Meet the School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) Team

SCITT Leads & Support

Dawn Chapman - SCITT Primary Programme Director
Dawn has worked for Exeter Consortium as the Primary Programme Lead since 2018, working closely with schools across the region to develop and strengthen the partnerships that are vital to our approach. The most rewarding aspect of her role is building supportive relationships with trainees, NQTs and teachers in our partner schools. ​
​Sara Thornhill - SCITT Primary Assistant Programme Lead & Senior Lead Mentor
Sara Thornhill is our ITT Assistant Primary Programme Lead and Development Lead for the SWIFT ECT programme. Through leadership and Deputy Headship roles, Sara has strived to develop a culture of coaching to support development and improve the quality of teaching using regular incremental coaching. Sara is also a Lead Mentor for our ITT programme.
Mark Drew - Director
Mark played a key role in establishing the Exeter Consortium and Exeter Supply Partnership and continues to provide strategic guidance in collaboration with senior leaders from member schools. He is actively involved in recruiting high-quality trainees for our ITT programmes and contributes to the ongoing strategic development of these programmes. Additionally, Mark oversees the financial management of the Exeter Consortium, ensuring sustainable and effective operations.
Sarah Down - Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Administrator

Sarah is the Administrator for many aspects of our ITT programmes, including DBS checks, DfE registration, attendance monitoring and communication between schools and trainees.

​Sarah is an experienced administrator and brings a diverse background to the role, having worked as a Secondary IT teacher as well as a School Administrator.​

SCITT Lead Mentors

Lois Briard
Since starting her teaching career in inner city London in 1999, Lois has worked in both urban and rural schools.  She has taught across all year groups from Early Years to Year 6 and has significant experience teaching mixed-age classes.

Throughout her career, Lois has led various subjects at the whole school level, including curriculum and assessment. She has served in several leadership positions, including Head of School, Acting Head and Head at primary schools in Devon.
  
As a leader, she is passionate about the power of relationships and belonging within the school community. Her additional experience in domestic abuse support has equipped her well to serve as designated safeguarding lead which she has done for several years.

Lois recognises the impact that high-quality teaching has on all children and enjoys mentoring trainees and those at the beginning of their careers as they develop effective classroom practices.
Penny Hackworthy
Penny has been a dedicated educator since 2000. As Deputy Head, she leads on curriculum, metacognition, pedagogy, staff induction, ECT development and coaching through deliberate practice. She’s proud to work within the Ted Wragg Trust where she is supported to champion professional growth across the school.

For several years, Penny was the Maths Tutor with Exeter Consortium Schools’ Alliance (ECSA), supporting Early Years and Primary trainee teachers for taught elements of their course. Recently, she’s been delivering targeted sessions on adaptive teaching and questioning strategies. Exwick Heights is a valued host school for Intensive Training and Practice (ITAP), where Penny’s mentorship nurtures the next generation of teachers.

Known for her energy, expertise and unwavering passion, Penny remains as committed today as she was at the start of her journey in education.
Paul Herring
Paul is currently the Assistant Headteacher and Computing lead at Exminster. With over ten years of experience on the Senior Leadership Team, Paul is a proactive leader passionate about both pastoral care and academic rigour. He has led on assessment and behaviour strategy school-wide, ensuring high standards and a supportive learning environment.

​Paul’s extensive teaching experience across Years 2-6, coupled with his background as a Computing SLE and a dedicated Induction Tutor (since its introduction in 2021, and prior NQT mentor), demonstrates his commitment to both student welfare and staff development. During this time, Paul has overseen the development of a forward-thinking Computing curriculum and guided the school through the e-safety award, the result of which being that technology is used effectively, creatively and safely throughout the school. Paul also delivers the Computing training for Exeter Consortium’s Initial Teacher Training programme.
​Lucy Herring
Lucy is a Senior Leader in Education with extensive expertise in supporting Early Years pupils and those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). With a rich background in education, Lucy has taken on various roles, including class teacher, SENCO, and school senior leader, shaping her deep understanding of effective teaching and pupil support.

Currently working for the Local Authority supporting vulnerable learners, Lucy is committed to advocating for those who face barriers to their learning.  She has a particular interest in the experiences of disadvantaged pupils, especially those who have experienced trauma.
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As the Early Years Lead for the Exeter Consortium Teacher Trainee programme and a Lead Mentor, Lucy provides guidance and support to trainee teachers, helping them gain valuable experience and confidence in their placements.
​​Sarah Nicholas
As an experienced education practitioner, Sarah has spent 30 years in Devon primary schools shaping and nurturing the adults of the future. Her career has involved teaching across all age ranges, from the Early Years through to Year 6. She is now Deputy Head of a large primary school in East Devon.

