Welcome
Life at The Pingle Academy
Work Hard / Be Kind / Choose Wisely
Mr S Hall
Principal
“I was brought up in Preston in Lancashire with my 3 sisters and was fortunate to be able to study Sports Science and PE at Loughborough University. I have taught PE at two different schools and joined The Pingle Academy in 2005 as Head of PE. I became Acting Principal in September 2021. We have been on a remarkable journey at The Pingle Academy for a number of years and I am proud to have been able to work with so many amazing students and colleagues during this time. The opportunities and achievements that I have seen and been part of are truly inspiring and it goes to show what can be achieved when we all work hard, be kind and choose wisely!“
Work Hard / Be Kind / Choose Wisely
Mrs M Hall
Vice Principal
“My name is Mary Hall and I am one of the Vice Principals at the academy. One of the main aspects of my job is to ensure high quality teaching and learning takes place in every classroom. I work with teachers to make sure that teachers are delivering high quality lessons so that our students can reach their potential in every subject.“
Work Hard / Be Kind / Choose Wisely
Mr J Done
Vice Principal
“My name is James Done and I am acting Vice Principal. My role is to ensure that the curriculum studied by all our students is designed to meet their needs, leading to good progress and achievement. I support students to meet our high attendance standards - good attendance at the academy is one of the main factors in getting good results.“
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Mr S Waller
Assistant Principal
“I was born in Durban, South Africa and lived there until I was three. My parents immigrated to the UK and settled in Brighton on the south coast. South Africa remains a huge part of who I am and most of my family still live there. I spent a lot of time there as a child and have love returning whenever I can. After school I went to Sheffield University to do a geography degree. Easily some of the best years of my life! I loved every second. After university I travelled for a while and eventually lived in London for three years working for an African tour operator. Eventually it was time to settle down so I did my PGCE and settled in the midlands. I trained at Pingle all those years ago and was lucky enough to get my first job here as well. Pingle is unique and is without doubt a very special place - I have met some incredible people over the years and am inspired every day watching students fulfil their potential.“
Work Hard / Be Kind / Choose Wisely
Mrs B Parker
Assistant Principal
“I joined The Pingle Academy in September 2014. Three weeks prior to starting, I broke my shoulder whilst cycling in Northumberland. When I broke my shoulder I was obviously in a lot of pain however I also had a concern that this was an omen of bad things about to happen. How wrong I was. I love working at The Pingle Academy and I particularly enjoy my role as the Assistant Principal and Trust Lead in charge of Early Career Teachers, Trainee Teachers alongside line managing the Mathematics Faculty and other responsibilities. Developing and supporting early career teachers on their journey to becoming future experts is something I am passionate about. It runs hand in hand with the reason I love my job -teaching- I can help students build their self-esteem and believe in themselves and their ability to learn, no matter what their background or abilities. I am extremely proud of the Mathematics Faculty and what a strong team we are and the results the students achieve.“
Work Hard / Be Kind / Choose Wisely
Mrs D Wilcox
Assistant Principal
“I grew up in Burton, so very local. I studied French and Hispanic Studies at the University of Birmingham and spent a year living abroad in Spain. I have a GCSE in Italian and a part of my degree is Portuguese. I love to travel and I have friends all over the world. I have been a teacher for over 20 years, including being a Languages and English teacher, a Head of Sixth Form and now an Assistant Principal. I love my job and I am so proud to work at The Pingle Academy. I am so proud of all of my students and I love to see them successful, happy and thriving.“
Work Hard / Be Kind / Choose Wisely
Mr D Riley
Assistant Principal
“In my role as Assistant Principal I also oversee the behaviour and engagement of the students as well as leading on careers across the Academy. Before becoming a teacher, I had a number of jobs, including a valet, lifeguard, security and bar manager. I never realised I wanted to be a teacher until I actually became one!“
Work Hard / Be Kind / Choose Wisely
Mrs N Toshney
Assistant Principal
“I have been teaching at The Pingle Academy for all of my teaching career, it is like a second family. I am so proud of my achievements at Pingle. Teaching business and law has enabled me to support our students onto the next stage in their lives. I am proud that I have helped so many achieve the grades needed to become solicitors, doctors, forensic scientists, pilots, managers, plumbers and builders to name a few. I hope to continue to do this for many years to come.“
Work Hard / Be Kind / Choose Wisely
Miss K Robinson
Associate Member
“I joined the teaching profession in 1998 and can honestly say that I absolutely love seeing the impact that inspirational teachers have on the lives of young people. It never ceases to amaze me how creative, insightful and enthusiastic our students can be. My role as an Associate member of the Leadership team is to gather student views and feedback on their experience at the Academy, to ensure that we are providing the best environment in which to succeed. I also support the development of Teaching and Learning strategies to ensure that students are getting the best quality experience in the classroom and are prepared fully for their final examinations and life beyond the Academy.“
