Our Senior Teams

Jo Anderson has been Principal of Bury Grammar School since December 2016 - overseeing the Kindergarten, Infant School, Boys’ and Girls’ Junior Schools, Boys’ and Girls’ Senior Schools and Sixth Form.  She joined Bury Grammar School in September 2015 as Headmistress of the Girls’ School and is proud to have led this family of schools on a journey which has resulted in BGS coming together officially as one school - enjoying exceptional examination results, flawless inspection reports, growing pupil numbers and, most importantly, nurturing a happy and successful community.

Jo grew up in Leicester, went to the University of Leeds to study Modern Languages and, after having lived in both France and Italy, began her teaching career at Leeds Girls’ High School.  She moved to the north-west in 1999, taking up a post at Stockport Grammar School, after which she moved on to The Queen’s School in Chester in 2002 to be Head of Modern Languages.  Four years as Deputy Head of the Manchester Grammar School’s Sixth Form followed and immediately prior to coming to Bury Grammar School, Jo had also the privilege of being Head of the Girls’ Division at The King’s School in Macclesfield.

 

Jo believes utterly in the transformative power of education and still loves to teach modern languages.  In her free time Jo is a keen musician (although she does not profess to be very talented), loves to spend time with her two teenage children and is an avid follower of politics.

 

Devin Cassidy joined BGS in 1999 after teaching in a successful grant-maintained school in North Wales where he had responsibilities in staff development, teacher induction and providing for the most able pupils.  He became a Head of Year and was subsequently promoted to Deputy Head Pastoral and then to Second Master.  In 2017 he was appointed as Headmaster and Vice Principal of BGS and played a key leadership role in bringing the schools together into the current structure which ensures equality of educational provision for all pupils at BGS.

As Vice Principal, amongst other responsibilities, Devin oversees all matters relating to staff and also coordinates preparing the school for inspection.  He is a qualified schools inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate and regards this role to be both a privilege and one which is hugely beneficial to BGS. He has two daughters who have both attended BGS and are currently at university and in his spare time enjoys reading and walking in the mountains of Snowdonia and the Lake District.  He has led the school's World Challenge expeditions to Madagascar, Central Asia, Central America, Morocco, South East Asia and Tanzania and describes this as being real personal development and resilience development in pupils.

Devin thoroughly enjoys continuing to teach Chemistry to A Level in addition to coaching potential applicants for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science.

 

Victoria Leaver joined BGS in 2007 to take up the role of Head of Geography after starting her teaching career at The Manchester Grammar School. Following eight successful years as a Head of Department Victoria was promoted to the position of Head of Sixth Form and played an integral role in the launch of the Co-educational Sixth Form. A Senior Examiner and Subject Expert for Ofqual, Victoria was well placed to move into the role of Assistant Principal, leading Academic Provision across the Bury Grammar Schools in 2017 and enjoys working with all age groups and departments. Originally from Norfolk, Victoria is married to a BGS Old Boy and has two sons both of which attend BGS.

 

An ‘Old Girl’ of Bury Grammar School, Jane graduated from Birmingham University with a degree in Economics and went on to train as a Chartered Accountant in London, qualifying in 1988. After a year backpacking around the world, Jane worked her way up the career ladder in Finance and in 1997 became a Divisional Finance Director for the educational publishing businesses of Pearson plc in London, Singapore and Hong Kong. Jane eventually moved back to the North West and has held Divisional Finance Director roles for some of the North West’s biggest employers such as Dixons Carphone plc, Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc and Daisy Communications.  In 2014 Jane joined Bury Grammar School as the Bursar responsible for Finance, Estates, Catering, IT and Development.  Jane has three children, all of whom have been educated at Bury Grammar School.

 

Chrissy Howard has a strong and long-standing connection to Bury Grammar School. Firstly, as a parent before joining the Boys’ Junior School as a classroom teacher in 2004. Born and raised in Manchester, she studied the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply achieving MCIPS at Salford University. A successful career as a Procurement Manager followed and subsequently applied those business skills to acquiring a Private Day Nursery.

