Strategic Hub Lead

Joanne Siddall 

Jo has been a teacher for nearly 23 years. In that time, she has taught in a wide variety of schools across Yorkshire and the Caribbean. She has always had a passion for English, being Literacy Lead at her first school, working with the Leeds 0-11 Learning Improvement Team on school improvement, moderating writing at KS2 and being accredited as an LLE for her work supporting schools across Bradford.

Jo was the Headteacher at Burley and Woodhead CE Primary School from September 2015- 2023. She formed Burley Woodhead English Hub in 2018 and has successfully led it ever since. Since setting up the Hub, Jo has built the Burley Woodhead English Hub and is now strategic lead, ensuring that our team maintain the highest standards by keeping abreast of the latest evidence based information and working with the DfE to revise phonics programmes and develop early language support. Jo also leads on the NPQLL programme and works as a consultant for one of the largest SSP providers in the country.

Hub Lead and Literacy Specialist

Sarah Scott - English Lead and Year 1 Teacher

I have been teaching for 15 years in schools across Bradford. I have worked as a local authority moderator and across a range of schools sharing best practice in Early Years and Key Stage One. Throughout my career I have designed curriculums and led CPD for senior leaders, teachers and support staff. This has enabled schools to establish a clear and consistent approach for Literacy from EYFS to UKS2.  

Gaining the status of TDT Core Lesson Study Practitioner and achieving NPQSL enabled me to reflect on how to lead CPD, empower teacher collaboration and improve pupil outcomes. I am passionate about collaborative practice and supporting colleagues to develop a high quality Literacy curriculum which challenges all learners. It is a pleasure to work alongside dedicated colleagues and wonderful children to foster a love of literacy which is woven throughout teaching and provision from the initial introduction of key vocabulary to its application into writing.

I believe that all children have the right to an education which instils in them the belief that they will achieve. As educators it is our role to provide an engaging, dynamic environment which breaks down barriers to learning. I joined the Burley Woodhead English Hub as a Literacy Specialist and now serve as Hub Lead. I am truly excited by the challenges that this role involves and by the potential impact on the future of children in the area. 

Hub Manager

Janet Birch - English Hub Manager

I joined the team in September 2019 as the English Hub Manager.  With over 20 years in the private sector I have a wealth of experience in problem solving, driving excellence and raising standards.  I am passionate about supporting schools and the hub team.

Finance Officer

 Victoria Lister - Finance Officer

I am the Finance Officer for the Burley Woodhead English Hub. I have over 9 years’ experience working as a School Business Manager across Bradford and North Yorkshire. Prior to moving into education I worked in London in the charity sector managing a large fundraising budget.

Literary Specialists:

Abi Haddy - Phonics Lead and Year 1 Teacher

I have worked at Burley and Woodhead CE Primary for 10 years and taught reception for 5 years before moving into Year 1. I am currently the Phonics and Early Reading lead in school where I support staff in ensuring high quality Phonics and Early Reading provision in our school. I am an enthusiastic teacher and love teaching the early steps of reading to children; it is wonderfully rewarding to see children develop their skill of reading as well as their love of reading.  I am passionate about teaching reading to young children as this is a crucial skill to have in order for children to become independent life-long learners.

I have worked for the Burley Woodhead English Hub for over 3 years; I started my journey as an auditor before becoming a Literacy Specialist. As part of my role I have been lucky enough to work with colleagues across Bradford and North Yorkshire to improve outcomes in Early Reading for all children. This has included running training sessions in developing practitioner’s knowledge in Phonics and Early Reading.  

I have fond memories of books and reading from my own childhood and hope to pass this on to young children today through all the work I do as a teacher, and as part of working for the English hub. 

Charlotte Bingham - SLE and EYFS Leader

I am an experienced EYFS leader and KS1 teacher having taught in primary schools for the last ten years. I currently teach at Steeton Primary School and work as an Early Years Specialist for Bradford Birth to 19, Early Years programme. 

I have been fortunate enough to be part of the Burley Woodhead English Hub since it started in 2019. It is incredibly rewarding working with different schools across Bradford and North Yorkshire especially seeing the continued improvements and results for children in Early Reading and beyond. 

I am an enthusiastic, caring teacher who wants the best for our children in the Bradford area and beyond. I believe that laying the best foundations for our children is crucial to enable them to flourish and prosper in later life. I enjoy teaching children the early steps in reading and writing and giving our young learners the skills to enjoy books. Reading is one of the most important skills to give a child, all of us have been in the learn to read phase at some time in our lives. The quicker we learn to read, the sooner we can start to read to learn and this phase lasts for the rest of lives.

Charlotte Murray 

I am an experienced KS1 and EYFS teacher and have a wealth of experience in the teaching of phonics and reading across school. I have previously led English at Burley & Woodhead Primary School and held the English Hub Lead position.

I have been lucky enough to have been part of the hub team since it started in 2018. Over the last five years, I have worked alongside many schools across Bradford and North Yorkshire providing intensive and medium level support, whilst also providing training in both phonics and reading. I am extremely proud of the high quality support we have on offer.  

I am an enthusiastic, thoughtful and caring teacher. It is an amazing privilege to be able to teach children the joy that is reading and watch them progress from learning individual phonemes to using expression and understanding word meaning. I firmly believe every child deserves the best start in life with high quality phonics teaching and early reading skills.

Emma Allen - Literacy Lead and Year 3 Teacher

I am a year 3 teacher and the leader of Literacy at Newby Primary. It is my belief that every child can succeed. Working within a thriving inner-city school has cemented this passion, as well as providing lots of opportunities to reflect and develop my own teaching practice to suit the needs of each unique child.  I believe that high-quality phonics and early reading teaching is fundamental to giving children the best start in life.

During my time at Newby, I have taught in all of the key stages. I have a passion for child-lead and talk-rich learning. I am driven to give all children the chance to fall in love with reading.  Providing young children with the skills to read will unlock the opportunity to become lifelong learners.  

Within my current role, I have led many training sessions to both in-house and across schools in Bradford. I have a passion for coaching, through this model I have been able to support trainee teachers and share practice with practitioners in other settings.

I have been working with the Burley Woodhead English Hub since 2021. 

Emma Gallagher - Reception Teacher

I am currently an Early Years teacher, Phonics and Early Reading Lead and Mentor. I have a real passion for Phonics and Early Reading and ensuring children get the very best start possible, in their school journey. Within my role I have ensured a systematic, synthetic phonics programme is being taught with high expectations across Reception and Key Stage One. I have responsibility for monitoring and assessing Phonics. I have resourced, organised, and labelled all new Phonics books in the library. Staff and parents support each other well with Phonics and Early Reading. We have Phonics Workshops, ‘Book and a Bun’ in the library, ‘Special guest readers’, where parents, staff, governors and Bradford City players read to the children.

My school’s chosen phonics programme ‘Rocket Phonics’ is followed with rigour and fidelity which is ensuring the best possible outcomes for children. All staff are well supported in their knowledge and delivery of phonics provision. Assessments in phonics are rigorous and intervention are put in place immediately for children at risk of falling behind.

