Miss Gurdip Kaur- Headteacher

My role in our school is Headteacher, and what an awesome role this is!

I hold overall responsibility for the school and ensure the vision of ‘Inspiring the learning journey’ is central in everything we do. I am extremely proud of South End Junior and feel privileged to lead such a wonderful and skilled team. However, most of all I absolutely love the children in our school. They are just brilliant and take so much joy in being part of SEJ.

I am the Designated Lead person for Safeguarding and monitor the attendance of all pupils. The children see me in classrooms regularly as I observe lessons, and focus on improving Teaching and Learning across the school. I am on duty every day to ensure I have regular contact with parents and carers too.

See you at the gate!

Mrs Jo Simmons- School Business Manager

My name is Jo Simmons and I am the School Business Manager here at South End Junior School. My role involves Finance, Personnel, Health & Safety and Premises. On a day to day basis you will find me setting and monitoring the school budget to ensure that we can afford all the wonderful things within our school, recruiting new staff and making sure they are paid properly!

I work closely with the Site Manager to ensure that our site and building are not only safe but also well maintained. I aim to ensure that the school makes the best use of all its resources and behind the scenes I make sure that the school complies with various statutory obligations.

Mrs Lisa Gibbs-Deputy Head Teacher

I think I may just have the best job in the world!

I joined the SEJ family in January 2015 as a Director of Learning and have been lucky enough to progress to  Deputy Head Teacher. I am privileged to lead and support dedicated and highly-skilled teaching and support staff with the shared aim of raising achievement for all. I strongly believe that providing children with the life skills to think, learn and problem solve independently are of great importance while upholding core values; therefore these are at the heart of all decisions I make.

 I lead across the school on data and assessment, the curriculum, pupil premium and oversee the leadership of the other year groups. To strive for each and every child to reach their personal goals in all subjects, I provide strategic support to POD teams at SEJ to make certain that the development of these subject areas matches the needs of the pupils and the school.

Above all, ensuring the safety of our pupils and staff is of paramount importance and being the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead helps me to fulfil this responsibility.

Mrs Suzanne Lewis-Lead Practitioner

In my role, I have the pleasure of working closely with all staff and pupils. It is an extremely rewarding role that enables me to spend time in my favourite place ‘The Learning Base’ (the classroom for those who are unfamiliar with our school). My passion for teaching is enhanced by supporting others to develop their skills.

I am also the team leader for year 4. I continue to love my job as each new day brings new challenges, new learning (for myself and the pupils), and no two days are ever the same!

As a member of the Communication and Arts POD team I am looking forward to promoting art and handwriting across the school. This year I will be focussing on developing the use of sketchbooks in art to collect and experiment with different ideas and techniques.

In my spare time, I embrace any creative opportunity from learning new art or craft skills to singing and dancing. Inspiring learners to be creative is always at the heart of my teaching as in the words of Albert Einstein, ‘Creativity is intelligence having fun!’

Mrs Beki Roberts-Year 6 Leader

My name is Mrs Roberts and I will be based in Aristotle this year as their class teacher, and also as the Year 6 Lead. 

I love working in a school that is exciting and engaging for all children – there is always something new! I am also POD leader for the Innovation and Enterprise POD where we work on the development of teaching in maths, computing and online safety at South End Junior School.

My favourite subject is Maths (and I always look forward to planning our exciting World Maths Days), and I also love sharing new reads and books with pupils and staff alike! Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, decorating, visiting the park and playing with my cat – Aurora.

I believe every child’s education should open doors to their future; therefore I aim to provide engaging, purposeful and exciting learning opportunities to ensure they are ready for the world.

Mrs Amy Izycky- Director of Inclusion

I joined SEJ in 2012 as a Director of Learning and I have been the Director of Inclusion since 2016. I enjoy working in a unique school where every day is different, and every person strives to achieve their best for the children.

I am passionate about ensuring all pupils reach their full potential through giving them the individual provision that they need. I am particularly interested in supporting the emotional needs of the pupils so that they feel happy and safe in school and can therefore learn to their full ability.