 

After completing The Graduate Teacher Programme in 2002 Chrissy gained valuable experience in both the state and Independent sector. Her passion for high educational standards was evident in the classroom and she soon progressed to Assistant Head. Further management roles followed culminating in securing her current position as Head of Infants and Junior Girls, EYFS and Acting Head of the Junior Boys School. A willingness to innovate and drive curriculum improvements has been a hallmark of her leadership. Chrissy is dedicated to ensuring each pupil is encouraged and supported to fulfil their potential in a caring, happy educational environment.

Chrissy is married with two daughters, both of whom attended BGS and are now embarking on careers in education and the health service. She has a keen interest in travel, enjoying trips with her family and participates in Netball and Pilates.

 

Holly Hammond graduated from Liverpool University and started her career as a Drama and English teacher at Westholme School, where she was promoted to Head of Department.  She joined Bury Grammar School in 2007, introducing GCSE Drama to the school and teaching A Level Drama and Theatre studies.  A huge passion for the theatre, as the daughter of an actor, Holly is an inspirational director and producer and has led school productions at BGS for the last thirteen years, producing many hugely successful musical theatre productions.  The Drama department grew very quickly at BGS and has enjoyed outstanding results in recent years.  Holly has always worked in pastoral care and was delighted to join the Sixth Form team as Head of Year 12 and then Deputy Head of Sixth Form.  She relishes the opportunity to lead the Sixth Form, maintaining our high expectations, working with our exceptional young adults, guiding them through the UCAS and Apprenticeship process and beyond.

 

Alan Dennis joined Bury Grammar School in September 1999 as a member of the Maths Department. Alan graduated from the University of Sheffield where he studied Maths and Astronomy before completing his PGCE at Nottingham University and then taking up his first teaching post at Bristol Grammar School. He has held the posts of Assistant Head of Sixth Form and Head of Year before taking on his current role with an overview of the day to day running of the school.
 
Alan has a passion for outdoor learning and helped establish the Boys' Duke of Edinburgh Award unit in 2007. He has led overseas expeditions to Morocco, Iceland and kayaking in Norway. In his spare time he enjoys walking in the mountains, especially those in North Wales, and playing guitar.

 

Robert Lees joined BGS as Deputy Head Pastoral (Boys) in September 2018. He studied Russian and Spanish at Durham University and completed a Modern Languages PGCE at Manchester University. He taught English at the Moscow State University for a year before joining the Army in 2004 and serving as an Intelligence Officer in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2010 he took a teaching post at Bolton School and worked as a Head of Department, Head of Careers and also as a Head of Year. At Bury Grammar Schools he runs the Russian club and coaches tennis. He is married with two young children, and when time allows, is a keen fan of Manchester City.

 

Rachel Newbold joined BGS as a NQT in 2009 as a member of the PE Department. Rachel graduated from Loughborough University where she studied Geography and Sports Science before completing a PGCE at Edgehill University whilst competing in the Netball Superleague for Manchester Thunder. Rachel became Head of House in September 2011 and then Head of Section and was subsequently promoted to Deputy Head Pastoral (Girls) and is currently also the Director of Sport. Rachel loves being active and indeed teaching pupils to be active. She describes her role in PE as extremely rewarding and that there is nothing better than seeing the face of a pupil who becomes successful at a new skill that they never imagined that they could perform. Rachel regards her pastoral role as a real privilege as it takes her into every area of school life and provides her the opportunity to work and interact with all members of the school community. At BGS, Rachel runs the senior netball teams and coaches rounders and athletics. She is married with two young children and enjoys watching live sport, playing netball and city breaks.

 

Kate Lewis joined Bury Grammar School as a teacher of Physics in 2006 and has previously held the roles of Head of Physics and Assistant Head of the Science Faculty. After leaving Westholme School, she went on to study for a Degree in Physics at the University of Durham and then completed her PGCE at Edgehill College. She started her current role of Director of Studies in September 2019 where her responsibilities include the production of the school timetable, managing the GCSE and A Level Options processes and helping to maintain and analyse pupils' data.

Kate is a firm believer in the benefits of partnership working and in the past has been involved in an Ogden Partnership composed of local schools and recently helped to organise a large conference at BGS for 140 primary teachers. Enthusiastic about Science and specifically Physics, she is keen to engage all pupils in the subject that has held her fascination for the past 20 years. Kate has a young family which occupies much of her free time; her children are keen swimmers, climbers and mischief-makers which keeps her busy!

