Senior Leadership Team

Julie Keller

Head

Passionate about equipping girls to be the leaders of the future, Julie is on a mission to inspire NGHS girls to smash through glass ceilings, break down barriers and be whatever they chose to be.

Julie spent ten years teaching in a co-education state school, and has spent the last nine years at NGHS. Joining the team as Deputy Head of the Senior School, Julie’s drive and commitment soon saw her take up the role of Head of the Junior School alongside her Deputy Head role. In 2016 Julie became Head and has led many exciting changes, supported an incredible team of staff, and enjoyed every minute of inspiring each and every girl to be extraordinary.

 

Laura Fowler

Head of Nursery, Infant and Junior School

An inspiring Head with unparalleled expertise in girls, Laura captures the imaginations of our younger girls and builds the foundations for their future success. Laura is also our Designated Safeguarding Lead and works closely with all of our SLT to ensure that the safety of our girls is paramount.

Mum to the Junior school dog, Delilah, Laura makes the NGHS Nursery, Infant and Junior school feel like a wonderful family. Laura graduated from Brunel University with a First Class Honours Degree in Education and has taught for nineteen years in both the state and independent sector. She has spent the last ten years as Head of independent girls’ junior schools in the East Midlands and brings a huge amount of expertise and passion to her role.

Laura’s mission is clear. She inspires all her girls to ‘be extraordinary’. With excellent care, expert teaching and a unique focus on building strength of character, it’s awe inspiring to see how well she achieves this with our youngest girls.

 

Lindsay Wharton-Howett

Deputy Head (Pastoral)

Bringing her expert business experience to teaching Business and Economics, Lindsay brings a wealth of academic prowess to NGHS. She secured a First in Business and Economics from Nottingham University and worked in HR and Legal in the Commercial world before qualifying as a teacher. Lindsay has worked in an outstanding state school, a challenging inner city state school, and joined NGHS as Assistant Head 2012 when she was headhunted for the role by Head, Julie Keller. She is a powerhouse of energy and enthusiasm who has delivered incredible things for the school. Lindsay transformed our charity and outreach work, meaning we gained the Lord Lieutenant award for Volunteering in 2018.

She describes her role as pulling all the pieces of a jigsaw together to ensure every student is able to achieve whatever they dream of.  Her experience in teaching and learning, coupled with her expertise in pastoral support, means that NGHS students are truly inspired and supported by Lindsay. She is warm, caring and full of kindness, and she knows that happiness and wellbeing goes hand in hand with academic attainment.

 

Rebecca Halse

Deputy Head (Academic)

An inspiring female mathematician, with a first class Maths with Economics degree from Leeds and PGCE in Maths from Cambridge, Rebecca is passionate about girls in STEM and the importance of smashing stereotypes.

Rebecca has taught in both the state and independent sector and joined NGHS in 2012 as Head of Maths and Technology, and became Assistant Head in 2014 bringing 15 years of teaching experience in both co-ed and all-girls environments with her. For her, the girl centric approach of NGHS brings exceptional benefits. Girls are more likely to choose subjects traditionally seen as male subjects and nothing holds them back, and this is what drives Rebecca to give her all to our students every day. Confident, fun and full of passion, Rebecca is an exceptional teacher and inspiring member of the Senior Leadership Team. She proves that there’s nothing a woman can’t do and there’s no such thing as a “boys’” subject.

 

James Brown

Assistant Head (Teaching and Learning)

Joining NGHS originally as a Teacher of English, James has also enjoyed a stint as Head of Department and stood in as maternity cover for our Academic Deputy Head as part of the SLT.

James’ previous experience in this role and his meticulous attention to detail make him the prefect person to deal with academic and teaching and learning matters. Overseeing PAL grades, reporting, assessment and statistics are just a few of his areas of expertise. James also has the interests of  staff at his heart, coordinating our Departmental Reviews and the staff PDP process. James is a valuable and flexible member of staff and a huge asset to our SLT.

 

Jeremy Dunn

Director of Finance and Operations

A Chartered Accountant by trade, Jeremy’s experience in private practice, the retail industry and education sector make him the perfect person to govern the school’s finance and operations with meticulous attention to detail.

Jeremy has been part of the NGHS family since 2004 and is proud of its incredible educational offer. With his daughter attending the school from Junior School through to Sixth Form, he knows how empowering its progressive approach is for its students. One of his favourite projects was the development of the Squire Performing Arts Centre, the jewel in our crown of exciting modern facilities.

 

Caroline Forbes

Director of Marketing

Caroline has over 20 years’ experience in marketing and brand in the private, public and not for profit sectors. She started her career in the world of dotcoms before working for several large corporates. She then joined the charity sector, where she worked as Head of Marketing for several UK charities, and most recently as a Marketing Consultant and Director for various social enterprises. In her spare time, Caroline is an avid open water swimmer, chef and singer.

As the proud recipient of an independent girls’ school education herself, Caroline is thrilled to be working at NGHS, where she can share her passion for supporting girls and young women to have a voice in the community and beyond.