Our Oxford Staff

Our staff make us who we are. From the student services officers to the teachers, you will have dealings with them every day. We are happy to have the chance to introduce them to you now!

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Admin Team

Paul, School Director

Hello, my name is Paul and I am the School Director at British Study Centres in Oxford. I've been in the English language business for over ten years and have worked in several countries - Russia, Saudi Arabia, Korea and most recently Malaysia.

My job here in Oxford is to make sure that our students have the best possible experience both in the classroom and in Oxford in general. We have a great, modern centre here with wonderful, experienced teachers.

Outside work I enjoy spending time with my family, eating in restaurants and doing my best to keep fit!

Sarah, Head of Student Services

My name is Sarah and I've been at British Study Centres for over 2 years. I moved to Oxford from London quite recently and as a newcomer to the city it still 'takes my breath away', because it is such a beautiful and inspiring place.

I have a BA in English Literature, a Celta Qualification and have taught, travelled and worked in many different areas before coming to Oxford. At home, I have two sons aged 10 and 12 who keep me busy as well as a large and bouncy puppy who loves walking on nearby Port Meadow and swimming in the River Thames.

Meeting such a wide range of people from all over the world is certainly the best thing about British Study Centres, and I can vouch for the hard work, friendliness and enthusiasm of the Student Services team to ensure that you have a good time in Oxford.

Katia, Student Services Officer

Hi, my name is Katia and I work in the Student Services Department. I come from Italy but I have been living in Oxford for almost 5 years and I strongly suggest you come and visit it as it's such a lovely place! Here you can meet so many people from all over the world and I really enjoy hearing all the stories of our foreign students!

I also love travelling, music and especially dancing the tango!

Having learnt to live abroad myself, I can really understand any problems you might have when you are away from home, so if you have any questions, come and see me and I will do my best to help you during your stay with us.

I hope to see you here at our school very soon!

Dawn, Accommodation Manager

Hi, I'm Dawn. I've been here over 8 years now and I am the Accommodation and Office Manager. I've completed and passed a counselling course. I'm responsible for all accommodation placements including Homestay & Student House.

Before all this I did a National Diploma in Travel and Tourism and Business studies, then managed an Independent Travel Agency and a department in a Tour Operator for the following 12 years. Have travelled extensively all over the world for both work and pleasure.

Holidays and travelling are very important to me, as well as spending time with family and friends, walking the dog, re-vamping my home and eating out! That's about it really. Hope to see you soon.

Fereshteh, Accommodation Officer

My name is Fereshteh. I am originally from Persia. I have been living in the beautiful historic city of Oxford for many years and loved every moment of it. My previous work experiences were in publishing and I also worked for many years as an Estate Agent in Oxford.

I enjoy travelling, eating out, socialising, skiing, tennis, gym and lots more.

Meeting new people from around the world is something I particularly enjoy and consequently I feel I am in the right job working for BSC.

Kate, Accounts Administrator

Although based in Oxford I am responsible for the accounts administration of all three British Study Centres Schools of English. I have been here since 2000 and can see a tremendous growth in the Schools, especially Oxford. This obviously means I have a very busy role.

I originally come from London, and am relatively new to Oxford, as our family lived up north for over twenty years, moving down to this area with my husband's job. I live in a very pretty little village, but it's a bit isolated with only a pub, church and post box. My three children have all grown up and I'm waiting patiently for them to have families of their own.

Nilo, Accounts Assistant

Hello, my name is Nilo and I work in the accounts department. I am new to British Study Centres and really enjoy working with the friendly staff.

I originally come from Sri Lanka and moved to this beautiful historic city with my husband's new job appointment.

I like gardening, cycling and walking around Oxfordshire.

Academic Staff

Dominic, Academic Director

Hi - I'm Dominic, and I started working at British Study Centres Oxford in October 2009. I've been an English language teacher, trainer and manager for over 10 years and I worked most of that time in three beautiful countries in Latin America - Colombia, Bolivia and Ecuador.