My background is in Zoology and Ecology, so I love travelling to different environments around the world where there is lots of wildlife to see. I live in the countryside and enjoy spending my free time outdoors with my family, either cycling, walking, kayaking or horse riding.

My name is Mrs Jennings and I teach in Year 5. I aim to make learning fun and exciting to help engage all the children at South End to give them the opportunity to thrive, succeed and have fun in their learning journey. 

I enjoy being creative and helping others find their creative skills. Working at SEJ gives me the opportunity of helping others to explore new challenges and understand the importance of giving new things a go. I love supporting children to explore their imagination and develop their understanding of something new.  My favourite subject is maths, but I also love geography, music and art. 

Outside of school, I love to cook and bake – especially when I get to enjoy it afterwards! 

Hello, my name is Mr Hodgkins and I will be found in Rowling class again this year, teaching Year 4. I have been a teacher for many years and during that time, I have taught in both Key Stage One and Key Stage Two.

 I seek to create a safe, fun and engaging classroom environment, rooted in a culture of collaboration and mutual respect. I encourage children to develop a growth mindset, through taking risks and valuing mistakes as part of our learning journeys.

 Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading a variety of books, watching sports and visiting new places.

My name is Mrs Pixton and I teach Matisse class in Year 3. I am also the team leader of Year 3. I have been teaching for many years and I have taught across the key stages. I hope that my experience helps me to inspire and enthuse children in their learning.

I love teaching all subjects, but my favourite subject is English, especially when we can incorporate some drama. I like to encourage children to explore thoughts, feelings and emotions and it allows children to develop qualities, such as teamwork, and it helps stimulate creativity as it stimulates the imagination and allows students to explore issues and experiences in a safe and supportive environment.

In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, going for walks and visiting new places. My two boys keep me very busy with football! I enjoy many sports and I love to travel and have been fortunate to visit many different countries. If I need some quiet time, then there is nothing better than a good book!

Hello! My name is Mrs Barry. I am so excited to be in year 3, it’s a new challenge for me, and I can’t wait to learn along with you! I want to create a safe learning environment where all children can flourish and share lots of fun memories. I adore the curiosity that children have and love to promote questioning in order to deepen their learning. I will encourage the children to have a growth mindset to build their resilience and strengthen their confidence. I love all things Disney and love to lose myself in a good book. 

My name is Mrs Moody, and I am the class teacher for Archimedes Class as well as the Year 5 Lead. I have been teaching for many, many years and love how each day in the classroom is always different – a place to learn, laugh and explore new things. My aim this year is to challenge, encourage and support everyone in Archimedes class, encouraging a place where we foster a love of learning and make great memories to look back on.

I am also the POD Driver for the ‘My World and Beyond’ POD, which focusses on science, history and geography. I can’t wait to see how the amazing pupils of this school continue to challenge themselves and demonstrate how they can achieve anything, if they put their minds to it.

Outside of school, I love to read (hence, English is one of my favourite subjects) and, given a spare moment, I like to go running; there’s nothing like a long run to clear your head!

My name is Mr Carter and this year I will be teaching Year 6 Galileo class. This is my second year of teaching, having joined SEJ after completing my teacher training. I previously worked in Year 5 at SEJ, but I am very excited to be joining the Year 6 team this year.

I enjoy teaching a variety of subjects, but my favourites are maths, science and history. I also really enjoy reading, both in school and at home. I want my classroom to be a welcoming environment, where children can work collaboratively with one another and respect each other’s ideas and opinions. I want to encourage the children in my class to have a go even if they are unsure. I believe we can learn from making good mistakes, so long as we are trying!

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my wife, my son and my Labrador Poppy. I also enjoy going for walks, drawing and playing board games.

My name is Mrs Farrar-Williams, and I am really excited to be teaching Year 4 in Dahl again. I have been teaching for 9 years based between years 3 and 4 and really enjoy this age group.

My aim for my classroom is to always make it as fun and creative as possible with chances to sing, dance and act.  For me, this gives all children a chance to thrive in their own way.  My favourite subjects are Maths, Science, Computing and Music, but I love teaching all subjects.