A qualified SENDCo and Pupil Premium Lead, Sarah is passionate about creating inclusive environments where all children receive the support, care, and education they need to thrive. As the school’s Inclusion Lead, she develops tailored strategies to promote equal opportunities and ensure the best outcomes for every individual.

Alongside her work to improve outcomes for children, Sarah is actively involved in coaching and mentoring within her school, supporting Early Career Teachers as they grow into confident and capable classroom practitioners and future leaders. She is excited to be working with the Exeter Consortium team in a Lead Mentor capacity, supporting trainees as they begin their journey into the teaching profession.
​​Beth Willey
Beth has taught in North Cornwall since the beginning of her teaching career and has a strong understanding of the unique challenges faced by remote coastal communities. She is passionate about raising aspirations and encouraging all learners - whether pupils, trainees, or colleagues - to broaden their horizons, explore new possibilities and reach their full potential.

Well known for her enthusiasm as a reading leader, Beth is dedicated to fostering a love of reading for pleasure among her pupils. Reading aloud to her class remains one of the highlights of her week.

With 13 years of experience in primary education, Beth has held middle leadership positions both at the community primary school where she currently works and at a small village school. She maintains a strong interest in educational research and has led several small-scale projects during her career, including an investigation into the Early Career Framework. Beth is excited to bring her knowledge and experience to the role of Lead Mentor with Exeter Consortium, supporting the next generation of teachers.

SCITT Trainers

​The SCITT Curriculum is re-drafted annually to reflect the developments in education nationally and within our partnership. Our trainers are drawn from the SWTT and Exeter Consortium Partnership as well as more widely. The General Professional Studies calendar is subject to change, but some of our key trainers are as follows:
Abbie Birch
Curriculum Strand – English
Abbie has been working as a class teacher at East-the-Water Primary school in North Devon for 6 years. In that time, Abbie has had responsibility for leading PE and is now in her third year as literacy Lead. Abbie trained at the University of Plymouth between 2016 and 2019, graduating with a First Class Honours in BEd (Hons) Primary Education specialising in English.

In her time as literacy lead, Abbie has worked hard to underpin the principles of metacognitive learning through the teaching of reading comprehension. Abbie has also concentrated on developing the approach to writing for a range of learners in her school with a particular focus on the development of greater depth writers. Abbie has supported PGCE students in her class and this will be her second year delivering literacy training for Exeter Consortium.
Kelly Bridle
Curriculum Strand – History
Kelly has been a primary school teacher for five years and is the curriculum lead at her school. She is responsible for ensuring the broader curriculum is planned, sequenced and monitored well across the school. Kelly has particular expertise in history and has worked with her school to be the first to gain the Historical Association Gold Quality Mark in Devon and Cornwall. Kelly works closely with Dr Tim Lomas from the Historical Association and are working on some primary history journals due to be published later in 2024.
Kathy Davies
Curriculum Strand – Science
Kathy is a full-time class teacher and Science Leader at East-the-Water Primary School, where she has been teaching for the past seven years. She is passionate about science and strives to inspire a love for the subject in all her students.

Kathy has supported a number of PGCE students during their training and has experience as a school-based mentor. She brings her enthusiasm, subject knowledge and commitment to developing others to her role within the Exeter Consortium.
​Michael Emerton
Curriculum Strand - Computing
Michael is an IT Support Manager for the Ted Wragg Trust and has taught Computing across the Primary age range. His experience includes planning and implementation of the curriculum; implementing and managing school IT systems; planning, implementation and embedding of ICT into the curriculum; teaching alongside teachers, providing CPD and up-skilling leading to higher standards in IT; providing Exeter Consortium CLASS trainer Leadership support to schools as well as training and INSET on a variety of subjects including coding and online safety.
​Kit Hardee
Curriculum Strand - High Expectations and Behaviour Management
Kit is the Assistant Headteacher at Hazeldown Primary School. He has a desire to help teachers and pupils share a clear vision for education. Previously, he has been part of Hazeldown’s leadership team in his role as an upper key stage 2 team leader and has taught pupils predominately in year 6.