I am a passionate, thoughtful and caring teacher that wants the best for all children. I ensure all children make progress and have the very best start in life. It is essential all children are supported to read independently and the books they read are matched to their phonic knowledge.

At home I have two lovely children who love to be outdoors. We love to explore and read stories together.

Fern Parkin - Phonics Lead and Year 1 Teacher

I have worked in inner city schools for over ten years, and I have experience with teaching pupils within KS1. I am currently a Reception teacher and Early Reading lead. Within my current role, I have ensured that a systematic, synthetic phonics programme is being taught with high expectations across Early Years, Key Stage One, and Key Stage Two. My role has led me to conduct training sessions in Early Reading and Phonics both in a range of schools. I have worked alongside practitioners to ensure Phonics is taught with fidelity. Within my school, I have also coached and mentored all teachers including early career teachers and trainee teachers to develop teaching and learning across all areas of learning.

I am a keen reader and an advocate for reading for pleasure. I enjoy exploring new books and researching different reading strategies. I am devoted to motivating all children to read, supporting them to become lifelong readers. I aspire that all children will be accurate and fluent readers who have developed a love for reading. I am an enthusiastic and passionate teacher, who believe that all children can succeed. It is a pleasure to teach children, watching them
progress, explore and grow throughout their education. Helping them to develop the skills of reading, from sound knowledge, to blending and then reading with expression and understanding. I enjoy working alongside other teachers and sharing our passion for early reading.

Gareth Baterip - Headteacher 

I have been part of the English Hub Literacy Specialist Team since 2019. It has been an absolute privilege to work with Schools across Bradford and North Yorkshire in our shared ambition that all children learn to read and, most importantly, Love Reading! I first applied to become a Literacy Specialist because I am passionate that all children, irrespective of backgrounds, learn to read. It is a fundamental life skill and has an impact far beyond test outcomes! 

I am the proud Headteacher of Newby Primary School and have worked here in various roles for the past 11 years. Working in Bradford is both a huge reward and challenge. I am passionate about Early Years, not least because it sets the foundation for the rest of the child's education. A huge part of my career has been working with children at the earliest stages of Reading including Phonics. There are few things as a teacher more rewarding than watching the magic of young children learning to read. 

I am also a very proud Dad! I have two children both of whom love reading - a passion I do not take for granted. My absolute drive that all children learn to read stems, in part, from my experience as a Dad. My son didn't find the journey to reading very easy but, with dedication and determination he is now an avid reader and will often recommend books for me to read too. My role as Literacy Specialist allows me to share my experiences in the hope that it benefits others. 

Heather Russell - English Advisor - North Yorkshire Education

I have over twenty years’ primary teaching experience. In my last senior post I was Leading Teacher for English for over four years. I have an enthusiasm and passion for all areas of English but with a particular focus on enabling children’s reading success and enjoyment.

As an English Adviser for over eight years I have supported my team to develop resources and lead high quality CPD; my work within schools to develop leadership and improve practice has had consistently excellent reviews. I am an accredited national trainer by Edge Hill University for leading phonics and reading training.

I have an enthusiasm to positively support schools with my practical and researched based background; I can help empower teachers with the confidence and skills necessary to improve children’s educational experiences.

Helen Dearing - Deputy Head Teacher 

 I am delighted to be a Literacy Specialist for the Burley Woodhead Hub. I have been teaching for 13 years in the Bradford area and I am currently at Wilsden Primary School as the Deputy Head Teacher. This is my third year at Wilsden and I really enjoy my role helping support the development of our Curriculum across school and leading English including early reading and phonics.

One of my great passions in life is teaching children to read and to promote a love of reading
for all children. I encourage teachers to ignite the reading spark in children to ensure they
become life-long readers, as we know the great impact reading can have on well-being. I
enjoy keeping up to date with new children’s literature and ensuring that children are
accessing high quality texts throughout their primary school career.

My School’s chosen phonics programme ‘FFT Success For All’ is followed with precision and
rigor to ensure the best outcomes for children is met. I do believe that reading opens doors
and this motivates us at Wilsden to ensure we provide a high quality early reading and
phonics curriculum. We prioritise early language acquisition skills through high-quality
learning environments and interactions.

I am looking forward to starting my role as an English Specialist this year and helping to
support schools to achieve the best possible outcomes for all children.

Leonie Rew - Reception Teacher

My passion and strengths as a teacher are in the Early Years, where I believe that a strong, solid foundation cannot be underestimated, with the majority of my 9 years teaching experience in EYFS.  I am currently the EYFS lead and teach in reception at Burley Woodhead.  I have a wealth of experience teaching in different schools, both in this country and in Europe, and an in-depth knowledge of different systematic synthetic phonics programmes including RWI and Little Wandle.  As a Little Waddle Champion School, I am keen to share our outstanding phonics practice with the many colleagues who come to observe us each year.

I am extremely passionate about the development of oracy, early reading and language within the Early years, I strongly believe that ‘reading and writing floats on a sea of talk’ and development of talk lies at the centre of children’s education. With a degree in drama, I am very keen to use immersive drama experiences to encourage children's developing language and imaginative play.  I am delighted to be sharing this expertise with other teachers across Bradford and North Yorkshire and I am looking forward to supporting schools and delivering training on early language for the English Hub this year.

Rachel Abbott - SLE , Assistant Head and Reception Teacher

I have been lucky enough to be part of the Burley Woodhead English Hub since 2019.  It has been incredibly rewarding working with colleagues across Bradford and North Yorkshire especially seeing the sustained improvements and outcomes for children in Early Reading.  It is great to be part of a team that has an ambitious vision in sharing great practice in our community and beyond.  

I am committed to inspiring a love of reading in children and ensuring that all children are confident and fluent readers by the time they leave primary school. I believe this includes careful planning to teach the skill of learning to read and embedding this learning in a way that is purposeful and meaningful to children. 

I am proud to have taught in Bradford for 19 years having being born and raised here.  I currently work as Assistant Head for Early Phase at Saltaire Primary and as Primary Course Leader for Bradford Birth to 19 teacher training programme. 

At home I am kept very busy looking after my two young children. I enjoy music, spending time outdoors, having fun with my family and of course reading!

Suzie Brown - Headteacher

I am an experienced EYFS teacher and have taught and led phonics in primary schools for the last 12 years. I have experience teaching across all age ranges and am now a Headteacher at Thornton in Craven Community Primary School. I have been supported by the Burley Woodhead English Hub in my previous position as Phonics and Early Reading Lead at a Bradford School and am passionate about giving every child the best start to reading, enabling them to access all areas of learning. I have transformed phonics at two schools with very different backgrounds and have seen great successes in both. I have coached teachers and other professionals in early reading and phonics and worked with ECT’s, SCITT students and others to ensure phonics and reading is the best it can be across the school.

I love to see how children progress and develop throughout the reading year and look forward to working alongside teachers who are as passionate as me to enable all children to access early reading.

