Jane Dancaster – Principal & Managing Director

After a few years working in France I joined WSE as a teacher in 1989 – I used to love teaching grammar & Cambridge Proficiency was my favourite course. In 1990 I became Director of Studies and really enjoyed working with our wonderful team of teachers. I then left & worked for another excellent organisation for a couple of years, but I missed Wimbledon School of English, its fantastic staff, its friendly atmosphere and its beautiful building & garden, and I was delighted when I was invited back as Principal in 1999. Nowadays I spend a lot of my time on marketing, which means I travel all over the world. I am very proud of this school and everyone who works here and I really do believe we are one of the best schools in the UK.

Sandro Saviolo – Operations Director

I came to Wimbledon School of English as a student in 1982 and liked the atmosphere so much I stayed on as a part-time general assistant after taking my English exams. Then I was lucky enough to be offered full-time employment in the administration of the school, working on the introduction of computers into every aspect of the School’s activities from courses to accommodation to leisure activities and developing the examination centre side of the business. I am here to ensure you have an enjoyable, profitable and smooth-running time at our friendly school.

Fiona Dunlop – Academic Director

I am the Academic Director and have been at WSE for over 8 years. My door is always open and I am happy to advise our students on anything from which course or exam to take to how to solve a grammar problem. I also work closely with our team of highly experienced teachers to make sure they are happy and providing the best service for our students. I love my job as I have great opportunities to meet people from all over the world and be part of people’s learning experience. Our school is a fantastic place to work with a welcoming atmosphere, lovely building and friendly people. We are all very dedicated to our jobs and to offering the highest quality in English language teaching.

Barbara Goodson – Registrar

My name is Barbara Goodson & I am the Registrar at Wimbledon School of English. I first came to work here in 1994 and since joining the school I have enjoyed meeting people from many countries. I enjoy my job enormously as the students and staff create a very happy atmosphere. In my free time I like gardening, seeing my grandchildren and retail therapy!

Meghan Lynch – Student Services Co-ordinator & Welfare and Child Protection Officer

My job is very varied as I deal with all different types of enquiries both from our students and also potential customers, as well as looking after Reception and providing whatever our students need, from student cards & certificates to help with homesickness. I enjoy working with our students and have always been interested in other cultures.

Isobel Clarke – Marketing Manager

My name is Isobel Clarke and I’ve been the Marketing Manager and Groups Coordinator at WSE since 2010. Since joining the school I have had the opportunity to travel to lots of great places and meet interesting people all over the world, and I really enjoy working with students of so many different nationalities and cultures. In my free time I enjoy lots of activities including yoga and swimming.

Blanca Rey-Surman – Social Programme Organiser

I joined the staff at WSE in 2008, after having worked for British Airways, Thomson Holidays & the British Tourist Authority. My background in tourism, travel and cultural events is very useful when it comes to organising the social programme. We offer a varied programme for our students, from sports activities and day trips, to theatre outings and guided tours of some of England’s top attractions – as well as social gatherings here at the school. Working with our students is like having a (very) large extended family! My outside interests include poetry, music, baking, gardening and going to a mountain hideaway in northern Spain.

Alasdair Ross – Accommodation Manager

Hello, my name is Alasdair and I have been Accommodation Manager at WSE since January 2004. I went to school in Wimbledon and have lived here for many years and love everything about this beautiful part of London!   I have worked in Public Relations and International Promotions in the music industry in the past, so I feel it was a natural progression to working in accommodation with students from all nationalities and cultures. My aim is to make sure students are happy with their choice of accommodation and get the most out of their experience staying in Wimbledon and studying at the school. I understand how important the accommodation is to students as it is a huge part of the whole experience and I am always on hand help and offer advice.  Together with my assistant Lynn, we are a friendly and approachable team and we really do care about your welfare and happiness!

Lynn McGovern – Assitant Accommodation Manager

I have worked as Accommodation Assistant since 2009. I am also a host mother and have been doing this on and off since 1993, when my two daughters were young. Over the years I have hosted over 400 students and have been to visit some of them in their own homes in both Switzerland and Italy. In addition, some students have returned to me year after year. I really enjoy my job and although at times it can be stressful, I get a lot of pleasure out of helping both the students and hosts alike. Throughout my career I have undertaken various roles, from Secretary to Practice Manager to Property Assistant and all of these positions have enabled me to use the experience gained in my role as Accommodation Assistant. My Manager Alasdair Ross and myself work well as a team and try our utmost to make the experience of living with a host an enjoyable one.

Renata Havrillova – Examination Officer

I’ve been the Cambridge ESOL exam officer since 2008. I’m responsible for the whole exam process from registration to posting of certificates. I am pleased that we can offer our students the opportunity to take the Cambridge ESOL exams at our school, in a familiar and supportive environment. I am committed to making sure that our students’ exam experience is as stress-free and rewarding as possible. In my free time I enjoy lots of activities, especially dancing and badminton.