Outside of school, I love swimming and yoga as well as going to the cinema and visiting family.  I, like a lot of people, did quite a bit of baking during lock down and I like to think that I got quite good at it.  I love spending time with my family and friends but am also quite happy having time to myself to read or watch television.

I look forward to getting to know lots of you this year

Hello, my name is Miss Ryan, and I am the class teacher for Ayres. This will be my sixth year at South End, and my first-time teaching year 3. I am looking forward to teaching all the exciting projects we do during the year such as Mighty Metals, Rocks, Relics and Rumbles and Urban Pioneers. My favourite subjects to teach are science and art.

I always encourage children to show a growth mindset, particularly when it comes to new challenges. It always brings a smile to my face when the children have ‘lightbulb’ moments after previously not getting it.

This year, I am the joint POD leader of ‘Body, Mind and Soul’ which oversees PSHE, RE and PE. Within this POD, we organise some great after school clubs and sports competitions. When I am not teaching, I enjoy baking, reading and colouring. I also love to have cuddles with my two cats, Winston and Pepper

Hello, my name is Mr Woodcock. I am going to be the Y5 teacher of Engelbart class. My favourite subjects to teach are Maths and PE, maths has always made sense to me and PE is something I enjoyed as a child, and I still love sport just as much as an adult.

As long as my students are trying their hardest, I am always happy to help. It is excellent teaching something and then seeing that lightbulb moment when your students finally get what they need to do and dive straight into their work. I really like it when students ask questions, it shows a real desire to learn and take ownership of their learning. You can help me help you.

In my free time I enjoy hiking, early morning motorcycle rides and playing video games. I look forward to meeting all the pupils in year 5 this year.

My name is Miss Watt, and I am the teacher for Einstein class. I really enjoy teaching Year 6 where children round up their SEJ learning journey. South End is one of the most inspiring schools I know; nowhere else has a learning environment quite like it!

My aim to make learning as exciting and creative as possible, ensuring children have memorable experiences especially in their last year at junior school! I love teaching a range of subjects, but English is my favourite to teach as it is a chance for your imagination to run wild.

I am also the leader for the Communication and Arts POD, where myself and my team ensure that all children have the best opportunities in English, music and art. In my spare time, I enjoy reading (quite often books that I believe my class will enjoy). I can’t wait for another fantastic year at SEJ. 

My name is Mrs Carey and I will be based in Year 4 in Lewis class this year. I am joining the SEJ team after completing part of my teacher training here in Year 6. I love the school’s inspiring ethos and environment and commitment to raising attainment for each child in all areas.

I am passionate about inspiring children to believe in themselves and take ownership of their learning. The creation of a positive, engaging learning environment in which children are happy to learn and want to push themselves is important to me. I love teaching all subjects but particularly enjoy English, maths and history.

In my free time I love to spend time with my family, travel to new places and take part in different activities. I enjoy rock climbing, yoga and have recently taken up running. I also love to read and enjoy learning new things - especially about health and cooking.

I have been teaching at South End since 2009! Joining as a volunteer all those years ago, I am now an Associate Teacher. I work part-time teaching music across all year groups in the afternoon. I also take great pride in running our choir, who meet once a week and entertain the community in lots of events throughout Rushden.

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, walking my 2 dogs, playing netball and, of course, singing!

Hello, my name is Miss Bowditch, and I am going to be a teaching assistant in year 4. This is my first year at SEJ, and I am very excited to get to know everyone. 

In my spare time I enjoy reading, watching films and spending time with my family. 

Hi, I’ve been a Teaching Assistant at South End since 2006. I love being part of the South End family. I’ve supported students across all the school years, delivering interventions, small groups and general class support.

If you get a Golden Ticket through the post – come and find me, and I’ll arrange your reward! 

My name is Miss Scott, I have worked at South End since 2014. Before that I have worked in a middle school and a SEN school. I am currently based in year 5 and can often be found taking pupils out for short interventions to help them fill any gaps or to boost their learning.  Most of the time I am in class supporting the excellent learning of our pupils.

Life at SEJ is very varied and so is my job role, from finding an ice pack to working out complex maths problems. Life is never dull and as our signature says staff and students always have a smile whatever the rest of the world throws at us (Let’s not mention 2020). 