Strategic Hub Lead

Joanne Siddall 

Jo has been a teacher for nearly 23 years. In that time, she has taught in a wide variety of schools across Yorkshire and the Caribbean. She has always had a passion for English, being Literacy Lead at her first school, working with the Leeds 0-11 Learning Improvement Team on school improvement, moderating writing at KS2 and being accredited as an LLE for her work supporting schools across Bradford.

Jo was the Headteacher at Burley and Woodhead CE Primary School from September 2015- 2023. She formed Burley Woodhead English Hub in 2018 and has successfully led it ever since. Since setting up the Hub, Jo has built the Burley Woodhead English Hub and is now strategic lead, ensuring that our team maintain the highest standards by keeping abreast of the latest evidence based information and working with the DfE to revise phonics programmes and develop early language support. Jo also leads on the NPQLL programme and works as a consultant for one of the largest SSP providers in the country.

Hub Lead and Literacy Specialist

Sarah Scott - English Lead and Year 1 Teacher

I have been teaching for 15 years in schools across Bradford. I have worked as a local authority moderator and across a range of schools sharing best practice in Early Years and Key Stage One. Throughout my career I have designed curriculums and led CPD for senior leaders, teachers and support staff. This has enabled schools to establish a clear and consistent approach for Literacy from EYFS to UKS2.  

Gaining the status of TDT Core Lesson Study Practitioner and achieving NPQSL enabled me to reflect on how to lead CPD, empower teacher collaboration and improve pupil outcomes. I am passionate about collaborative practice and supporting colleagues to develop a high quality Literacy curriculum which challenges all learners. It is a pleasure to work alongside dedicated colleagues and wonderful children to foster a love of literacy which is woven throughout teaching and provision from the initial introduction of key vocabulary to its application into writing.

I believe that all children have the right to an education which instils in them the belief that they will achieve. As educators it is our role to provide an engaging, dynamic environment which breaks down barriers to learning. I joined the Burley Woodhead English Hub as a Literacy Specialist and now serve as Hub Lead. I am truly excited by the challenges that this role involves and by the potential impact on the future of children in the area. 

Hub Manager

Janet Birch - English Hub Manager

I joined the team in September 2019 as the English Hub Manager.  With over 20 years in the private sector I have a wealth of experience in problem solving, driving excellence and raising standards.  I am passionate about supporting schools and the hub team.

Finance Officer

 Victoria Lister - Finance Officer

I am the Finance Officer for the Burley Woodhead English Hub. I have over 9 years’ experience working as a School Business Manager across Bradford and North Yorkshire. Prior to moving into education I worked in London in the charity sector managing a large fundraising budget.

Literary Specialists:

Abi Haddy - Phonics Lead and Year 1 Teacher

I have worked at Burley and Woodhead CE Primary for 10 years and taught reception for 5 years before moving into Year 1. I am currently the Phonics and Early Reading lead in school where I support staff in ensuring high quality Phonics and Early Reading provision in our school. I am an enthusiastic teacher and love teaching the early steps of reading to children; it is wonderfully rewarding to see children develop their skill of reading as well as their love of reading.  I am passionate about teaching reading to young children as this is a crucial skill to have in order for children to become independent life-long learners.

I have worked for the Burley Woodhead English Hub for over 3 years; I started my journey as an auditor before becoming a Literacy Specialist. As part of my role I have been lucky enough to work with colleagues across Bradford and North Yorkshire to improve outcomes in Early Reading for all children. This has included running training sessions in developing practitioner’s knowledge in Phonics and Early Reading.  

I have fond memories of books and reading from my own childhood and hope to pass this on to young children today through all the work I do as a teacher, and as part of working for the English hub. 

Charlotte Bingham - SLE and EYFS Leader

I am an experienced EYFS leader and KS1 teacher having taught in primary schools for the last ten years. I currently teach at Steeton Primary School and work as an Early Years Specialist for Bradford Birth to 19, Early Years programme. 

I have been fortunate enough to be part of the Burley Woodhead English Hub since it started in 2019. It is incredibly rewarding working with different schools across Bradford and North Yorkshire especially seeing the continued improvements and results for children in Early Reading and beyond. 

I am an enthusiastic, caring teacher who wants the best for our children in the Bradford area and beyond. I believe that laying the best foundations for our children is crucial to enable them to flourish and prosper in later life. I enjoy teaching children the early steps in reading and writing and giving our young learners the skills to enjoy books. Reading is one of the most important skills to give a child, all of us have been in the learn to read phase at some time in our lives. The quicker we learn to read, the sooner we can start to read to learn and this phase lasts for the rest of lives.

Charlotte Murray 

I am an experienced KS1 and EYFS teacher and have a wealth of experience in the teaching of phonics and reading across school. I have previously led English at Burley & Woodhead Primary School and held the English Hub Lead position.

I have been lucky enough to have been part of the hub team since it started in 2018. Over the last five years, I have worked alongside many schools across Bradford and North Yorkshire providing intensive and medium level support, whilst also providing training in both phonics and reading. I am extremely proud of the high quality support we have on offer.  

I am an enthusiastic, thoughtful and caring teacher. It is an amazing privilege to be able to teach children the joy that is reading and watch them progress from learning individual phonemes to using expression and understanding word meaning. I firmly believe every child deserves the best start in life with high quality phonics teaching and early reading skills.

Emma Allen - Literacy Lead and Year 3 Teacher

I am a year 3 teacher and the leader of Literacy at Newby Primary. It is my belief that every child can succeed. Working within a thriving inner-city school has cemented this passion, as well as providing lots of opportunities to reflect and develop my own teaching practice to suit the needs of each unique child.  I believe that high-quality phonics and early reading teaching is fundamental to giving children the best start in life.

During my time at Newby, I have taught in all of the key stages. I have a passion for child-lead and talk-rich learning. I am driven to give all children the chance to fall in love with reading.  Providing young children with the skills to read will unlock the opportunity to become lifelong learners.  

Within my current role, I have led many training sessions to both in-house and across schools in Bradford. I have a passion for coaching, through this model I have been able to support trainee teachers and share practice with practitioners in other settings.

I have been working with the Burley Woodhead English Hub since 2021. 

Emma Gallagher - Reception Teacher

I am currently an Early Years teacher, Phonics and Early Reading Lead and Mentor. I have a real passion for Phonics and Early Reading and ensuring children get the very best start possible, in their school journey. Within my role I have ensured a systematic, synthetic phonics programme is being taught with high expectations across Reception and Key Stage One. I have responsibility for monitoring and assessing Phonics. I have resourced, organised, and labelled all new Phonics books in the library. Staff and parents support each other well with Phonics and Early Reading. We have Phonics Workshops, ‘Book and a Bun’ in the library, ‘Special guest readers’, where parents, staff, governors and Bradford City players read to the children.

My school’s chosen phonics programme ‘Rocket Phonics’ is followed with rigour and fidelity which is ensuring the best possible outcomes for children. All staff are well supported in their knowledge and delivery of phonics provision. Assessments in phonics are rigorous and intervention are put in place immediately for children at risk of falling behind.

