The John Of Gaunt School

Ben Rhodes

Headteacher

I have been a member of the senior leadership team and proudly supported the community of Trowbridge for 10 years. As Headteacher, I have the honour of working with a personable and loyal student body and a driven and dedicated group of staff. Before becoming Headteacher I have been responsible for developing and refining the quality of our curriculum, timetabling, the effectiveness of our distributed leadership and providing equity for our disadvantaged learners so that they may thrive within our school. The progress we have made together over recent years is pleasing, but we are always striving for greater things! We want 'excellence every day' and it is my role to provide the platform for this. I have the experience of working for six other schools with responsibilities for pastoral, pedagogical and curriculum areas. I have had senior leadership roles in four of these schools and have been a governor in three of them. I have also been a governor of a local primary school. I am husband to a wonderful wife and two amazing sons who are keen sports people. I always look forward to their fixtures against Trowbridge teams!

Helen Kerr

Deputy Headteacher

I am a Deputy Headteacher at this School where I have worked for 2 decades and I currently teach PSHE & RE. I have recently become an Ofsted Inspector. My responsibilities centre around student care & wellbeing, behaviour for learning & alongside this I have strategic responsibility for the pastoral teams within the school. I look after all school admissions and in particular oversee transition from primary school to ensure students successfully settle into The John of Gaunt School. I work with outside agencies to support personalised learning provision for those who need this outside of school. A key element of my role is as the school’s designated safeguarding lead, supporting a range of student needs. I am passionate about supporting young people’s mental health and am a national instructor for Mental Health First Aid courses. I am married and have a teenage daughter and a rather daft golden retriever. I have a real enjoyment of cycling and most weekends you will find me exploring local countryside on my bike.

Linda Baines

Assistant Headteacher / DL - Post 16 Studies

I have worked at The John of Gaunt School for over two decades and am proud to be part of this school and a long serving member of its community. As well as being an English teacher, I am an Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for leading the Sixth Form. I lead a dedicated team of staff, and together we are all united in offering students a wide range of opportunities to equip our learners for their future pathways. It is an absolute privilege to see our young people flourish, gain independence and become responsible and purposeful citizens of the next generation. In this role I work in liaison with local universities and alongside local employers through our school's careers programme. Outside of school my time is filled being a mum to my primary school aged child. At weekends, you'll mostly find me on a muddy boot walk or in Dorset where I grew up and my family still live.

Rachel Edmunds

Assistant Headteacher

As a passionate Maths teacher who has varied senior leadership experience, I am dedicated to fostering an environment where students not only strive for excellence but also enjoy a supportive, enriching education. Having attended John of Gaunt as a student myself, served as a governor at a local primary school, and lived in Trowbridge for many years, I have a deep commitment to developing both the school and the wider community. As Assistant Headteacher with a responsibility for Raising Standards I oversee data analysis, exams, parents' evenings, academic interventions and support for pupil premium students. My primary focus is to ensure that every student reaches their full potential, leaving our school not only with outstanding qualifications but also as the best version of themselves.

Laura Rossiter

Assistant Headteacher

I am a firm believer that schools should be a place where students come to flourish. They should feel welcome, be guided and be given every opportunity to be the very best version of themselves. From a lifelong love of drama and theatre I qualified as a drama teacher in 2010 and have spent my teaching careers crafting engaging and exciting drama curriculums that were focused on broadening students horizons and opening up opportunities for them to shine. This led me to work with Pupil Premium students in my last senior role and now into attendance and character curriculum here at John of Gaunt. I am very excited to have taken on this Assistant Headteacher role, and I am looking forward to getting to know the staff and students well. I am looking forward to forging relationships of trust and high expectation as well as develop the vision and values to which I so strongly attest to.

Nigel Reeves

Business & Finance Manager

I joined this School in April 2018 and in 2021 will have worked in Education (specialising in Finance) for 30 years. During that time I have seen many changes in the education world and been involved in lots of projects including the construction and opening of a new secondary school. With these skills I hope to play a continuing part in the ongoing success of the school and the constant challenge of matching the Education requirements with the funding available. Outside of School as well as being a family man, I am a keen sports fan and can still be found playing cricket on a Saturday afternoon.

John Roberts

Assistant Headteacher

I am a proud dedicated member of The John of Gaunt team, serving for the last 7 years as Director of Learning for Computing & Business. My passion for teaching stemmed from my belief that to change the world we all need to aspire to be more. I believe that school should be an engaging, innovative place that offers a breadth of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to help develop insightful, curious and tolerant students. As Assistant Head for Curriculum, Timetabling, Data Protection and Distributive Leadership I want to ensure that students feel that The John of Gaunt School opens up opportunities that they didn’t think possible. Provide a curriculum that has depth and breadth, that utilises the ever changing technological world to improve their experiences and educate them on the world of tomorrow. I'm dedicated to fostering strong relationships with our students, nurturing their aspirations, and supporting them on their journey of growth and discovery.

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Staff

Our Senior Leadership Team