My name is Sarah Martin. I am delighted to be joining the SEJ family as a Teaching Assistant in Year 3 – Ayres Class.

I have over 7 years experience in Early years up to year 4 . I really enjoy supporting all children regardless of any barriers to learning they may face. I will always encourage and motivate them to do the very best they can to reach their full potential, become independent learners and try new things. It's really important to have a can do attitude. I really love my job.

I have 2 children of my own. In my spare time I enjoy going to London, watching my daughter sing in the County Youth Choir and spending time with friends and shopping!

What can I say about a day in the life of a Teaching Assistant? It is varied, to say the least, and that is probably one of the reasons that I love being one!
My day usually starts with preparing the learning base for the arrival of the children. This can, and does, include tidying the classroom, collating resources and preparing displays.

Once the children arrive, I work 1:1 with children in dyslexia interventions and for the rest of the school day mainly with small groups of children, either supporting them in their class lessons or reinforcing their learning in Read Write Inc or Speed Up sessions.

I see all aspects of my role as supporting every child within the SEJ family, whether it’s attending to a grazed knee (as a first aider), driving children to gymnastic competitions (I have a large car) or just sitting down to listen to them.
Every day presents something new!

I have worked in primary schools for 8 years, initially as a parent helper, lunchtime supervisor and for 6 years as a special educational need teaching assistant. I started at SEJS in January 2016.

I presently work in years 4 and 5 as a teaching assistant, supporting and encouraging children with their learning. I love the creative, friendly and dynamic environment this school offers. 

My name is Mrs Shortland. I have been a Teaching Assistant for many years, in various settings. I am proud to be part of the South End Junior School team!
I love seeing the look on children’s faces when they ‘get it’, and helping them enjoy their learning.
In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, and taking my dog for walks in the countryside.

Mrs Lucy Vincent- SEND Teaching Assistant

My name is Mrs Vincent and I enjoy my position as a 1:1 TA based in year 3. This amazing opportunity has given me the experience to work with pupils that need that extra time, patience and care to complete their work.

Mrs Hannah Rose – Teaching Assistant

 My name is Mrs Rose. I am really excited to be joining South End Junior School as a Teaching Assistant and am currently based in year 4.    I have previously worked in an early year setting and can’t wait for the new adventures that I will get to encounter at SEJS.  Outside of school I love to read a good book, I enjoy running, and I love to travel to new and exciting places. 

Mrs Sharon Fowler – Teaching Assistant

I have been a member of the Year 6 team for many years and assist in the preparation for the SATs tests. I work with children of all abilities, helping them with Maths as this is a strength of mine.

I have worked at SEJ for over 15 years now and have seen many changes during that time. My role has always been that of a teaching assistant, though for the past 4 years I have also undertaken some pastoral duties, which includes being accessible both at break and lunch playtimes to provide assistance when necessary.

I currently am based in Yr 5 in the mornings and all year groups in the afternoons.  

I’m a teaching assistant and my role in the school is to support, encourage and inspire the children on their learning journey. I do this by supporting pupils in the classroom, as well as working with smaller groups of children and some children on a 1 to 1 basis.

I feel privileged to spend my time working with such wonderful children and enjoy watching their knowledge and confidence grow and develop. 

Hi, my name is Mrs Carter and I now work in Year 6 as a 1:1 Teaching Assistant  joining in December 2022.  I have previously worked as a SEN teaching assistant for 9 years within a SEN primary school.  Before that, I worked supporting young adults in further education and in a residential setting.  Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family making memories.

Miss Abbey Biddlestone-Teaching Assistant

Hi, I am Miss Biddlestone and I have just started working in Year 3 as a Teaching Assistant. 

I achieved my Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications whilst working at another primary school and attending college, prior to working here.  I am excited to start working at SEJ.  Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and making memories. I love to travel and learn about different cultures. I also like swimming and walking.   

My name is Mrs. Bassi and I have just joined South End Junior this new academic year 2024 as an Associate Teacher. I feel very lucky to have this role as I get to teach children from all year groups and form a strong relationship with them and their teachers. 