I am a passionate, thoughtful and caring teacher that wants the best for all children. I ensure all children make progress and have the very best start in life. It is essential all children are supported to read independently and the books they read are matched to their phonic knowledge.

At home I have two lovely children who love to be outdoors. We love to explore and read stories together.

Fern Parkin - Phonics Lead and Year 1 Teacher

I have worked in inner city schools for over ten years, and I have experience with teaching pupils within KS1. I am currently a Reception teacher and Early Reading lead. Within my current role, I have ensured that a systematic, synthetic phonics programme is being taught with high expectations across Early Years, Key Stage One, and Key Stage Two. My role has led me to conduct training sessions in Early Reading and Phonics both in a range of schools. I have worked alongside practitioners to ensure Phonics is taught with fidelity. Within my school, I have also coached and mentored all teachers including early career teachers and trainee teachers to develop teaching and learning across all areas of learning.

I am a keen reader and an advocate for reading for pleasure. I enjoy exploring new books and researching different reading strategies. I am devoted to motivating all children to read, supporting them to become lifelong readers. I aspire that all children will be accurate and fluent readers who have developed a love for reading. I am an enthusiastic and passionate teacher, who believe that all children can succeed. It is a pleasure to teach children, watching them
progress, explore and grow throughout their education. Helping them to develop the skills of reading, from sound knowledge, to blending and then reading with expression and understanding. I enjoy working alongside other teachers and sharing our passion for early reading.

Gareth Baterip - Headteacher 

I have been part of the English Hub Literacy Specialist Team since 2019. It has been an absolute privilege to work with Schools across Bradford and North Yorkshire in our shared ambition that all children learn to read and, most importantly, Love Reading! I first applied to become a Literacy Specialist because I am passionate that all children, irrespective of backgrounds, learn to read. It is a fundamental life skill and has an impact far beyond test outcomes! 

I am the proud Headteacher of Newby Primary School and have worked here in various roles for the past 11 years. Working in Bradford is both a huge reward and challenge. I am passionate about Early Years, not least because it sets the foundation for the rest of the child's education. A huge part of my career has been working with children at the earliest stages of Reading including Phonics. There are few things as a teacher more rewarding than watching the magic of young children learning to read. 

I am also a very proud Dad! I have two children both of whom love reading - a passion I do not take for granted. My absolute drive that all children learn to read stems, in part, from my experience as a Dad. My son didn't find the journey to reading very easy but, with dedication and determination he is now an avid reader and will often recommend books for me to read too. My role as Literacy Specialist allows me to share my experiences in the hope that it benefits others. 

Heather Russell - English Advisor - North Yorkshire Education

I have over twenty years’ primary teaching experience. In my last senior post I was Leading Teacher for English for over four years. I have an enthusiasm and passion for all areas of English but with a particular focus on enabling children’s reading success and enjoyment.

As an English Adviser for over eight years I have supported my team to develop resources and lead high quality CPD; my work within schools to develop leadership and improve practice has had consistently excellent reviews. I am an accredited national trainer by Edge Hill University for leading phonics and reading training.

I have an enthusiasm to positively support schools with my practical and researched based background; I can help empower teachers with the confidence and skills necessary to improve children’s educational experiences.

Helen Dearing - Deputy Head Teacher 

 I am delighted to be a Literacy Specialist for the Burley Woodhead Hub. I have been teaching for 13 years in the Bradford area and I am currently at Wilsden Primary School as the Deputy Head Teacher. This is my third year at Wilsden and I really enjoy my role helping support the development of our Curriculum across school and leading English including early reading and phonics.

One of my great passions in life is teaching children to read and to promote a love of reading
for all children. I encourage teachers to ignite the reading spark in children to ensure they
become life-long readers, as we know the great impact reading can have on well-being. I
enjoy keeping up to date with new children’s literature and ensuring that children are
accessing high quality texts throughout their primary school career.

My School’s chosen phonics programme ‘FFT Success For All’ is followed with precision and
rigor to ensure the best outcomes for children is met. I do believe that reading opens doors
and this motivates us at Wilsden to ensure we provide a high quality early reading and
phonics curriculum. We prioritise early language acquisition skills through high-quality
learning environments and interactions.

I am looking forward to starting my role as an English Specialist this year and helping to
support schools to achieve the best possible outcomes for all children.

Leonie Rew - Reception Teacher

My passion and strengths as a teacher are in the Early Years, where I believe that a strong, solid foundation cannot be underestimated, with the majority of my 9 years teaching experience in EYFS.  I am currently the EYFS lead and teach in reception at Burley Woodhead.  I have a wealth of experience teaching in different schools, both in this country and in Europe, and an in-depth knowledge of different systematic synthetic phonics programmes including RWI and Little Wandle.  As a Little Waddle Champion School, I am keen to share our outstanding phonics practice with the many colleagues who come to observe us each year.

I am extremely passionate about the development of oracy, early reading and language within the Early years, I strongly believe that ‘reading and writing floats on a sea of talk’ and development of talk lies at the centre of children’s education. With a degree in drama, I am very keen to use immersive drama experiences to encourage children's developing language and imaginative play.  I am delighted to be sharing this expertise with other teachers across Bradford and North Yorkshire and I am looking forward to supporting schools and delivering training on early language for the English Hub this year.

Rachel Abbott - SLE , Assistant Head and Reception Teacher

I have been lucky enough to be part of the Burley Woodhead English Hub since 2019.  It has been incredibly rewarding working with colleagues across Bradford and North Yorkshire especially seeing the sustained improvements and outcomes for children in Early Reading.  It is great to be part of a team that has an ambitious vision in sharing great practice in our community and beyond.  

I am committed to inspiring a love of reading in children and ensuring that all children are confident and fluent readers by the time they leave primary school. I believe this includes careful planning to teach the skill of learning to read and embedding this learning in a way that is purposeful and meaningful to children. 

I am proud to have taught in Bradford for 19 years having being born and raised here.  I currently work as Assistant Head for Early Phase at Saltaire Primary and as Primary Course Leader for Bradford Birth to 19 teacher training programme. 

At home I am kept very busy looking after my two young children. I enjoy music, spending time outdoors, having fun with my family and of course reading!

Suzie Brown - Headteacher

I am an experienced EYFS teacher and have taught and led phonics in primary schools for the last 12 years. I have experience teaching across all age ranges and am now a Headteacher at Thornton in Craven Community Primary School. I have been supported by the Burley Woodhead English Hub in my previous position as Phonics and Early Reading Lead at a Bradford School and am passionate about giving every child the best start to reading, enabling them to access all areas of learning. I have transformed phonics at two schools with very different backgrounds and have seen great successes in both. I have coached teachers and other professionals in early reading and phonics and worked with ECT’s, SCITT students and others to ensure phonics and reading is the best it can be across the school.

I love to see how children progress and develop throughout the reading year and look forward to working alongside teachers who are as passionate as me to enable all children to access early reading.

