Simon

Whilst teaching at Pimlico, a large inner city comprehensive, I was in charge of the English curriculum for 11-13 year olds, responsible for the texts taught, the programme of study, the assessment of work and the continuing development of that curriculum. In my A Level English teaching, delivering the syllabus and working with students on their individual coursework essay assignments, I oversaw the highest attainment from a diverse range of students.  At the Harrodian School, I was Head of Drama, Director of Performing Arts and an A Level Creative Writing teacher. 

After graduating from Warwick University with an Honours Degree in English Literature and spending some time working as an individual Special Needs Assistant, I completed a PGCE at the Institute of Education, London. Whilst teaching for eighteen years, I gained a Post Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy at the BAP, and qualified as ReaderLeader for The Reader, a Liverpool based charity that promotes literature as an antidote to isolation. 

Writing has been a constant since adolescence, and I have spent much time developing my own writing practice, with recent work being shortlisted by the BBC, performed as part of the Totally Thames Festival and selected as a finalist for the Galtelli Literary Prize.

• Schools: Epsom College, Ibstock Place School, Surbiton High School
• Tags: Drama, English, Creative Writing, 11+, GCSE, A Level
• Exam Boards: GL, CEM