​Since joining the school in 2015, Kit has thrived as part of a successful leadership team who have had, and continue to have, a passion and determination to drive the school forwards - always looking for new ways to give their children the best possible opportunities within their education and to train them to have vital lifelong skills and learning attitudes. Kit is extremely passionate about supporting, developing and inspiring all staff to excel in their careers. He is the initial teaching training coordinator which involves the development of trainee teachers and liaising with three universities.
​Lucy Herring
Curriculum Strand - Early Years
Lucy is a Senior Leader in Education with extensive expertise in supporting Early Years pupils and those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). With a rich background in education, Lucy has taken on various roles, including class teacher, SENCO, and school senior leader, shaping her deep understanding of effective teaching and pupil support.

Currently working for the Local Authority supporting vulnerable learners, Lucy is committed to advocating for those who face barriers to their learning.  She has a particular interest in the experiences of disadvantaged pupils, especially those who have experienced trauma.
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As the Early Years Lead for the Exeter Consortium Teacher Trainee programme and a Lead Mentor, Lucy provides guidance and support to trainee teachers, helping them gain valuable experience and confidence in their placements.
Paul Herring
Curriculum Strand - Computing
Paul is currently the Assistant Headteacher and Computing lead at Exminster. During this time, Paul has overseen the development of a forward-thinking Computing curriculum and guided the school through the e-safety award, the result of which being that technology is used effectively, creatively and safely throughout the school.

As Computing lead, Paul has extensive experience of keeping abreast of the latest technologies, programmes and apps that can be used to support children in their learning from Reception to Key Stage 2. A central part of the role involves the researching, negotiating and purchasing of equipment which provides the best value for money from what is always a tight budget. He has led INSET, CPD, peer-to-peer training and provided help guides to support staff in their own professional development.

Central to Paul’s pedagogy and philosophy as a teacher is the importance of giving children the opportunity to achieve. He has developed the use of Digital Leaders over the last 5 years with excellent impact for children and teachers alike. The Digital Leaders have been trained up to a standard where they lead staff INSET on new technologies, carry out simple ICT tasks and mentor and train other children. Paul has also extended the ‘extracurricular’ aspect of ICT to the formation of a school radio show which has again provided excellent opportunities particularly for children with SEND.
Clare Jackson
Curriculum Strand – Languages and Pedagogy
Clare is currently the Deputy Headteacher at East-the-Water Primary School in North Devon, having begun her teaching career in the Midlands. With extensive experience in primary education, she has spent the past 15 years working in the North Devon area, primarily in Key Stage 2.

Clare has led a wide range of subjects throughout her career, including Literacy and the wider curriculum. She is the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Lead for Exeter Consortium in North Devon and also serves as the ECT Lead within her school. Clare is passionate about giving ITT students the best possible start to their teaching journey and takes great pride in supporting and guiding them as they grow into confident, effective practitioners.
​Hilda Merttens
Curriculum Strand – Maths
Hilda has been a class teacher for 20 years. Trained in primary education, she has taught all years from Reception to Y6. She has worked in London, Oxford, Sheffield, Nottingham and Exeter as well as teaching in Australia and India, where she worked for over two years. Hilda is also an educational writer, writing plans and resources, including working in a team of three to produce the Abacus Primary Mathematics Scheme, published by Pearson. This covers teaching and all resources for the whole of the primary age range and is based on the current National Curriculum.

After completing Abacus, Hilda moved into Secondary Education to become a specialist mathematics teacher. She retrained whilst working and is now qualified to teach 4- to 18-year-olds. Hilda is passionate about teaching and learning and also about mathematics and despite loving teaching secondary pupils she has moved back into primary teaching and is currently the Maths lead at Bowhill Primary School, Exeter.
​Claire Norman
Curriculum Strand - SEND
Claire has been in the role of SENCO at Exminster Community Primary School for 9 years. She has led the school through the SEND reforms, implementing new systems and strategies to support effective SEND provision across the whole school. Part of her role involves leading the Student and Family Support Team within the school, implementing initiatives to achieve positive impact on SEND practice within the school and influencing the School Development Plan.

​Claire has worked with colleagues in other settings to support the development of strategies and SEND practice. Claire is also on the steering group for the Exeter Inclusion Forum, working with other SENDCOs to plan and deliver high quality CPD for colleagues.
Jade Passfield
Curriculum Strand – Music
Jade has been a primary teacher for 10 years, teaching across Years 1-6. An English Literature graduate, she has been English Lead for the last 7 years and is Professional Community Lead for English for SWIFT. However, Jade’s passions lie in Music. She is a classically trained singer and opera enthusiast who was formerly a choral scholar at the University of Warwick. Jade’s core beliefs are in the power of music education to inspire academic success and to be used as a leveller for social mobility; a topic which she is incredibly passionate about.