Neil Parsons – IELTS Co-ordinator

I came to WSE in the Spring of 2009 to work in the newly created IELTS department. I enjoy contact with both our school students and external candidates, many of whom are intending to study at a British university or even move to the UK permanently.

Agnes Proc – IELTS Co-ordinator

I joined WSE as an IELTS coordinator in March 2011 and since then I must have dealt with over 5000 candidates. It is very rewarding to see our candidates achieve great IELTS scores. Working on the IELTS desk involves a lot of hard work and dedication. When I am not at work I enjoy swimming and skiing. I have recently achieved Proficiency level English following a part-time course at school during which I was fortunate enough to experience our excellent teaching firsthand.

David Upton – IELTS Co-ordinator

I have a degree in Film & Literature from the University of Warwick and am currently completing a Masters Degree in the same subject at Kings’ College London. I first worked for WSE in the summer of 2011 as a General Assistant. I liked it so much that I returned in 2012 to work in the IELTS exam office. The best part of the job is finally meeting the exam candidates we only know through photos and phone calls! When I’m not at work, you’ll probably find me with headphones in my ears because I love to keep up with modern music.

Shanel Ali – Learning Technology Manager/Teacher

I have been teaching English since 1998 and have been working at WSE for half of that time so this school feels like my home. I particularly enjoy teaching IELTS as our courses are well-organised and our students are extremely motivated. I am also the Learning Technology Manager here which means that I not only look after our fantastic range of technology- interactive whiteboards and e-wimbledon – but I also help students in the self-access centre. When I’m not teaching, my afternoons are usually spent giving our students advice and confidence and helping them devise self-study plans which they feel happy with.

Meet Some of Our Teachers

Hilary Busso

After spending five memorable years at Wimbledon School of English, I left in 1984 to further my horizons and experience by living and teaching English in South Africa, the USA and Japan for a total of 8 years. I had always kept very fond memories of my years spent at the Wimbledon School of English and on coming back to Wimbledon in the early 1990s (with the addition of a young family!) I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else! I taught part-time ‘au pair’ classes for a number of years and am now teaching full-time general English classes. I love having the opportunity of meeting so many wonderful students from all over the world and helping them to make good progress in a very special and unique school!

Ali Tierney

I taught at the Wimbledon School of English for 10 years after qualifying in TEFL, & then went on to teach for the British Council in Spain and Italy for four years. When I returned to the UK there was only one school where I wanted to work!   My favourite classes are examination classes because students are so motivated and I like to make them work hard! There’s nothing like the sense of achievement you get with a good exam result!

Duncan MacInnes

Hello. My name’s Duncan and I’ve been teaching English since 1997 and have been in language teaching management since 2004. I have taught and managed in schools in Japan, Italy and Vietnam. I came back to the UK permanently in 2010 and since October of that year I’ve been working for WSE. I’m a relative newcomer to London, which is very different to the north of Scotland, where I’m from, so I will understand how you feel when you first arrive here. While I enjoyed my time living and working overseas, I have no plans to do so again for the foreseeable future and I am enjoying teaching and interacting with a wide range of students here at WSE. As well as in the classroom, you may see me in the academic office or leading a social programme excursion to Cambridge or to the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club. I look forward to seeing you here in whatever capacity I meet you.

Helen Galer

After nearly 16 years teaching at the Wimbledon School of English I still look forward to a day’s teaching and leave feeling I’ve done something fulfilling. I’ve taught a whole range of courses from Beginners to Proficiency. One of my favourite courses is English and Culture which allows me a chance to indulge my interest in art and literature. I also keep fit playing tennis with the students once a week and have been known to appear on stage in funny costumes for our Christmas show! It’s simply wonderful to work with a fantastic group of people and meet such lovely students from all over the world. Work here really is a pleasure.

Tim Goodwin

Hi, I’m Tim. I have a wide range of training and experience in education and theatre. I am a qualified Primary School Teacher, EFL Teacher and Teacher Trainer as well as a Professional Actor. I have a Masters Degree in Applied Theatre and Education from Central School of Speech and Drama. My areas of interest lie in the acquisition of language through kinaesthetic and artistic processes, the development of writing skills and Cambridge exam-training techniques. I love my job, this school and the students who come here!

Justin Nope

I first started teaching at WSE in 2006 and, after a crazy summer, taught in Indonesia and France for a year each. I then returned to WSE in 2008 to continue until 2011 where I spent 7 months teaching in Argentina. I once again returned to the school which I enjoyed above all others. I have taught many classes but generally prefer to teach the Cambridge exams due to their very clear goals. When I’m not teaching, I love learning new things and doing martial arts.