 

Kiri Gore joined BGS in 2007 as teacher of Art, becoming Head of Art (Boys) in 2010 before being appointed as Director of Arts and Culture (BGS) in 2018. She graduated from Staffordshire University with BA Hons: Ceramics and has a Masters degree in Fine Art, obtaining the Vice-Chancellors Excellence Scholarship. As a member of the SLT, Kiri represents the School on a regional Arts Board and is the Artsmark Leader for all arts and cultural opportunities in BGS. Her role entails leading on whole school initiatives which create a thriving hub of excellence in the Arts for all pupils and staff. The role of Director of Arts and Culture engages the school and local community to collaborate together, providing sustainability, diversity, resilience and skills.

 

As a professional artist, Kiri specialises in ceramic installations with a focus on memories. She has exhibited across the northwest and her work has been sold both nationally and internationally. Kiri is also Sixth Form tutor and is heavily involved in the preparation of students for Higher Education, supporting them in their own educational development. When she isn’t working in her studio, Kiri has a keen interest in sports and a wealth of experience in cricket and hockey.

David Newbury joined BGS in 2008 as a member of the Geography Department. David graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University where he also completed his PGCE. He went onto work as an Area Manager for Aldi Stores UK, where he completed a Masters in Strategic Management. At BGS he has held the posts of Assistant Head of Sixth Form and Head of Year before taking on his current role with an overview of the day to day running of the Sixth Form with a particular responsibility for leadership. David is also Contingent Commander of our Combined Cadet Force. In his spare time he enjoys coaching his son's rugby team and walking in the Lake District.

 

Hannah Greene joined BGS in 2019 after teaching for 8 years in South London where she was an Associate Assistant Headteacher in charge of PSHE, competitive entries and the Scholarship programme having previously lead Modern Foreign Languages departments. Hannah graduated from Durham University where she studied French and Spanish and subsequently completed her PGCE as part of the TeachFirst programme in 2011 with the Institute of Education, London. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and travelling and is a regular volunteer on annual pilgrimages to Lourdes, France as part of the Childrens and Families trust.

 

Claire McDermott joined BGS in September 2009, prior to which she gained a wealth of management experience as the Deputy Head of Faculty for Social Sciences, with responsibility for whole staff Teaching and Learning, in a large sixth form college. Claire is passionate about developing people and is responsible for planning and implementing high calibre training opportunities for staff. She also focuses on building pupils’ knowledge of psychological principles to boost their ‘Learning Power’, to equip them with the vital skills to excel in all areas of their academic and personal lives. Claire is an experienced Psychology A level teacher and completed a Masters in Psychology in 2007, with a focus on Neuroscience and Education.  She is a Senior Examiner for a national exam board and has over twenty years’ experience as an A level assessor. Claire is a firm believer in the powers of Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga to encourage positive mental health, as a protective factor in relieving stress and offers enrichment meditation sessions in school. Manchester born and bred, she would describe herself as an ‘indie music kid’ and was lucky enough to experience the 'Madchester' music scene first hand when growing up. 

 

Pete O’Sullivan graduated from the University of Manchester and initially worked in insolvency and financial services. He has been teaching mathematics (Years 7-13) since 2009, and joined Bury Grammar School in 2011. In 2013 Pete was appointed as Head of the Mathematics Department in the Boys’ School, before becoming Head of the Mathematics Faculty in 2019.  In 2018 he obtained the National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL). He is passionate about enabling all pupils to feel confident in mathematics and ensuring that no-one at Bury Grammar School ever feels that they ‘just can’t do maths’.

 

Tim Seed joined BGS in September 2018 as Literacy Coordinator and works in the English Department as a teacher and Head of English Language for KS4. In his role as Literacy Coordinator, Tim focuses on ensuring excellent levels of written and spoken communication throughout the School, whether it be in academic work or as a vital life skill. Tim sees reading as integral to our pupils' intellectual development and works with our excellent library staff to promote the reading experience to the school community. Tim is an experienced English teacher of both Literature and Language; he regards both subjects to be hugely enriching and as offering pathways to brilliant, aspirational careers. He works with national and international exam boards as a Team Leader, a role that he enjoys and from which his insight is valuable for pupils at BGS. Tim is a keen sportsman, particularly in football and cricket, and really enjoys coaching aspiring athletes to new levels of excellence! He loves to travel; in previous roles Tim planned trips to New York, Nebraska and the Lake District, experiences he would love to offer again at BGS.