Strategic Hub Lead

Joanne Siddall 

Jo has been a teacher for nearly 23 years. In that time, she has taught in a wide variety of schools across Yorkshire and the Caribbean. She has always had a passion for English, being Literacy Lead at her first school, working with the Leeds 0-11 Learning Improvement Team on school improvement, moderating writing at KS2 and being accredited as an LLE for her work supporting schools across Bradford.

Jo was the Headteacher at Burley and Woodhead CE Primary School from September 2015- 2023. She formed Burley Woodhead English Hub in 2018 and has successfully led it ever since. Since setting up the Hub, Jo has built the Burley Woodhead English Hub and is now strategic lead, ensuring that our team maintain the highest standards by keeping abreast of the latest evidence based information and working with the DfE to revise phonics programmes and develop early language support. Jo also leads on the NPQLL programme and works as a consultant for one of the largest SSP providers in the country.

Hub Lead and Literacy Specialist

Sarah Scott - English Lead and Year 1 Teacher

I have been teaching for 15 years in schools across Bradford. I have worked as a local authority moderator and across a range of schools sharing best practice in Early Years and Key Stage One. Throughout my career I have designed curriculums and led CPD for senior leaders, teachers and support staff. This has enabled schools to establish a clear and consistent approach for Literacy from EYFS to UKS2.  

Gaining the status of TDT Core Lesson Study Practitioner and achieving NPQSL enabled me to reflect on how to lead CPD, empower teacher collaboration and improve pupil outcomes. I am passionate about collaborative practice and supporting colleagues to develop a high quality Literacy curriculum which challenges all learners. It is a pleasure to work alongside dedicated colleagues and wonderful children to foster a love of literacy which is woven throughout teaching and provision from the initial introduction of key vocabulary to its application into writing.

I believe that all children have the right to an education which instils in them the belief that they will achieve. As educators it is our role to provide an engaging, dynamic environment which breaks down barriers to learning. I joined the Burley Woodhead English Hub as a Literacy Specialist and now serve as Hub Lead. I am truly excited by the challenges that this role involves and by the potential impact on the future of children in the area. 

Hub Manager

Janet Birch - English Hub Manager

I joined the team in September 2019 as the English Hub Manager.  With over 20 years in the private sector I have a wealth of experience in problem solving, driving excellence and raising standards.  I am passionate about supporting schools and the hub team.

Finance Officer

 Victoria Lister - Finance Officer

I am the Finance Officer for the Burley Woodhead English Hub. I have over 9 years’ experience working as a School Business Manager across Bradford and North Yorkshire. Prior to moving into education I worked in London in the charity sector managing a large fundraising budget.

Literary Specialists:

Abi Haddy - Phonics Lead and Year 1 Teacher

I have worked at Burley and Woodhead CE Primary for 10 years and taught reception for 5 years before moving into Year 1. I am currently the Phonics and Early Reading lead in school where I support staff in ensuring high quality Phonics and Early Reading provision in our school. I am an enthusiastic teacher and love teaching the early steps of reading to children; it is wonderfully rewarding to see children develop their skill of reading as well as their love of reading.  I am passionate about teaching reading to young children as this is a crucial skill to have in order for children to become independent life-long learners.

I have worked for the Burley Woodhead English Hub for over 3 years; I started my journey as an auditor before becoming a Literacy Specialist. As part of my role I have been lucky enough to work with colleagues across Bradford and North Yorkshire to improve outcomes in Early Reading for all children. This has included running training sessions in developing practitioner’s knowledge in Phonics and Early Reading.  

I have fond memories of books and reading from my own childhood and hope to pass this on to young children today through all the work I do as a teacher, and as part of working for the English hub. 

Charlotte Bingham - SLE and EYFS Leader

I am an experienced EYFS leader and KS1 teacher having taught in primary schools for the last ten years. I currently teach at Steeton Primary School and work as an Early Years Specialist for Bradford Birth to 19, Early Years programme. 

I have been fortunate enough to be part of the Burley Woodhead English Hub since it started in 2019. It is incredibly rewarding working with different schools across Bradford and North Yorkshire especially seeing the continued improvements and results for children in Early Reading and beyond. 

I am an enthusiastic, caring teacher who wants the best for our children in the Bradford area and beyond. I believe that laying the best foundations for our children is crucial to enable them to flourish and prosper in later life. I enjoy teaching children the early steps in reading and writing and giving our young learners the skills to enjoy books. Reading is one of the most important skills to give a child, all of us have been in the learn to read phase at some time in our lives. The quicker we learn to read, the sooner we can start to read to learn and this phase lasts for the rest of lives.

Charlotte Murray 

I am an experienced KS1 and EYFS teacher and have a wealth of experience in the teaching of phonics and reading across school. I have previously led English at Burley & Woodhead Primary School and held the English Hub Lead position.

I have been lucky enough to have been part of the hub team since it started in 2018. Over the last five years, I have worked alongside many schools across Bradford and North Yorkshire providing intensive and medium level support, whilst also providing training in both phonics and reading. I am extremely proud of the high quality support we have on offer.  

I am an enthusiastic, thoughtful and caring teacher. It is an amazing privilege to be able to teach children the joy that is reading and watch them progress from learning individual phonemes to using expression and understanding word meaning. I firmly believe every child deserves the best start in life with high quality phonics teaching and early reading skills.

Emma Allen - Literacy Lead and Year 3 Teacher

I am a year 3 teacher and the leader of Literacy at Newby Primary. It is my belief that every child can succeed. Working within a thriving inner-city school has cemented this passion, as well as providing lots of opportunities to reflect and develop my own teaching practice to suit the needs of each unique child.  I believe that high-quality phonics and early reading teaching is fundamental to giving children the best start in life.

During my time at Newby, I have taught in all of the key stages. I have a passion for child-lead and talk-rich learning. I am driven to give all children the chance to fall in love with reading.  Providing young children with the skills to read will unlock the opportunity to become lifelong learners.  

Within my current role, I have led many training sessions to both in-house and across schools in Bradford. I have a passion for coaching, through this model I have been able to support trainee teachers and share practice with practitioners in other settings.

I have been working with the Burley Woodhead English Hub since 2021. 

Emma Gallagher - Reception Teacher

I am currently an Early Years teacher, Phonics and Early Reading Lead and Mentor. I have a real passion for Phonics and Early Reading and ensuring children get the very best start possible, in their school journey. Within my role I have ensured a systematic, synthetic phonics programme is being taught with high expectations across Reception and Key Stage One. I have responsibility for monitoring and assessing Phonics. I have resourced, organised, and labelled all new Phonics books in the library. Staff and parents support each other well with Phonics and Early Reading. We have Phonics Workshops, ‘Book and a Bun’ in the library, ‘Special guest readers’, where parents, staff, governors and Bradford City players read to the children.

My school’s chosen phonics programme ‘Rocket Phonics’ is followed with rigour and fidelity which is ensuring the best possible outcomes for children. All staff are well supported in their knowledge and delivery of phonics provision. Assessments in phonics are rigorous and intervention are put in place immediately for children at risk of falling behind.