Jade recently co-founded the ‘Wynstream Music Centre’, an arts council funded venture with the Devon and Torbay Music Hub and Bandstars. This community focused project takes place weekly and offers free music tuition to pupils from multiple schools across Exeter (brass, guitar and vocals), with a high intake of pupil premium and SEND pupils. She leads the choir who have performed at venues across the city, including Exeter Cathedral. Jade trained with Exeter Consortium and loves working with trainees as a mentor. She is excited to convince future trainees of the power of Music within education.
​Gemma Radford
Curriculum Strand - Physical Education
Gemma is a class teacher and PE Leader at Ide Primary School. She was appointed as an SLE in 2020. Gemma is very passionate about Physical Education and is committed to developing the PE and sports opportunities for young people in the local community.

Since commencing her SLE role, Gemma has worked on a DfE PE Project which has involved mentoring PE leaders in a variety of primary schools. This work has involved working with PE Leaders that are at different stages in their career, ranging from ECTs to experienced teachers.

​Gemma’s role as an SLE has also involved working with the trainee teachers on the primary programme. She has planned and delivered the PE training for all of the trainee teachers each year. In addition to her PE leadership, Gemma has also enjoyed mentoring trainee teachers on the primary programme.
​Abi Raynor
Curriculum Strand – Foreign Languages
Abi spent over 12 years living abroad and working in international schools before returning to the UK and settling in Exeter in 2012. In 2018, she decided to return to teaching and trained with Exeter Consortium to gain her PGCE. Since then, she has been teaching in Reception at Montgomery Primary School, where she has also served as the Subject Lead for Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) for the past three years.

Abi has thoroughly enjoyed her role as a mentor for the Consortium and is now stepping into the role of trainer. With a strong background in language teaching and learning, and a wealth of experience gained from living overseas, she is passionate about the value of learning a foreign language from a young age. She is committed to helping teachers build confidence in delivering a subject that many find challenging.
Deana Smith
Curriculum Strand – SEND
Deana has been a teacher for 25 years and has taught in a range of differing schools, from small mixed age rural schools to 2 form inner city schools. She is fully aware of the different challenges that schools face. For the last 15 years, Deana has been part of the Senior Leadership Team and has been the SENCO at East-the-Water Primary School in North Devon.

Throughout this time, by developing SEND provision and practices, Deana has created an inclusive provision and culture for SEND pupils within the school. Deana provides regular training and updates to staff and continues to evolve practise in her school, SEND is always evolving! She is aware of the challenges that teachers can face when supporting SEN pupils and welcomes the chance to support you to develop your understanding in this.
Sharon Tarr
Curriculum Strand – Employability
Sharon began her career as a teaching assistant at a local school and soon realised she wanted to progress to teaching, so she undertook teacher training. She has loved her work at every stage of her career and has steadily progressed from classroom teaching to leadership roles. She is currently the Headteacher at Alphington Primary School.

Sharon became Headteacher at Alphington in September 2018 and is very proud of the school. She strongly believes that a school should nurture the whole child, offering a curriculum and environment that inspires, motivates, and supports children’s development in every aspect.
 ​Jackie Taylor
Curriculum Strand – English
Jackie has been a teacher for over 20 years, working in two large primary schools during that time and teaching across the full primary age range, with a specialism in upper Key Stage 2. Alongside her teaching duties, she has taken on a variety of leadership roles, including leading English (with a focus on phonics), overseeing Initial Teacher Training, and leading Physical Education.

English leadership has been a constant throughout Jackie’s career. She has led on reading and writing almost since the start of her first teaching post. She finds great joy in teaching children to read, use language effectively, and express themselves through writing, and looks forward to sharing her passion with a new generation of teachers.

In addition to classroom teaching, Jackie serves as a Lead Practitioner for writing within a large multi-academy trust. In this role, she supports schools and staff with their English provision, including curriculum design and teaching and learning strategies. She also collaborates with the Devon English Team, helping to develop their BookWrite sequences and inform staff training offerings across Devon.
Maria White
Curriculum Strand – Humanities
​Maria has 14 years of experience teaching in primary education and is currently the teaching Deputy Head at The Topsham School. As well as leading on maths, Maria is also responsible for curriculum design in the school and is led by her passion and vision to create a unique education that is driven by thinking skills and subject knowledge. She specialises in History and Geography and delivers the teacher training in humanities for the Early Years and Primary cohorts.