About Us

Staff

Headmaster

Matt Thomas+ MEd BA Ed (Hons) FRGS

Bursar

Andrew Owens+ MSc ACMA+

Deputy Head

Ms Laura Hutchings+ BA (Hons) (Leeds)

Head of Pre-Prep

Mrs Sarah Wake+ BSc (Sussex) QTS, PGCE (Maternity leave – Summer term 2025 – Spring term 2026)

Headmaster’s PA & Registrar  

Mrs Sarah O’Brien+

Pre-Prep Teaching Staff

Mrs Karen Bentley BA (Hons) (Kingston) – Year 3 Teacher (Wednesdays)

Miss Ali Fentiman BA (Hons) (Chichester) PGCE – Year 3  Teacher, (Maternity cover) and Forest School Leader

Mrs Jess Lake, BA (Kingston), EYPS, iPGCE – Reception Class Teacher 

Mrs Katka Marconi, PGCE – Year 1 Class Teacher

Mrs Sasha Metzger MA BSc (Durham) PGCE – Year 2 Class Teacher (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)

Mrs Emily Thoms BA (Hons) (Winchester) – Year 2 Class Teacher (Thursday and Friday)

Mrs Sarah Wake BSc (Sussex) QTS PGCE – Year 3 Class Teacher (On maternity leave – Summer term 2025 – Spring term 2026)

Prep Teaching Staff

Mr Alex Arbuthnot BSc (Hons) (UWE Bristol) – DT Teacher

Mr Adam Bardouleau+ BA(Hons) (Chichester) PGCE – Head of PE, Pastoral Lead, Year 5 Form Teacher

Mrs Ruth Burton-Haigh+ BA (Hons) (Chichester), PGCE (Sussex) Director of Studies and Head of Maths

Miss Ali Fentiman BA (Hons) (Chichester) PGCE – Head of Girls Games’ 

Mrs Emma Footman BA (Hons) (Brighton) QTS – Girls’ Games and PE Teacher

Miss Pamela Goldfinch BSc (Hons) (Sussex) PGCE – Head of Science

Mrs Lisa Green BA (Hons) (Liverpool) PGCE – Head of French, 

Mrs Carly Harrison BA (Hons) (Winchester School of Art) PGCE  – Head of Art

Ms Laura Hutchings+ BA (Hons) (Leeds) PGCE – DSL, Head of English, Director of Studies, Year 8 Form Teacher

Mr Jay Manley*, – BA Hons (Chichester) PGCE – Boys’ Games and PE and ICT Teacher, Y7 Form Teacher, Assistant Housemaster

Mr Jason Marconi*+ BA (Hons) (Oxford Brookes) PGCE – Director of Music, Housemaster 

Mrs Jo Owen BSc (Hons) (Canterbury) – Girls’ Games Teacher

Mrs Joan Telfer, MA (Oxon) – Head of Classics

Matt Thomas+ MEd BA Ed (Hons) FRGS  – Head of Humanities and Theology and Philosophy (TaP)

Mr Greg Weaver BA (Hons) (Southampton) PGCE – Director of Sport, Year 6 Form Teacher

Mrs Janet White BA (Hons) (Bangor) PGCE – Year 4 Class Teacher

Dr Richard Wintle* B.Ed(Hons) (Wales) MPhil MA MSc EdD MBA PhD FRSA – Head and History and Geography, English and Games Teacher

Learning Develpoment

Mrs Sarah Armstrong BSc (Hons) Cert SpLD – Head of Prep Learning Development, SENDCO

Mrs Jo Truscott OCR Level 5 Specialist Teacher SpLD (Helen Arkell) – Pre-Prep Learning Development

Teaching Assistants

Mrs Lesley Hudson BA (Northumbria), PGCE

Mrs Emily Kirby DipHe

Mrs Rosie Manger, Montessori Diploma

Mrs Sarah Twinley, Level 3 NVQ

Matrons

Miss Jane Croser*,  Mrs Mary Lamb, Mrs Sarah Posnett

GAP Students

Sarah Hawking*, Oscar Hamblen*

Support Staff

Mrs Alison Howard-Dace – Catering Manager

Mr Kevin Jenkins – Estates Department

Mrs Jenny Lloyd – Bursar’s Assistant

Mr Michael Meachim – Estates Department 

Mrs Sarah Posnett – Parent Liaison and Front Office Manager

Mr Kirby White – Estates Department

All email addresses = firstinitialsurname@dorsethousesschool.com

+ Member of Senior Management Team

* Member of the Boarding Team

Peripatetic Music Staff

Gerry Berkeley – Drums and percussion

Matthew Cooke – Lower Brass

Gordon Curtis – Clarinet

Nikki Duddy – Piano and Oboe

Jessica Garner – Cello

Cheryl Higgs – Singing

Frances Jellard – Singing

Angela Kirsten – Bassoon

Paul Satchwell – Upper Brass

Nic Saunders – Piano

David Smith – Guitar and Bass

Julie Twite – Flute

Alexandra Urquhart – Violin and Viola