Julian Oakley

I’ve been at Wimbledon School of English for nearly six years, having spent a year teaching in Macedonia followed by a few years teaching and teacher-training at another London school. While here I have written numerous courses which I have found extremely stimulating, and in the past few years have taught many of the IELTS courses held in the school. I have recently been involved in the new Certificate in Teaching English for Business teacher training course. When I’m not busy writing new courses or teaching I enjoy cycling – last year I was mad enough to cycle from Land’s End at the bottom of the UK to John O’ Groats at the top!

Sarah Perkins

I have been teaching here at Wimbledon School of English for over 16 years and so I have taught most of the courses we offer – ranging from Business English to English and Culture for Mature Students.. That is a lovely course to teach as we visit some wonderful places and the students make good friends with each other. I love the fact we have so many different nationalities here – I enjoy teaching students from all over the world and learning about their cultures. I have been lucky enough to visit some of my ex students – I had a wonderful trip to Japan a couple of years ago and what made it particularly special was the fact we stayed with Japanese friends. Wimbledon School of English is a great place to teach, with its friendly atmosphere and the pretty garden that we can enjoy all year round.

Robert Rowland

I have been teaching at the Wimbledon School of English since 1991. Before that I taught at other schools both abroad and in the UK but I love this school more than any other. It’s the students, the staff, the premises and the atmosphere that make it so good. Outside of school I love painting, reading, music and going to my local pub!

Cathy Yarrow

After teaching in several European countries, Australia and the USA, I ended up in London at the Wimbledon School of English. I’ve been here for over 11 years and the reason for this is simple. I love the people I work with – staff and students – it’s a pleasure to come to work every day. I’m also lucky because I get to write our courses regularly, such as the IELTS and Business courses, as well as teach them. So it’s job satisfaction all round!

Trisha Cheesman

I have been teaching at the Wimbledon School of English since 2009. Before moving from Canada to the UK, I worked in a wide variety of professions such as: PR/Marketing, snowboard instructing, mountain bike coaching, and freelance journalism. As a result, I bring an eclectic mix of real-world business experience to the classroom. Outside of school I love a wide variety of sports, reading, and playing video games.

Mike Bowden

I used to work for the BBC for many years and after I left I trained as a TEFL teacher. I’ve worked at several schools in London and at WSE from 2004. It’s a great school with high standards – which is why I like it so much. I love teaching General English to the many students we get from all over the world and particularly enjoy teach English for Law, Business and Finance.

Rob Julian

I taught in Australia for many years, then worked for a spell in Madrid before moving to London in 2007. I consider myself lucky to have landed on my feet at Wimbledon School of English, where I’ve taught ever since. It’s a unique place to work, challenging, but with a unique sense of fun and camaraderie. I teach a wide range of courses from beginners to proficiency, as well as Cambridge exam preparation courses and find all of them satisfying in their own way. I really enjoy the cultural mix in the classroom and helping people to make progress in our wonderful language!

Eileen Swift

I started my career working in business. Over a period of 20 years I worked in the building industry, software and telecommunications sectors. During that time I worked in sales visiting customers and distributors in a geographical area; managed a team of account managers and systems engineers working on major accounts in London and designed and delivered training courses for a wide range of clients. Since changing to teaching English as a foreign language in 2001 I have taught one-to-one business English in company and worked in Spain teaching all ages and levels from beginner to Cambridge advanced. I have been working at Wimbledon School of English since 2003 initially during the summer months and finally all year. I really enjoy working with the immensely experienced teachers at the school and having the opportunity to add more topics such as English for Academic Purposes and Legal English to my portfolio. In 2010 I became a member of the Trinity College London International ESOL examining panel, examining candidates overseas in Trinity’s Graded Examinations in Spoken English.

William Midgley

II started working at WSE in 2008, after having graduated from the University of Durham with a BA Hons in Modern Languages and having successfully completed my CELTA. I spent one and a half years living and working in Martinique, and upon returning to London there was only one place I wanted to work! In four years of teaching English I have never wanted to work anywhere else, as the school is such a nice and friendly place. I enjoy teaching students of all levels and nationalities, and I am always ready for new challenges. When I am not teaching I enjoy cycling, swimming, travelling and learning languages.

Kim Krupansky

I have lived and taught in Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and now the UK, where I have been very fortunate to find WSE. I have been teaching here since 2010 and enjoy teaching General English as well as Cambridge exam classes. I enjoy a variety of sports and can often be seen helping out with the amazing social programme available to all of our students. In my free time I enjoy reading, running, pottery, and travelling to exotic (and not so exotic) parts of the world!