I feel very lucky to be living in Oxford, and enjoy the fabulous architecture and museums here. I also enjoy walking and camping along the ancient trails that run through and near the city.

My work interests centre on course and lesson planning – I'm fascinated by the endless possibilities of the language classroom. Outside of work, I enjoy running, yoga, playing guitar, reading and travel.

Mish, Course Manager & Teacher

Hi my name's Mish and I've been teaching at BSC since September 2006 which is when I first came to Oxford. Previously I taught English in Worthing for six years, so moving to Oxford was strange for me, being away from the sea! Now I love Oxford and I'm sure you will too!

Since coming to Oxford I've renovated my house and completed my DELTA teaching diploma. One of the loveliest things about living and working in Oxford is being able to cycle to work along the River Thames! When I'm not working I enjoy horse riding or cycling in the wonderful surrounding countryside.

Steve, Head of Teacher Training

I joined British Study Centres, Oxford in August 2008. I have been teaching English for more than 25 years and have trained teachers at all levels in Spain, the USA and the UK in both the private and public sector. I am a Joint Chief Assessor for the Cambridge ESOL Celta and Delta schemes. My main interests have recently focused on adapting the use of ICT and e-learning for teacher training and language courses.

Teaching Staff

Hayley, Teacher & Teacher Trainer

Hi, my name's Hayley. I first taught at BSC in the summer of 2002 and have been a full-time teacher here since July 2004. For the 2 years in between, I lived and taught English in Porto, Portugal which was hard work but a great experience.

I enjoy teaching to all ages and levels but particularly like working at BSC because we have a really good bunch of friendly, relaxed staff and students. I'm also having lots of fun living in Oxford - there's always plenty of choice of things to do and new people to meet.

Outside work, I love travelling, any kind of dancing, socialising and eating out. I'm currently eating my way round Oxford trying every restaurant in town!

Sian, Teacher & Teacher Trainer

Hi, my name's Sian. I've been at BSC since August 2005 but I know Oxford well as I grew up in the area. I have a degree in French and have spent time studying and working in the country. For the past 3 and a half years I've been teaching English in Northern Spain and Sicily and I came back to Oxford this year to do the DELTA course. Studying for the course means I don't get much free time at the moment! but I enjoy travelling, and going snowboarding whenever I can.

Tim, Teacher & Teacher Trainer

Hi everyone! I've now been here since 1999 and am still enjoying it as much as when I started. I joined the school after teaching in both Thailand and Spain. In 2001 I gained the DELTA qualification and became involved in materials design for courses such as 'British Studies' 'Media and Communication' and 'Pronunciation and Communication Skills'. More recently I have become one of our Assistant Directors of Studies and a teacher trainer on the CELTA courses we run here in Oxford.

Outside of work is now mostly spent doing things with my partner and our two young children, Heather (2 years) and the new little boy in the family, Kosta (9 months). Apart from them, I continue to have a passion for cooking, especially Thai food, which I got addicted to when working there.

Simon, Teacher & Teacher Trainer

Hi I'm Simon and I've been a teacher for 22 years. For nine of those years I have taught abroad mainly in Spain, France and Saudi Arabia, but for the last 13 years I have been teaching in Oxford and for most of the time at BSC! A typical year for me is split between teaching students and tutoring trainer teachers for their CELTA qualification.

In my free time my interests include writing, playing cricket and spending time with my daughter.

Karina, Teacher & Exam Co-ordinator

Hi, I'm Karina. I've been teaching at BSC since April 2007 and really like it here. Before coming to Oxford I taught English in Australia, Germany and Singapore.

I was born and grew up in Singapore and have also lived in Australia, Germany and France. I love travelling and meeting new people. When I'm not busy studying for my DELTA I like to visit new places and spend time with friends. See you soon!

