Our Staff

Highfield Priory School has a dedicated team of passionate and talented staff, ensuring each child achieves their full potential. Our staff members are highly qualified, up to date with the latest teaching strategies and between them they enjoy a wealth of experience of working with young children. We have low staff turnover ensuring continuity and expertise across both the school and nursery. We strongly believe that outstanding staff are essential for an outstanding education; for this reason lots of time and effort goes into recruiting the very best.

Some of our Year 6 interviewed our staff for their articles in the Annual Highfield Gazette, extracts of these interviews have been included below.

Senior Management Team

Mr J Duke

Headmaster

Mrs R Cottom

School Business Manager - Clerk to the Governors

Mrs A Prince

Deputy Head - Year 6 Class Teacher - Mathematics Co-ordinator

Mrs Prince has been to Leighton Hall three times and each time she has done a different activity, such as outdoor survival skills, a bird of prey display and a craft session. She really enjoys learning history and looking at historical buildings like Leighton Hall.

Miss C Ryan

Assistant Head - Year 3 Class Teacher - ICT Co-ordinator

Mrs A Morrice

Designated Safeguarding Lead - Year 5 Class Teacher - French Co-ordinator

In her free time, Mrs Morrice loves to do pilates, drawing and reading. Her favourite foods are croissants and any type of pasta dish. She does not have any pets but if she did, she would have a pet kitten. She loves her job as a teacher, but if she wasn’t, she would be a fashion designer. She is unsure whether she enjoys living in England or France more; she likes the people in the UK but the weather in France is nicer and you can go out more. Her favourite holiday destination is Nice, France because you can go out to the beach whilst also visiting family members. 

Mrs E Elstone

Nursery & Preschool Manager

Teaching Staff

Mrs H Bennett

Reception Class Teacher

Mrs H Wilson

Year 1 Class Teacher - PSHE Co-ordinator

Ms C Eccles

Year 2 Class Teacher - Science Co-ordinator

Ms Eccles went to Manor Adventure, with Years 5 and 6, along with some of the other teachers. In her free time, she likes to help run her local village hall. Her favourite food is pasta bolognaise. If Ms Eccles wasn’t a teacher, she would have worked for a charity. She thinks that Manor Adventure is a good place for children because it so much fun. The best top tip from Mrs Eccles is to have fun in the woodlands or fields and the amazing activities there.

She loves animals and has a dog called Bruce who looks like a cuddly bear. In her spare time, she walks her dog. Her greatest achievement is her two wonderful and kind daughters. Lastly, I asked her if she could describe herself in five words what would it be. She replied with “A little crazy but fun.”

Mrs C Jones

Year 4 Class Teacher - R.E. Co-ordinator - Drama/HPSED Co-ordinator

Mrs H Haythornthwaite

Year 6 Class Teacher - English Co-ordinator

Miss A Macklam

Year 6 Class Teacher - Music Co-ordinator

Miss Macklam began to play the piano at the age of 6 and achieved the highest grade - Grade 8 - when she was 19. Miss Macklam’s top three tips for young pianists are to practise, make sure you enjoy what you are playing and have some variety in your choice of music.

She reads at night and on holiday. Her favourite children’s author used to be Enid Blyton, but now it is Michael Morpurgo. She loves mystery books. Miss Macklam’s favourite ice-cream flavour is chocolate chip.

Mrs J Street

Learning Support Co-ordinator - Music Teacher

Mrs J Davidson

Humanities Co-ordinator

Mrs Davidson loves travelling to big cities including Paris and Budapest in her free time, as well as doing pottery and so far, has created four vases and three bowls. She said that if she wasn’t a humanities teacher she would be an art teacher as she enjoys going to see art galleries. If Mrs Davidson were to be a famous explorer, she would be Neil Armstrong because he did an incredible task: being the first person on the moon.

Miss A Jewitt

Art Co-ordinator

Mrs M Parsons

PE & Games Co-ordinator

Mrs Parsons, in her free time, enjoys running and skiing (in France). She has one sister and no pets; she likes reading, but she has little time to do so. If she had to be a student again, she would like to sit at a desk again. If Mrs Parsons wasn’t a PE teacher, she’d be a pro-sports person.

Mrs L Botton

PE & Games Teacher

Mrs Botton started to learn and enjoy badminton when she was around 20 years old. In her spare time, she likes to play netball and hockey. Mrs Botton’s top tip for badminton is to always be in the ready position when receiving the shuttle. Her advice for someone starting a new career in badminton is to master the basic techniques and just enjoy themselves. She loves being a PE teacher as she loves inspiring children to love sport as much as she does.

Mrs L Martindale

Supply Teacher

Mr B Burgess

Supply Teacher

Teaching Assistants

Miss S Edwards

Early Years Practitioner - Reception

Mrs N Hayes

Early Years Practitioner - Year 1 

Miss H Catherall

Early Years Practitioner - Year 2

Miss J Kaur

Classroom Assistant

Miss E Powell

Supply Classroom Assistant

Miss I Street

Supply Classroom Assistant

Miss O Duke

Supply Classroom Assistant

Mrs R Greenwood

Lunchtime Supervisor

Early Years Staff

Mrs C Marskell

Forest School Leader - Nursery Deputy Manager

Mrs L Burrows

Nursery Deputy Manager

Miss E Fleming

Early Years Practitioner - Nursery

Miss O Leach

Early Years Practitioner - Nursery

Mrs S Wardley

Early Years Practitioner - Nursery

Miss J Wyllie

Early Years Practitioner - Nursery

Miss L Wright

Preschool Leader

Miss S Carroll

Early Years Practitioner - Preschool

Miss R Crowley

Early Years Practitioner - Preschool

Mrs P Lockwood

Early Years Practitioner - Preschool

Miss Z Dad

Early Years Practitioner - Supply

Support Staff

Mrs A Hughes

Headmaster's PA

Mrs Y Mulla

Assistant School Business Manager

Mr G Bailey

Business Office Co-ordinator

Miss H Field

Business Office Assistant

Mrs A Duke

Communications Advisor

Mr P Cusack

Site Supervisor

Mr V Best

Caretaker

Mrs C Aspey

Chef

Mrs A Berry

Assistant Chef

Mrs S McNicholas

Catering Assistant

Mrs C Graham

Kitchen Assistant

Mrs M Clayton

Kitchen Assistant & Cleaner

Miss A Lonsdale

Cleaner

Mr J Maddock

Cleaner

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