I am a passionate, thoughtful and caring teacher that wants the best for all children. I ensure all children make progress and have the very best start in life. It is essential all children are supported to read independently and the books they read are matched to their phonic knowledge.

At home I have two lovely children who love to be outdoors. We love to explore and read stories together.

Fern Parkin - Phonics Lead and Year 1 Teacher

I have worked in inner city schools for over ten years, and I have experience with teaching pupils within KS1. I am currently a Reception teacher and Early Reading lead. Within my current role, I have ensured that a systematic, synthetic phonics programme is being taught with high expectations across Early Years, Key Stage One, and Key Stage Two. My role has led me to conduct training sessions in Early Reading and Phonics both in a range of schools. I have worked alongside practitioners to ensure Phonics is taught with fidelity. Within my school, I have also coached and mentored all teachers including early career teachers and trainee teachers to develop teaching and learning across all areas of learning.

I am a keen reader and an advocate for reading for pleasure. I enjoy exploring new books and researching different reading strategies. I am devoted to motivating all children to read, supporting them to become lifelong readers. I aspire that all children will be accurate and fluent readers who have developed a love for reading. I am an enthusiastic and passionate teacher, who believe that all children can succeed. It is a pleasure to teach children, watching them
progress, explore and grow throughout their education. Helping them to develop the skills of reading, from sound knowledge, to blending and then reading with expression and understanding. I enjoy working alongside other teachers and sharing our passion for early reading.

Gareth Baterip - Headteacher 

I have been part of the English Hub Literacy Specialist Team since 2019. It has been an absolute privilege to work with Schools across Bradford and North Yorkshire in our shared ambition that all children learn to read and, most importantly, Love Reading! I first applied to become a Literacy Specialist because I am passionate that all children, irrespective of backgrounds, learn to read. It is a fundamental life skill and has an impact far beyond test outcomes! 

I am the proud Headteacher of Newby Primary School and have worked here in various roles for the past 11 years. Working in Bradford is both a huge reward and challenge. I am passionate about Early Years, not least because it sets the foundation for the rest of the child's education. A huge part of my career has been working with children at the earliest stages of Reading including Phonics. There are few things as a teacher more rewarding than watching the magic of young children learning to read. 

I am also a very proud Dad! I have two children both of whom love reading - a passion I do not take for granted. My absolute drive that all children learn to read stems, in part, from my experience as a Dad. My son didn't find the journey to reading very easy but, with dedication and determination he is now an avid reader and will often recommend books for me to read too. My role as Literacy Specialist allows me to share my experiences in the hope that it benefits others. 

Heather Russell - English Advisor - North Yorkshire Education

I have over twenty years’ primary teaching experience. In my last senior post I was Leading Teacher for English for over four years. I have an enthusiasm and passion for all areas of English but with a particular focus on enabling children’s reading success and enjoyment.

As an English Adviser for over eight years I have supported my team to develop resources and lead high quality CPD; my work within schools to develop leadership and improve practice has had consistently excellent reviews. I am an accredited national trainer by Edge Hill University for leading phonics and reading training.

I have an enthusiasm to positively support schools with my practical and researched based background; I can help empower teachers with the confidence and skills necessary to improve children’s educational experiences.

Helen Dearing - Deputy Head Teacher 

 I am delighted to be a Literacy Specialist for the Burley Woodhead Hub. I have been teaching for 13 years in the Bradford area and I am currently at Wilsden Primary School as the Deputy Head Teacher. This is my third year at Wilsden and I really enjoy my role helping support the development of our Curriculum across school and leading English including early reading and phonics.

One of my great passions in life is teaching children to read and to promote a love of reading
for all children. I encourage teachers to ignite the reading spark in children to ensure they
become life-long readers, as we know the great impact reading can have on well-being. I
enjoy keeping up to date with new children’s literature and ensuring that children are
accessing high quality texts throughout their primary school career.

My School’s chosen phonics programme ‘FFT Success For All’ is followed with precision and
rigor to ensure the best outcomes for children is met. I do believe that reading opens doors
and this motivates us at Wilsden to ensure we provide a high quality early reading and
phonics curriculum. We prioritise early language acquisition skills through high-quality
learning environments and interactions.

I am looking forward to starting my role as an English Specialist this year and helping to
support schools to achieve the best possible outcomes for all children.

Leonie Rew - Reception Teacher

My passion and strengths as a teacher are in the Early Years, where I believe that a strong, solid foundation cannot be underestimated, with the majority of my 9 years teaching experience in EYFS.  I am currently the EYFS lead and teach in reception at Burley Woodhead.  I have a wealth of experience teaching in different schools, both in this country and in Europe, and an in-depth knowledge of different systematic synthetic phonics programmes including RWI and Little Wandle.  As a Little Waddle Champion School, I am keen to share our outstanding phonics practice with the many colleagues who come to observe us each year.

I am extremely passionate about the development of oracy, early reading and language within the Early years, I strongly believe that ‘reading and writing floats on a sea of talk’ and development of talk lies at the centre of children’s education. With a degree in drama, I am very keen to use immersive drama experiences to encourage children's developing language and imaginative play.  I am delighted to be sharing this expertise with other teachers across Bradford and North Yorkshire and I am looking forward to supporting schools and delivering training on early language for the English Hub this year.

Rachel Abbott - SLE , Assistant Head and Reception Teacher

I have been lucky enough to be part of the Burley Woodhead English Hub since 2019.  It has been incredibly rewarding working with colleagues across Bradford and North Yorkshire especially seeing the sustained improvements and outcomes for children in Early Reading.  It is great to be part of a team that has an ambitious vision in sharing great practice in our community and beyond.  

I am committed to inspiring a love of reading in children and ensuring that all children are confident and fluent readers by the time they leave primary school. I believe this includes careful planning to teach the skill of learning to read and embedding this learning in a way that is purposeful and meaningful to children. 

I am proud to have taught in Bradford for 19 years having being born and raised here.  I currently work as Assistant Head for Early Phase at Saltaire Primary and as Primary Course Leader for Bradford Birth to 19 teacher training programme. 

At home I am kept very busy looking after my two young children. I enjoy music, spending time outdoors, having fun with my family and of course reading!

Suzie Brown - Headteacher

I am an experienced EYFS teacher and have taught and led phonics in primary schools for the last 12 years. I have experience teaching across all age ranges and am now a Headteacher at Thornton in Craven Community Primary School. I have been supported by the Burley Woodhead English Hub in my previous position as Phonics and Early Reading Lead at a Bradford School and am passionate about giving every child the best start to reading, enabling them to access all areas of learning. I have transformed phonics at two schools with very different backgrounds and have seen great successes in both. I have coached teachers and other professionals in early reading and phonics and worked with ECT’s, SCITT students and others to ensure phonics and reading is the best it can be across the school.

I love to see how children progress and develop throughout the reading year and look forward to working alongside teachers who are as passionate as me to enable all children to access early reading.

