William Perkin Key Staff

Governors

The Twyford Trust is governed by a Board of Directors which is made up of Church of England representatives, the chairs of school governing bodies, elected staff representatives, elected parent representatives and the Executive Head Teacher. The Directors appoint people who are locally based to serve on the Local Governing Body for each School in the Trust.

The William Perkin Governing Body is made up of local Church of England representatives, co-opted Governors, a Directors representative and the Executive and Associate Head Teachers as well as elected staff and parent representatives. Currently the Chair of the Local Governing Body is Mr Andrew Bickley.

Further information about the Local Governing Body can be found in Governance.

Senior Leadership Team

Dame Alice Hudson

CEO

Before becoming CEO, Alice had been Executive Headteacher of Twyford CofE Academies Trust since 2012. She was previously Headteacher at Twyford CofE High School since 2002. She joined Twyford in 2000 as Deputy Headteacher then progressed to Acting Headteacher. Prior to Twyford High School she was Deputy Headteacher at Brentside High School, and previous to that she taught at Central Foundation Boys’ School in Islington and Maria Fidelis School in Euston. Alice was educated at Slough Girls’ High School, Leighton Park School and St Hilda’s Oxford where she read English.

Amy Newman

Headteacher

Graduated from the University of Bath with a degree in French, Russian and European Studies in 2004 before training as an MFL teacher, also at the University of Bath. She was appointed as a French teacher at St Thomas More Language College in Chelsea in 2006 and then Head of the MFL Department at Sacred Heart School in Camberwell in 2006. She joined William Perkin CofE High School as its first Head of Year 7 in 2013 before being appointed to Assistant Headteacher in 2017, Deputy Headteacher in 2018, Associate Headteacher in September 2019 and then Headteacher from June 2025.

Stacie Long

Deputy Headteacher / Head of Pastoral Systems

After graduating in 2010 from the University of Brighton with a degree in Physical Education with QTS, she started her teaching career at Whitmore High School, Harrow, where she was appointed Second in department in 2011. In 2013 she moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where she taught at HELP International School, holding the positions of: Head of Girls PE; Head of year, and Head of House for four years. She returned to England, joining William Perkin CofE High School in 2016. Having held the position of Head of Year at William Perkin for two years, she became Assistant Headteacher for KS3 Pastoral Progress and Progression in 2019, and then subsequently Deputy Headteacher in 2022.

Adele Barward-Symmons

Deputy Headteacher / Curriculum Delivery

Graduated from Durham University with a degree in Physics in 2014 before training as a Physics teacher in the North East, working at St Wilfrid’s R.C. College. She was appointed as Head of Physics at Ark John Keats Academy in 2016 and then Head of Science in 2017 and to the wider Senior Leadership Team in 2018. In 2021 she joined William Perkin CofE High School as Assistant Headteacher for Key Stage Four Pastoral Progress and Progression, and then subsequently Assistant Headteacher for Year 11 and Curriculum Delivery in September 2022 and Deputy Headteacher for Curriculum Delivery in September 2025.

Emily Lewis

Deputy Headteacher / Curriculum Organisation and Progress

Graduating from the University of Oxford with a degree in 2013 in Modern Languages and Philosophy, she went on to train as a teacher with the Institute of Education. She joined William Perkin as a newly qualified languages teacher in 2014 and went on to become Head of Languages in 2016. Following appointment to the wider Senior Leadership Team in 2018 and completion of a master's degree at UCL, focussing on special needs education, she was made Assistant Headteacher for Curriculum Organisation in 2022 and Deputy Headteacher for Curriculum Organisation and Progress in September 2025.

Reece Rake

Assistant Headteacher / Head of Key Stage 4

Graduated from the University of Wolverhampton with a degree in Physical Education in 2014 and went onto complete his teacher training in London at St Mary’s University. In 2015 he began his teaching career in Ealing, working at Brentside High School as a PE teacher for 2 years, before becoming a Head of Year in 2017 at Whitmore High School, Harrow. Moving back to Ealing, he joined William Perkin CofE High School in 2021 as a Progress Intervention Manager, and subsequently an Assistant Headteacher in September 2022.

Beth Gandy

Assistant Headteacher / Head of Key Stage 5

Graduated from York university with a degree in History in 2010, Beth did her PGCE in secondary history in Devon and Cornwall before starting as a history teacher in Borehamwood in 2012. She was appointed Deputy Head of Sixth Form there in 2014 and joined William Perkin in 2015 as Head of History. Subsequently appointed as Trust lead for History before becoming a member of the Wider SLT in 2020. Appointed Assistant Headteacher for Curriculum Delivery in 2022.

Cat Smith

Assistant Headteacher for SMSC and Wider Learning (currently on maternity leave)

Graduated with a BA in English and Related Literature followed by an MA in Writing, Directing and Performing in Theatre, Film and Television from the University of York. Moved to London to complete teacher training at Mossbourne Community Academy in Hackney. Joined William Perkin at the end of its opening year in July 2014. Head of Year from 2016 and appointed to wider Senior Leadership Team in 2018. Held various leadership roles including Literacy lead, KS4 English intervention and pastoral training. In 2023 appointed to the role of Assistant Headteacher for SMSC and Wider Learning.

Emma Lauder

Assistant Headteacher for SMSC and Wider Learning

Graduated with a BA in Philosophy from the University of Cambridge and completed her teacher training in Oxford before moving to London to teach Religious Education and Psychology at Brentside High School. There, she became Head of RE and also took on the role of borough lead for the subject. In 2019, she joined William Perkin as Head of Year 13, was appointed to the Wider Senior Leadership Team in 2022, and became Assistant Headteacher in 2025.

Ceceliah Muyah

Assistant Headteacher for SEN (SENCo) / SLT contact for Year 7

Graduated from Maseno University 2001 with a Bachelor of Education and completed an MSc in Management Studies at the University of Northampton. Appointed as a French teacher at Buckingham School in 2005. Moved to London in 2009 to take up a role as SEN Teacher, marking the start of her career in special educational needs at Stockley Academy where she completed the National Award for SEN Coordination at the University of Wolverhampton. Has held a range of leadership roles, including SENDCo and EAL Leader at Barnhill Community School in 2016, SENCo at Grove Academy in 2019 and Head of Learning Support at The Heathland School in 2021. In 2025 was appointed Assistant Head for SEN (SENCo) and Pupil Premium at William Perkin School.

Catherine Lovell

Assistant Headteacher for KS3

Graduated from Portsmouth university with a degree in Media Studies in 2012, Catherine worked in various roles at William Perkin from when it first opened in 2013 including: administrator, TA and PE Coach. In 2019 she trained as an English Teacher at WilIiam Perkin and was appointed Head of Year 8 in 2021 before becoming Head of Year 7 in 2022. Subsequently appointed Assistant Headteacher for KS3 in September 2024.

Harriet Wood

Assistant Headteacher for school literacy

Graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in English Literature in 2011 before completing a master’s degree in English Literature 1900-present at Oxford University. She trained to teach through School Direct with the United Learning Trust. Having taught at Maria Fidelis School in Euston for two years, she joined William Perkin as a KS5 coordinator for English, leading on A-Level curriculum development prior to the opening of the Sixth Form. She then became Head of English, before being appointed Trust Lead and Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for school literacy.

Other Key Staff

For details of Teach West London staff, please visit the Teach West London website.