community at Parkside."
	Head of Digital Learning Alex Gainer BA Sport, PE & Coaching, PGCE	"I have been at Parkside for 10 years, and during this time, I have seen the School change and evolve into the remarkable school it is now. Originally starting in the Sports department, I went on to join the IT department, became Head of Year 7 & 8 and now am the Head of IT & Digital Learning. Outside of school I enjoy spending time with my wife and daughter, travelling and playing sport. Fun fact: I run a successful food blog with over 100k followers. I love Parkside for the family feel and excellent sense of humour of the staff and boys."
	Head of Sport, DSL Nick Procter BEd(Hons) PE & Theology	I have worked at Parkside for a little over 5 years now. I originally started as Head of RS but have completed a number of roles within the School. I love teaching the boys in a variety of environments from the classroom to the campfire and out on the sports pitches. It means you really get to know the best of each individual. My passion outside of teaching is building and I have spent many years completing self-build projects both here and abroad."
	Head of Learning Enrichment Liz Whitty LLB(Hons), PGCE	"I have been working at Parkside since April 2020. Joining during Lockdown certainly was interesting but it is a measure of the ‘Parkside Family’ that I felt instantly included and very much one of the team. The School is a very special place to work: there is a constant buzz of excitement and striving to improve learning experiences for all of our pupils. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to contribute towards this every day. Outside of School, you’ll find me enjoying long dog walks, devising new ways to entertain a toddler and cooking for friends and family."

Middle Leaders
	Nursery Manager Guilietta Nigrelli BA(Hons) Italian	"I have worked at Parkside since 2007. What I love most about the School is definitely the wonderful sense of community that we have here. In my spare time I enjoy watching period dramas, exercising and spending time with my friends and family. Fun fact: my favourite chocolate bar is Cadbury’s Fruit & Nut! "
	Early Years Lead Nicole Owen BA Fashion, PCGE	"I have worked at Parkside School in the Pre Prep department for 7 years. I have a very creative background where I have studied Art and Photogrpahy from a young age. My free time is spent either painting or enjoying long walks with my black labrador called Sadie. I spend most evenings listening to a range of different music on vinyl and I also enjoy seeing my favourite bands live in concert. Parkside is a caring and nurturing school community which I am happy to be apart of."
	Deputy Head of Pre Prep Annie Jackson BA(Hons) Sociology & Economics, GTP QTS, Yoga Teacher	"I have taught at Parkside School in the Pre Prep for 3 years and have thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Parkside is a truly amazing school where every child is valued, nurtured and encouraged to do their very best. There is a wonderful buzz of learning, excitement and friendship throughout the school and this makes it a great place to work. AS well as teaching in the Pre Prep I enjoy taking the weekly After School yoga clubs. Out of work, I enjoy a variety of sports, socialising and travelling. I enjoy learning about education in different parts of the world and was lucky enough to spend time teaching in a remote village in Cambodia when I was younger."
	Head of Year 3 & 4 Sophie Read BA(Hons), Primary Education	"I have worked at Parkside for 2 years. It really is the most incredible and happy School. I feel so lucky to work with such an amazing and inspiring team and teach such wonderful boys. I love that everyday is different and always filled with fun and laughter. Outside of School I love to socialise. Family life is very important to me; I am fortunate enough to have a fabulously close family and group of friends who I see regularly and enjoy travelling with. I am interested in fashion and like to read and keep up to date with the latest trends. I also enjoy listening to music, of which I have an eclectic taste."
	Head of Year 5 & 6 Anne Nkosi BA(Hons), Primary Education	"I have worked at Parkside for almost 13 years; I first joined as Miss Slade before I got married. Both of my daughters, Zoe and Phoebe, attended Parkside Nursery where they absolutely flourished and enjoyed seeing ‘mummy’ around the school. Parkside captured my heart as soon as I arrived. I love the fact that the boys are at the centre of everything we do and enjoy working with a vibrant and passionate team. One of my passions is travelling, which is how I met my South African husband. I spent many years in the Hungarian part of Romania too where I learnt to speak Hungarian. I love exploring new cultures, foods and traditions and enjoy going for long walks, writing children’s stories and baking."
	Head of Year 7 & 8 James Davenport BA(Hons) French & German, PGCE	"I joined Parkside in 2015 as a Year 4 form teacher and have been Head of Year 7 and 8 for the past two years. The thing I love most about Parkside is the positivity and buzz around the school as well as a real sense of community among the boys, parents and staff. Outside School, my main interests are sport focussed including playing for the staff football team FC Parkside. Away from sport, I enjoy going to the theatre and as a humanities teacher I love reading about history, particularly the Tudors."