Strategic Hub Lead

Joanne Siddall 

Jo has been a teacher for nearly 23 years. In that time, she has taught in a wide variety of schools across Yorkshire and the Caribbean. She has always had a passion for English, being Literacy Lead at her first school, working with the Leeds 0-11 Learning Improvement Team on school improvement, moderating writing at KS2 and being accredited as an LLE for her work supporting schools across Bradford.

Jo was the Headteacher at Burley and Woodhead CE Primary School from September 2015- 2023. She formed Burley Woodhead English Hub in 2018 and has successfully led it ever since. Since setting up the Hub, Jo has built the Burley Woodhead English Hub and is now strategic lead, ensuring that our team maintain the highest standards by keeping abreast of the latest evidence based information and working with the DfE to revise phonics programmes and develop early language support. Jo also leads on the NPQLL programme and works as a consultant for one of the largest SSP providers in the country.

Hub Lead and Literacy Specialist

Sarah Scott - English Lead and Year 1 Teacher

I have been teaching for 15 years in schools across Bradford. I have worked as a local authority moderator and across a range of schools sharing best practice in Early Years and Key Stage One. Throughout my career I have designed curriculums and led CPD for senior leaders, teachers and support staff. This has enabled schools to establish a clear and consistent approach for Literacy from EYFS to UKS2.  

Gaining the status of TDT Core Lesson Study Practitioner and achieving NPQSL enabled me to reflect on how to lead CPD, empower teacher collaboration and improve pupil outcomes. I am passionate about collaborative practice and supporting colleagues to develop a high quality Literacy curriculum which challenges all learners. It is a pleasure to work alongside dedicated colleagues and wonderful children to foster a love of literacy which is woven throughout teaching and provision from the initial introduction of key vocabulary to its application into writing.

I believe that all children have the right to an education which instils in them the belief that they will achieve. As educators it is our role to provide an engaging, dynamic environment which breaks down barriers to learning. I joined the Burley Woodhead English Hub as a Literacy Specialist and now serve as Hub Lead. I am truly excited by the challenges that this role involves and by the potential impact on the future of children in the area. 

Hub Manager

Janet Birch - English Hub Manager

I joined the team in September 2019 as the English Hub Manager.  With over 20 years in the private sector I have a wealth of experience in problem solving, driving excellence and raising standards.  I am passionate about supporting schools and the hub team.

Finance Officer

 Victoria Lister - Finance Officer

I am the Finance Officer for the Burley Woodhead English Hub. I have over 9 years’ experience working as a School Business Manager across Bradford and North Yorkshire. Prior to moving into education I worked in London in the charity sector managing a large fundraising budget.

Literary Specialists:

Abi Haddy - Phonics Lead and Year 1 Teacher

I have worked at Burley and Woodhead CE Primary for 10 years and taught reception for 5 years before moving into Year 1. I am currently the Phonics and Early Reading lead in school where I support staff in ensuring high quality Phonics and Early Reading provision in our school. I am an enthusiastic teacher and love teaching the early steps of reading to children; it is wonderfully rewarding to see children develop their skill of reading as well as their love of reading.  I am passionate about teaching reading to young children as this is a crucial skill to have in order for children to become independent life-long learners.

I have worked for the Burley Woodhead English Hub for over 3 years; I started my journey as an auditor before becoming a Literacy Specialist. As part of my role I have been lucky enough to work with colleagues across Bradford and North Yorkshire to improve outcomes in Early Reading for all children. This has included running training sessions in developing practitioner’s knowledge in Phonics and Early Reading.  

I have fond memories of books and reading from my own childhood and hope to pass this on to young children today through all the work I do as a teacher, and as part of working for the English hub. 

Charlotte Bingham - SLE and EYFS Leader

I am an experienced EYFS leader and KS1 teacher having taught in primary schools for the last ten years. I currently teach at Steeton Primary School and work as an Early Years Specialist for Bradford Birth to 19, Early Years programme. 

I have been fortunate enough to be part of the Burley Woodhead English Hub since it started in 2019. It is incredibly rewarding working with different schools across Bradford and North Yorkshire especially seeing the continued improvements and results for children in Early Reading and beyond. 

I am an enthusiastic, caring teacher who wants the best for our children in the Bradford area and beyond. I believe that laying the best foundations for our children is crucial to enable them to flourish and prosper in later life. I enjoy teaching children the early steps in reading and writing and giving our young learners the skills to enjoy books. Reading is one of the most important skills to give a child, all of us have been in the learn to read phase at some time in our lives. The quicker we learn to read, the sooner we can start to read to learn and this phase lasts for the rest of lives.

Charlotte Murray 

I am an experienced KS1 and EYFS teacher and have a wealth of experience in the teaching of phonics and reading across school. I have previously led English at Burley & Woodhead Primary School and held the English Hub Lead position.

I have been lucky enough to have been part of the hub team since it started in 2018. Over the last five years, I have worked alongside many schools across Bradford and North Yorkshire providing intensive and medium level support, whilst also providing training in both phonics and reading. I am extremely proud of the high quality support we have on offer.  

I am an enthusiastic, thoughtful and caring teacher. It is an amazing privilege to be able to teach children the joy that is reading and watch them progress from learning individual phonemes to using expression and understanding word meaning. I firmly believe every child deserves the best start in life with high quality phonics teaching and early reading skills.

Emma Allen - Literacy Lead and Year 3 Teacher

I am a year 3 teacher and the leader of Literacy at Newby Primary. It is my belief that every child can succeed. Working within a thriving inner-city school has cemented this passion, as well as providing lots of opportunities to reflect and develop my own teaching practice to suit the needs of each unique child.  I believe that high-quality phonics and early reading teaching is fundamental to giving children the best start in life.

During my time at Newby, I have taught in all of the key stages. I have a passion for child-lead and talk-rich learning. I am driven to give all children the chance to fall in love with reading.  Providing young children with the skills to read will unlock the opportunity to become lifelong learners.  

Within my current role, I have led many training sessions to both in-house and across schools in Bradford. I have a passion for coaching, through this model I have been able to support trainee teachers and share practice with practitioners in other settings.

I have been working with the Burley Woodhead English Hub since 2021. 

Emma Gallagher - Reception Teacher

I am currently an Early Years teacher, Phonics and Early Reading Lead and Mentor. I have a real passion for Phonics and Early Reading and ensuring children get the very best start possible, in their school journey. Within my role I have ensured a systematic, synthetic phonics programme is being taught with high expectations across Reception and Key Stage One. I have responsibility for monitoring and assessing Phonics. I have resourced, organised, and labelled all new Phonics books in the library. Staff and parents support each other well with Phonics and Early Reading. We have Phonics Workshops, ‘Book and a Bun’ in the library, ‘Special guest readers’, where parents, staff, governors and Bradford City players read to the children.

My school’s chosen phonics programme ‘Rocket Phonics’ is followed with rigour and fidelity which is ensuring the best possible outcomes for children. All staff are well supported in their knowledge and delivery of phonics provision. Assessments in phonics are rigorous and intervention are put in place immediately for children at risk of falling behind.