Sam, Resouce Manager & Teacher

Hi there, I'm Sam. I have been teaching at BSC since July 2006 and have loved every minute of my time here so far! I really enjoy my job because it offers the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, while at the same time it allows me to live in the beautiful city of Oxford.

Before coming here, I lived, studied and worked in the USA, Italy and South America so, like all the staff at the school, I know what it feels like to be away from home. But travelling, together with eating, reading, laughing and getting to know new people are some of my favourite activities, so I look forward to meeting you soon!

Elena, Teacher

I've been teaching English at BSC Oxford since November 2007 and I have lived and taught English in Russia as well as in Kazakhstan, which was a fascinating experience. What I really love about our school in Oxford are its professional and friendly staff and working with people from such rich and varied cultural backgrounds. I'm currently studying for my Diploma in English Language Teaching with BSC and I have to admit it keeps me very busy! When I finish my diploma I will be able to go back to my normal life which usually involves spending time with my friends, meeting new people, travelling, reading, cooking and of course I am a dedicated follower of fashion!

Hester, Teacher

I started teaching English after I graduated in Italian and wanted to live in Italy. When my children were young I worked from home as an editor of ELT books and then decided to write my own - I've written two grammar practice books and am currently writing the advanced level edition. I've been working at BSC Oxford since April 2008 and I've met lots of wonderful people!

Dita, Teacher

Hi, I'm Dita. I've been teaching English for 7 years. I started working at British Study Centres Oxford in June 2008 and I love it! The staff are really friendly and the students are great! Before I came to Oxford I taught English in the Czech Republic, which I really enjoyed as well. In my free time I like cooking for friends and playing board games. I also like to go swimming or do yoga when I get the chance.

Alicja, Teacher

Hi, I'm Alicja. I've been teaching English for 4 years. I started working at British Study Centres Oxford in February 2009 and I really enjoy it. What I like most about this school is its pleasant and friendly atmosphere.

Before coming to Oxford, I've lived, studied and worked in beautiful cities of Krakow (Poland) and Freiburg in Breisgau (Germany), which was an unforgettable experience.

In addition to teaching English, I'm interested in Cultural Studies. In my free time I love travelling, doing sightseeing and spending time with my family and friends.

Matt, Teacher

Hi, I'm Matt. I've been teaching English since 1992. I have worked in Poland and Germany and have also taught A level English literature and film studies in England. I have just started working here and really enjoy it. I'm very interested in music and spend a lot of my free time going to gigs all over the country (and the world!)

Helen, Teacher

Hi, I'm Helen. I've been a teacher at BSC for a year now and can't believe how quickly time has passed! Before I joined the school I worked at several English schools in Oxford and for two years I was a teacher in Spain. I love my job as it allows me to get to know so many new people from all walks of life. Every day is different. I particularly enjoy working at BSC because everyone is so friendly and supportive.

At the moment I'm working on my DELTA so am very busy but when I get some free time I love going out with friends and catching up on all the gossip! I really look forward to seeing you soon!

Leda, Teacher

Hi there! My name's Leda and I've been teaching at BSC since the summer of 2009. I've got a BA in English and Portuguese Language and Literature and I've been a teacher since 1995. Before moving to Oxford, I taught in Brazil, where I had the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and learn a bit about their jobs, as many were interested in business English.

The variety I encounter here thrills me and I'm happy to know every class will be an opportunity to learn about different points of view and cultures from the source!

I'm addicted to Brazilian music and I spend my free time catching up with friends, cooking, reading and watching films.

Sarah, Teacher

Hi! My name's Sarah. I've been teaching at BSC since October 2008. I love world music and learning about different cultures so it's great to be in a job where I get to meet people from all over the world. I've been in Oxford for 4 years and before that lived and worked in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

When I'm not working I enjoying spending time with family and hanging out with friends. I'm currently attempting to learn both Spanish and the guitar and I love drawing and painting. Have fun in Oxford - it's a great city!