Vittorio Pelosi

I’ve been teaching English since 2004. I have taught both General English and exam classes. Although I have worked in various language schools, in my opinion Wimbledon School of English uniquely combines great teaching with the most warm and friendly atmosphere. To relax I’m a big fan of jazz and I enjoy painting.

Mark Beasley

My EFL teaching experience dates back to when English was still quite a young language… and I taught in schools both here and in Spain. I later worked in publishing, but in recent years have returned to teaching English – a good deal of which has involved Cambridge Proficiency Exam preparation. I’ve been here at the Wimbledon School of English for the past three years and am also writing a book.

Jeremy Doyle

After working in libraries and publishing, I decided to embark upon a career in English teaching in 2003. Beginning in Wellington, New Zealand, I then spent two years in Gdansk, Poland and another two years teaching in Auckland, New Zealand, followed by a one-year stint in Santiago, Chile before arriving at Wimbledon School of English in 2010. During this time I have taught courses in general and business English, exam preparation (IELTS, CAE, FCE, TOEFL), English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and TKT teacher training. Here at WSE we have a great bunch of dedicated and creative teachers and the whole school works very hard to ensure our students get the most out of their time with us, both academically and socially.

Yasmin Kulasi

I’ve been teaching at WSE for the past two and a half years and have enjoyed every minute of that time. I love meeting and teaching students of all abilities, from all corners of the world. I enjoy being challenged and during my time at WSE I have had the opportunity to teach a variety of different courses from Cambridge Advanced exam classes to Business and IELTS preparation courses. Our school is a very unique, lively and friendly workplace environment and I can honestly say I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else!

Bill Martin

I have taught at WSE since 2005. Previous to that I had worked at other leading centres in London, and 6 months overseas in Slovenia. While I teach across all levels and courses, I have a particular interest in exam courses and ESP courses, such as Legal, Business and Financial. The time I have spent outside EFL includes stints in the software, telecoms and construction industries; I also freelance as an editor and translator. I combine teaching at WSE with offering host family accommodation, which is an opportunity to get to know students outside the classroom environment. My foreign languages are Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, the latter being useful on our annual family holiday in Brazil.

Debbie Wood

I initially started out in teaching intending to be a primary school teacher, but my degree, language and linguistics, made me realise I’d prefer to teach English. I LOVE grammar! I first taught at WSE for a summer way back in 1995 and, like lots of other people, found myself back here, in 2008. I particularly like teaching Cambridge exam classes, where we have incredibly motivated students. And I love it when students come back and tell us how they’re getting on. WSE has such a great mix of staff and students, there’s never a dull moment.

Kathryn Webb

I joined WSE in the summer of 2010 and my first thought was how quintessentially English the place is! The stunning stained-glass windows and the lovely rose garden make this a really lovely place to work. I previously taught English for a year in China. I was there in 2006 in the run up to their Olympic Games and my school was picked to teach English to the public service officials who would be dealing with the tourists when they came for the games. I also taught at the local high school where there were 70 students to a class – a completely different experience to teaching here at WSE! I teach Business English, Financial English, the Cambridge First Certificate and all levels from Beginners to Advanced. It’s great to see students improve and develop their skills and I really enjoy learning from them about their countries and cultures.

Emma Huntley

I came to Wimbledon School of English in November 2010 and I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute since. My job is varied as I work as not only a teacher, but also as one of three Assistant Directors of Studies. I have been teaching English since 2000, with a short break when I went back into working in fund management. I love teaching all levels, but I especially enjoy working with beginners. Having spent 30 years in the Middle East, I can appreciate what it is like being in a country where the language spoken is not your first language. Beginners make such fast progress and it is a pleasure to be of part of such a learning experience.

Charlotte Newman

As soon as I had obtained my CELTA at the end of 2010, I contacted WSE! Like many of the students, I was impressed by the lovely school building and garden, as well as the great atmosphere amongst both staff and students. Since starting at WSE at the beginning of 2011, I have taught a variety of General English classes from pre-intermediate to advanced. I like to encourage creativity in the classroom, and for me the best thing about teaching is helping students to develop not only their language level, but their confidence, too. Before training as an EFL teacher, I undertook various internships in the arts. I have a love of words and language, hence I studied for a degree in English Literature while I was at university in Bristol. I enjoy travel and have done so extensively around Europe. It’s great to interact with so many international people at my place of work! In my spare time, I write and study singing. One day I hope to improve my French!

Megan Haggie

My love of travel brought me to the world of Teaching English as a Foreign Language. I taught in South Korea for a year and a half and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Living there also enabled me to take up taekwondo which I still practise now. I then taught in Australia for 2 and a half years combining my love of travel and teaching. I have recently returned to the UK and was lucky enough to get a job working at Wimbledon School of English. I love this profession and I love the people I work with and really enjoy being a part of this great school.