 

Sam Sheikh, an old boy of BGS, returned to the school as an NQT in September 2004. Sam has held various responsibilities, including English Coordinator and subject lead for Geography, MFL and Maths, alongside the role of Form Teacher.  Sam is currently the Deputy Head of the Boys’ Junior School.  Sam is a primary specialist, enabling him to teach across all subjects in the curriculum. He is responsible for the pastoral care for the boys across the Junior School as well as organising fixtures across all sports, coordinating Junior School events, including international sports tours and day trips, and managing the cover of absent staff.  Sam has taken on additional responsibility for sport at BGS over the years, and is aware of the positive impact and opportunities that PE and extracurricular sport can provide for all pupils.  Sam has coached the Junior School football teams for the last 12 years, leading them to many great successes and trophy wins, including the AJIS National 7-a-side title in 2014. In his spare time Sam enjoys playing hockey for Bury Hockey Club (a club he help to found as BGS Old Boys Hockey Club in 2004) and spending time with his wife and two sons in the great outdoors, cycling, walking and generally planning their next visit to Guernsey!

 

Sam Aylin joined BGS as a teacher in the Junior Girls’ School  in September 2006. She previously studied for a BA(Hons) with QTS In Primary Education with an accompanying specialism in Children’s Development and Learning at Edge Hill University. In September 2018, Sam was appointed Senior Teacher of the Infants and Junior Girls before being promoted to Deputy Head of the schools in September 2019. At Bury Grammar School Sam has enjoyed working in both the Infants and Junior Girls Schools, being heavily involved in concerts and more recently leading Parental Forums. Sam is married with two young children, and when time allows, enjoys walking and days out with her family.

 

Andrea Moran joined BGS in September 2019 working as Deputy Head of the Infant School.  Andrea graduated from Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education in 1997, where she studied Sociology and Religious Studies and went onto study a PGCE in Primary Education. Since then, Andrea has worked for Rochdale Education Authority, in a number of schools, teaching throughout the Primary age range.  Andrea has been an English Moderator for Key Stage 1 writing and has worked in Acting Deputy roles during her career in teaching. Andrea is thrilled to have been appointed her role at BGS and is excited to be a part of such a prestigious organisation. Andrea is committed to ensuring all pupils thrive in a supportive and challenging environment and develop a thirst for learning. Andrea enjoys spending time with her family, travelling and gardening and will be sharing her enthursiasm for all things green in a weekly gardening club.

 

Josef Minta joined BGS Junior School as a teacher back in 2016 after working for three years at an outstanding state primary school. As Senior teacher, Josef has been responsible for developing the new Humanities Curriculum which was introduced in 2018. He has also been involved in exploring Mastery across the curriculum and ensuring high standards are maintained through book and planning scrutiny. Josef has also helped support other staff to develop professionally while also continuing to develop as a leader within the school.  His main subject focus has been Science and through cooperation with other schools and the University of Manchester Science hub, he has sought to raise the profile of Science at BGS Junior Schools. As a regularly exhibiting artist, Josef has been keen to support the arts through a wide range of enrichment activities and he has helped support budding artists find their medium and develop their skills. When not spending time exploring the countryside or going to concerts with his wife, Josef likes to spend time at the velodrome BMX track riding and supporting his two young sons.

 

Sarah McMahon has always been immensely passionate about working with young children and joined the team at Bury Grammar Schools in October 2006 after completing a Level 3 qualification in Childcare and Education at Bury College. Sarah soon became responsible for her own key group of children and continued in this role until September 2018. Sarah gained a BA (Hons) degree in Education and Inclusion at Liverpool Hope University- graduating in 2012. Sarah manages our Holiday Club, Breakfast and After School club along with her role as Head of Kindergarten. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family including her young son.