I am a passionate, thoughtful and caring teacher that wants the best for all children. I ensure all children make progress and have the very best start in life. It is essential all children are supported to read independently and the books they read are matched to their phonic knowledge.

At home I have two lovely children who love to be outdoors. We love to explore and read stories together.

Fern Parkin - Phonics Lead and Year 1 Teacher

I have worked in inner city schools for over ten years, and I have experience with teaching pupils within KS1. I am currently a Reception teacher and Early Reading lead. Within my current role, I have ensured that a systematic, synthetic phonics programme is being taught with high expectations across Early Years, Key Stage One, and Key Stage Two. My role has led me to conduct training sessions in Early Reading and Phonics both in a range of schools. I have worked alongside practitioners to ensure Phonics is taught with fidelity. Within my school, I have also coached and mentored all teachers including early career teachers and trainee teachers to develop teaching and learning across all areas of learning.

I am a keen reader and an advocate for reading for pleasure. I enjoy exploring new books and researching different reading strategies. I am devoted to motivating all children to read, supporting them to become lifelong readers. I aspire that all children will be accurate and fluent readers who have developed a love for reading. I am an enthusiastic and passionate teacher, who believe that all children can succeed. It is a pleasure to teach children, watching them
progress, explore and grow throughout their education. Helping them to develop the skills of reading, from sound knowledge, to blending and then reading with expression and understanding. I enjoy working alongside other teachers and sharing our passion for early reading.

Gareth Baterip - Headteacher 

I have been part of the English Hub Literacy Specialist Team since 2019. It has been an absolute privilege to work with Schools across Bradford and North Yorkshire in our shared ambition that all children learn to read and, most importantly, Love Reading! I first applied to become a Literacy Specialist because I am passionate that all children, irrespective of backgrounds, learn to read. It is a fundamental life skill and has an impact far beyond test outcomes! 

I am the proud Headteacher of Newby Primary School and have worked here in various roles for the past 11 years. Working in Bradford is both a huge reward and challenge. I am passionate about Early Years, not least because it sets the foundation for the rest of the child's education. A huge part of my career has been working with children at the earliest stages of Reading including Phonics. There are few things as a teacher more rewarding than watching the magic of young children learning to read. 

I am also a very proud Dad! I have two children both of whom love reading - a passion I do not take for granted. My absolute drive that all children learn to read stems, in part, from my experience as a Dad. My son didn't find the journey to reading very easy but, with dedication and determination he is now an avid reader and will often recommend books for me to read too. My role as Literacy Specialist allows me to share my experiences in the hope that it benefits others. 

Heather Russell - English Advisor - North Yorkshire Education

I have over twenty years’ primary teaching experience. In my last senior post I was Leading Teacher for English for over four years. I have an enthusiasm and passion for all areas of English but with a particular focus on enabling children’s reading success and enjoyment.

As an English Adviser for over eight years I have supported my team to develop resources and lead high quality CPD; my work within schools to develop leadership and improve practice has had consistently excellent reviews. I am an accredited national trainer by Edge Hill University for leading phonics and reading training.

I have an enthusiasm to positively support schools with my practical and researched based background; I can help empower teachers with the confidence and skills necessary to improve children’s educational experiences.

Helen Dearing - Deputy Head Teacher 

 I am delighted to be a Literacy Specialist for the Burley Woodhead Hub. I have been teaching for 13 years in the Bradford area and I am currently at Wilsden Primary School as the Deputy Head Teacher. This is my third year at Wilsden and I really enjoy my role helping support the development of our Curriculum across school and leading English including early reading and phonics.

One of my great passions in life is teaching children to read and to promote a love of reading
for all children. I encourage teachers to ignite the reading spark in children to ensure they
become life-long readers, as we know the great impact reading can have on well-being. I
enjoy keeping up to date with new children’s literature and ensuring that children are
accessing high quality texts throughout their primary school career.

My School’s chosen phonics programme ‘FFT Success For All’ is followed with precision and
rigor to ensure the best outcomes for children is met. I do believe that reading opens doors
and this motivates us at Wilsden to ensure we provide a high quality early reading and
phonics curriculum. We prioritise early language acquisition skills through high-quality
learning environments and interactions.

I am looking forward to starting my role as an English Specialist this year and helping to
support schools to achieve the best possible outcomes for all children.

Leonie Rew - Reception Teacher

My passion and strengths as a teacher are in the Early Years, where I believe that a strong, solid foundation cannot be underestimated, with the majority of my 9 years teaching experience in EYFS.  I am currently the EYFS lead and teach in reception at Burley Woodhead.  I have a wealth of experience teaching in different schools, both in this country and in Europe, and an in-depth knowledge of different systematic synthetic phonics programmes including RWI and Little Wandle.  As a Little Waddle Champion School, I am keen to share our outstanding phonics practice with the many colleagues who come to observe us each year.

I am extremely passionate about the development of oracy, early reading and language within the Early years, I strongly believe that ‘reading and writing floats on a sea of talk’ and development of talk lies at the centre of children’s education. With a degree in drama, I am very keen to use immersive drama experiences to encourage children's developing language and imaginative play.  I am delighted to be sharing this expertise with other teachers across Bradford and North Yorkshire and I am looking forward to supporting schools and delivering training on early language for the English Hub this year.

Rachel Abbott - SLE , Assistant Head and Reception Teacher

I have been lucky enough to be part of the Burley Woodhead English Hub since 2019.  It has been incredibly rewarding working with colleagues across Bradford and North Yorkshire especially seeing the sustained improvements and outcomes for children in Early Reading.  It is great to be part of a team that has an ambitious vision in sharing great practice in our community and beyond.  

I am committed to inspiring a love of reading in children and ensuring that all children are confident and fluent readers by the time they leave primary school. I believe this includes careful planning to teach the skill of learning to read and embedding this learning in a way that is purposeful and meaningful to children. 

I am proud to have taught in Bradford for 19 years having being born and raised here.  I currently work as Assistant Head for Early Phase at Saltaire Primary and as Primary Course Leader for Bradford Birth to 19 teacher training programme. 

At home I am kept very busy looking after my two young children. I enjoy music, spending time outdoors, having fun with my family and of course reading!

Suzie Brown - Headteacher

I am an experienced EYFS teacher and have taught and led phonics in primary schools for the last 12 years. I have experience teaching across all age ranges and am now a Headteacher at Thornton in Craven Community Primary School. I have been supported by the Burley Woodhead English Hub in my previous position as Phonics and Early Reading Lead at a Bradford School and am passionate about giving every child the best start to reading, enabling them to access all areas of learning. I have transformed phonics at two schools with very different backgrounds and have seen great successes in both. I have coached teachers and other professionals in early reading and phonics and worked with ECT’s, SCITT students and others to ensure phonics and reading is the best it can be across the school.

I love to see how children progress and develop throughout the reading year and look forward to working alongside teachers who are as passionate as me to enable all children to access early reading.