During lunch hours, I run spelling club and after school, tutoring club. I feel very settled in my new role, thanks to the staff who have been so welcoming! 

In my spare time, I like to sketch, colour, explore with my children and cook lots of delicious dishes. 

Hello, my name is Mrs Diver and my role at South End Junior is that of Administrator/ PA to the Head Teachers. I began my South End journey in 2008, firstly as a teaching assistant and then as a HLTA ( higher level teaching assistant). My job title now is Administrator/PA and my role now is predominately to oversee all things pupil based and as we are a school full of pupils, I wear a lot of different hats! ie: admissions, intake, data and contact info, attendance reporting, photos, music lessons, meals, communication and leavers are just a few of my jobs.

I am also PA to our Headteacher and our Director of Inclusion, supporting them with the administrative part of their roles. I thoroughly enjoy my role at South End, being the link between parents, carers, our community and the school is what I consider to be a very important undertaking.

Hello, my name is Mrs Louise Blair. I joined South End Junior School in March 2015 already being very familiar with the school, having two sons who spent many happy and fulfilled years here.

My current responsibilities are assisting with the schools finances as well as general office duties.

I am very much looking forward to spending my future years at this outstanding school.  

 My name is Mrs Nicola Dunn, and I am joining the office team. I joined South End Junior School in September 2021. 

My responsibilities include being PA to the School Business Manager and Site Manager and completing the administration for HR and premises and ordering all the resources that the teachers and children require for the classroom.

I am familiar with the school as both myself and my children attended the school. I have seen many changes over the years as the school has grown and become the great learning environment it is today. 

Hello, my name is Mr Huck and I have been working here since my family and I moved to the area in September 2009. I am the Director of Premises for both schools, and I am also an associate governor at SEJ.  My main role is to maintain the standards in the school and grounds, so the children can enjoy their learning experience, which with such a large site, keeps me very busy from early morning through to the evening.

As well as opening the school, maintaining the premises and grounds, liaising with many contractors , I am also the lunchtime lead and I organise the cleaning staff too. One of my favourite things about working at SEJ and the thing I am most proud of is the brilliant environment that myself and my team have been integral in making possible. 

Hello, my name is Mr Rogers and I work along with Mr Huck maintaining both schools. Although I only started working here in January 2022 I know the schools well as both my children came here, and am looking forward to keeping the school and grounds in great condition, helping to give the children a great learning experience! In my spare time I like walking, reading, riding my motorbike, and I’m also a Cub Scout leader.

My role within the school is to work as part of a team to supervise the children at lunchtimes. This involves interacting with the children and making sure that they are safe and happy.

As a team we ensure that lunchtimes run smoothly and that the children are ready for their afternoon lessons.

My name is Clair Courtney, and I am married with two sons. I enjoy cooking, walking, reading and travelling. I work as a cleaner.

I am Mrs Huck and I work in two different positions within SEJ; I work as a cleaner in Y3 after school and I come in every lunchtime as a supervisor in the Plaza or outside.

During lunchtimes, my colleagues and I take it in turns to do outdoor duty where we keep an eye on the children, help with friendship and behaviour issues and make sure all accidents are documented. I have been here since September 2009.

Hi, I’m Julia, and I’m a Lunchtime Supervisor here at SEJS (since November 2018). My role involves caring for and looking after groups all-year during the lunch period; this could be in the Plaza where the children sit to have their lunches, or on the playground, ensuring the children have a safe and happy environment to play.

I enjoy working at SEJS alongside the other Lunchtime Supervisors, staff and children. No two days are the same and it can be very rewarding.

My name is Michaela Isayeva. I am married and have two wonderful sons. I love spending time with my family and friends. I also very much enjoy travelling, visiting historical sites and cooking.

My true passion is spending time with children and I feel very privileged to be able to follow my passions at home as well as work.

My name is Mrs Millar and I work at South End Junior School as a Lunchtime Supervisor.  I absolutely love the job; the children are a great bunch. 

I am married and have 2 children who are my world. We enjoy doing things together as a family making wonderful memories.