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Senior Leadership Team

Sarah Edwards - Headteacher

I joined The Weald in June 2014 and am thrilled to be part of such a vibrant, varied and happy school.  We are a strong team at The Weald with exceptional staff, expert governors, supportive parents and carers, and above all simply outstanding students.  My vision of education for the young people in my care is to create opportunities for all with challenge and support to inspire and encourage.  Having spent time living abroad before I began my career, I fully appreciate the need to be outward-facing and inclusive of all cultures in order to grow and develop one's own self.  It is my aim to nurture a fully inclusive community at The Weald where acceptance of others is the norm.

During my 14 years in senior leadership positions in schools, I have had the privilege of being responsible for teaching and learning, the curriculum, outcomes for students at all Key Stages, pastoral support provided for students, well-being for staff and students, and behaviour. I am a languages teacher by trade, having earned my degree at the University of Leeds and my teaching qualification at Cambridge. Teaching brings me great fulfilment and joy, and I will always continue to develop my own classroom teaching skills alongside my leadership skills.

Zoe Sorrell - Deputy Headteacher

I started my teaching career in the West Midlands, having studied for a degree in History and then completing my teacher training qualification at the University of Birmingham. Many years later, after teaching in Hampshire and Milan, I returned home to West Sussex and have been teaching at The Weald since 2004. I was originally appointed as a teacher of History and became an Assistant Headteacher in 2014. I have always been struck by the fantastic relationships here - most notably between students and staff.

The staff at The Weald are passionate about the learning and personal development of the students, and the students are genuinely appreciative and value their experience here. In my current role, I aim to support and enhance these relationships by overseeing the 11-18 curriculum, including teaching and learning, with a particular role in leading and supporting student progress in the Sixth form. I also have a key pastoral role leading Attenborough house, as well as line managing the English, Drama and the Learning Support departments.

Steve Catt - Deputy Headteacher

I joined The Weald in January 2014 and share the school’s wildly important goals and beliefs.  As a School, we strive to develop hard-working citizens with a growth mindset that choose to do the right thing. Every day at The Weald you get a real feel of cheerful staff and pupils who want to succeed.

My responsibilities include overseeing: High standards including our outstanding GCSE results, reporting and tracking, analysis of school data and ensuring Mercury win the House Cup! Also, I am a keen swimmer, triathlete and footballer.

My first degree was a Masters in Civil Engineering from the University of Surrey. This led to a career in Civil Engineering across the UK and Germany. Projects involved the construction of everything from office developments to primary schools. I then made the leap of faith to retrain as a Mathematics teacher and have never looked back! Working at The Weald School is immensely rewarding and challenging where no day is the same. I am privileged to work within such a supportive and happy environment.

Aja Cortizo - Deputy Headteacher

I was delighted to be appointed as Deputy Headteacher at The Weald in 2021. I joined The Weald after working for 17 years in two Surrey schools following my family's relocation to West Sussex. My undergraduate degree is in Politics and Modern History from the University of Manchester and I completed my Initial Teacher Training PGCE at the University of Kingston. 

My responsibilities include overseeing teaching, learning and assessment across the Curriculum as well as overseeing exams, teacher development, training and appraisal. I oversee the Heads of Year team and am the dedicated SLT link for Year 8. I am the line manager for the Maths, Languages and Health and Social Care departments. I am also a proud member of DaVinci House. Whilst always striving to improve my History subject knowledge and classroom practice, I also have a keen interest in bringing research into the classroom to support teachers and students to better understand how we learn best. I am proud to work with all the staff, students and families that make up 'Team Weald' and to work within a community who support each other to learn together.

Andy Mowforth - Assistant Headteacher

I joined The Weald as an NQT in 2011. Having progressed through the leadership roles within the Maths department, after 5 years as Director of Maths, I was delighted to be appointed Assistant Headteacher in 2022.

The Weald is a wonderful place to teach. Students want to be successful and achieve their best, and all the staff share a collective motivation to provide the best outcomes for all our students. It is a pleasure to be part of the “Team Weald” community. 

Whilst not teaching Maths, I have been lucky enough to have many opportunities outside the classroom. I have been fortunate to experience teaching in Kenya and Ethiopia and have had the pleasure of accompanying our students on many school trips abroad. There is a huge variety of opportunities available to students through their time at The Weald providing experiences to inspire, motivate and support them as they move into adulthood.

My responsibilities include overseeing staff well-being, parents’ evenings, Gold Awards and the school calendar. I line manage a number of academic departments including Music, Psychology, Computer Science and Personal Development. I work closely with the Head of Year 8 and support Attenborough house with our aim to be House Cup winners at the end of the year! 

Debbie McInerney - Assistant Headteacher

I joined The Weald in 2010 as Assistant Subject Leader for languages and I have worked my way up through the ranks to become an Assistant Headteacher in 2020. The Weald is a fantastic community to be a part of and the students and staff are what make it so enjoyable to come to work each day. I have been fortunate to accompany our students on trips to countries as diverse as Germany, Kenya and China and our young people always impress me with their willingness to learn and engage with the world around them. 

My responsibilities include: literacy across the curriculum, student leadership, safeguarding, student voice and peer tutoring as well as the line management of a number of departments.

I have been teaching in West Sussex since 2007 having graduated from Cardiff University in German and EU politics. I am currently completing a Masters in Educational Leadership at Portsmouth University.

Rich Brimacombe - Assistant Headteacher

It is a real privilege to work at The Weald. The school has a friendly and welcoming atmosphere built on excellent relationships between staff and students. I am delighted to be part of such a happy, successful and vibrant learning community.

As well as leading the professional development of colleagues, leadership of performance management and line managing Livingstone House, I teach in the Music department.

Prior to working at The Weald, I have worked at schools in Cornwall, Surrey and West Sussex. I trained to be a teacher at the University of Roehampton, London. As a musician, I play the Piano and Bass guitar and enjoy performing Jazz.

Tamsin Day - Assistant Headteacher

I joined the Weald in 2021 as Head of Sixth Form, which is a fantastic job as I get to spend much of my day with our friendly, funny, inspiring Sixth Formers.

It is a joy to be part of a school community where kindness and happiness are given the same great importance as academic outcomes and progress.

I teach German, French and Food Technology and have worked in varied roles for the last 16 years in schools in Worthing, Brighton and London.  Before joining the teaching profession, I lived and worked in Vienna, Dublin and Melbourne and worked as a Fine-Dining Chef and as a German/English Translator.

In 2022, I joined the Senior Leadership team and now oversee Pupil Premium provision in addition to the line management of the Geography and Technology departments, Careers, Student Leadership and Widening Participation.  I believe comprehensive education to be the strongest driver of social mobility and that great teaching can give all of our young people the possibility of a bright future.  This inspires me to give my best every day.

Karen Hayler - Business Manager

I was delighted to join The Weald in June 2022. I am responsible for leading the school in all operational matters such as finance, HR, administration, marketing, premises and catering.

My background is varied. I started my career working for NatWest and then moved to Sussex Enterprise supporting Investors in People, JobSkills, apprenticeships, work experience and teacher placement programmes. I spent 12 years working for Brighton and Hove Unitary and West Sussex County Council Education Departments supporting schools in a variety of ways. More recently I was the Chief Financial Officer for South Downs Education Trust; a Multi Academy Trust based in Worthing, for over 12 years. 

I live in Billingshurst and feel very honoured to be able to work at my local school and contribute to the community that is The Weald School. It is a real privilege to have an input in the educational journeys of young people living in my local community. 

When not in school, you will find me out walking my dog, baking and gardening.