New staff introductions for September 2024.
Firstly, we are very pleased to share that all existing staff members will remain within the academy next year! However, as we continue to grow we have many new staff to introduce!
Please visit our meet the staff page to see their job titles.
In this new article we will introduce each staff member though.
Christine Davey - SENCO
Hello! I'm thrilled to be joining the Oasis Academy Temple Quarter team as your new SENDCo! My journey in teaching began when I qualified from the University of Bristol as an English teacher in 2015. I chose English, as from a young age I was captivated by the magic of stories. As a child, I wanted to be Matilda. As an adult, I've realised that my dream is to be Miss Honey!
Teaching and advocating for students is my passion. I am fascinated by the learning styles and needs of others. The world is full of barriers and I am committed to finding ways to overcome them. During my career I have acted as a college GCSE retake lecturer, head of English in an all through autism specialist school, and most recently I led the development of an nurture provision. I am also qualified as an exam access arrangement assessor.
I've worked with a vast range of students from all walks of life, with a huge assortment of needs. These experiences have highlighted the importance of giving a voice to young people and their families so that they can articulate what they need to thrive.
Beyond the classroom, I'm an avid reader of dystopian fiction - I love The Hunger Games so don't be surprised if my World Book Day costumes reflect this! I also enjoy exploring the UK, listening to live music, and cheering on my favourite teams at live sporting events. I also love to learn, so please share your passions and interests with me!
I pride myself on being empathetic and approachable, so don't hesitate to come and say hello! I'm excited to grow with you all as part of the Oasis Academy Temple Quarter family. Education is a team effort, so I'm looking forward to working with you. I cannot wait to be an advocate for you all!
Ashley Tolin - Teacher of Science
I'm really looking forward to teaching science at Oasis Temple Quarter this year and contributing to the brilliant progress students are already making with Mr Strobach-Morris!
As a student, science and maths were always my favourite subjects, but when it came to my GCSEs, I experienced some poor mental health that kept me out of school for months. At the same time, I was understanding more about my identity and navigating coming out to my friends and family.
Through hard work, I was still able to do well, but my experience left me fascinated by the human mind. I went on to study psychology at university before completing my teacher training with Teach First. I still use my knowledge of psychology every day as I aim to champion young people's mental wellbeing as equally as their academic progress.
I hope to connect with students through my hobbies too - as part of the first "online generation", I grew up playing video games and watching YouTube. I'm an Arsenal fan and watch Formula 1 races, but I also love reading and helping run the chess club at my current school. By bringing my authentic self to school, I aim to encourage our students to do the same.
I can't wait to join you all this September and bring what I hope is a shared passion for science to life!
Louise Underwood - Teacher of MFL
I loved languages when I was at school and so chose to do French, German and linguistics at University. Ever since then I have loved using my languages travelling, meeting new people and seeing lots of different cultures all over the world.
Nobody else in my family has ever been a teacher but it was what I always wanted to do and so after teaching adults to speak English as a foreign language for five years I trained to teach French and German to children in the UK. Since then Spanish became a popular subject in British schools so I had to become a student myself again to make sure my Spanish was up to scratch.
I was a Head of Year for many years and in both of these roles seeing young people grow in confidence and take all the opportunities they can to succeed, whatever that means to them, has been so rewarding. I meet ex-students all the time and what I most enjoy hearing is simply that they are happy.
My interests outside of school include, as I said, travelling. I also love going to the cinema and theatre, playing tennis and spending time with my two little dogs. I'm moving to Bristol from London and I'm really excited about getting to know a new city too.
Just as much as experiencing a new city though, I'm also really looking forward to getting to know all of the students and families at OATQ and joining you on the exciting adventure that is a brand new school.
Claire Mellor - Teacher of English
The best thing about teaching English is that I not only get to share my own love of reading, but I am also able to support students to become confident, creative and curious readers and thinkers. From wanting to be a T.V presenter to running your own company, being a confident reader means that you are also able to express yourself effectively both verbally and on paper. These are important skills for any student’s success in the wider world.
In my spare time I, of course, love to read. My current favourite genre is Historical Fiction because I can ‘visit’ these re-imagined places at interesting times in history. I have just finished reading ‘Babel’ (R. F Kuang) which I would highly recommend to anyone who has an interest in the Victorian era, crime and linguistics. I also like to go running and watch live stand-up comedy with my friends and family.
I have been teaching English for eight years and each year I have been fortunate to welcome a new fantastic group of students into my classroom; I am confident that this will also be the case when I join Oasis Temple Quarter in September.
Laura Huggins - Teacher of RPE
Hello! I’m Miss Huggins, an RPE teacher. I attended University in Brighton to study Philosophy during which time I got to ask the ‘big’ life questions, which I am excited to explore with the students of OATQ in September!
I have spent the last year in Bristol, a city with a lot of culture, which brings with it a variety of different ideas and perspectives. RPE is a subject to explore and understand these different perspectives and each other makes the world a better place.
Outside of work, I love to go on (usually muddy) walks with my dog, and of course, going on holiday - my most recent trip was to Madeira. I also love football, and am looking forward to watching the Euros this summer!
Emma Kingston - Teacher of Maths and Computer Science
As a mathematics specialist with a background in computing, I am dedicated to introducing students to diverse mathematical thinking methods and creating meaningful connections to computing. My goal is to inspire a deep understanding and appreciation of both subjects,
equipping students with valuable problem-solving skills for the future. I have taught for many years in Asia before coming to Bristol to teach here.
Kirsty Hobkirk - Head of Music
Hi everyone! I'm Miss Hobkirk and I will be Head of Music at Oasis Temple Quarter from September. I have taught both Music and Drama during my teaching career, and I have experience leading the music for school productions and other co-curricular activities.
I gained a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. Whilst I was there, I developed my own vocal technique, as well as performing all over the world with other incredible musicians. I realised I wanted to share my love of music with others during a part of my degree where we went out into the community to lead workshops with both children and adults. Seeing the joy on the faces of the people we worked with showed me how powerful music is, and what an amazing tool it is for bringing people together.
Although my degree was in Classical Music, I love exploring different genres, and I have particularly enjoyed discovering music from the different cultures that my students introduce me too.
I am looking forward to continuing the fantastic work that Mr Strobach-Morris has done with the current Year 7, and introducing next year's Year 7 to how exciting Music at Secondary School can be. It will be great to discover what performance spaces we can create in the current building. I have experience of performing in all sorts of places, including multi-story car parks and sky-scrapers. If you can find an empty space, you can invite an audience, and you can perform!
When I'm not in school, I can often be found doing open water swimming, or walking in the woods. When it's too cold for that, I'll be inside with my cross stitch or any other craft, and a cup of coffee!