About Us

Leadership team

Elizabeth Wells

Senior Deputy Head

Elizabeth Wells

Senior Deputy Head

Elizabeth Wells is the Senior Deputy Head. She joined Sevenoaks in 2025 from Bradfield College, a coeducational day and boarding IB school in Berkshire, where she was Deputy Academic Head.

Prior to this, she was Head of Economics at North London Collegiate School, where she also worked as Head of Middle School and Deputy Safeguarding Lead. She started her teaching career at Highgate School, where she completed her PGCE. She brings a wealth of both academic and pastoral experience to Sevenoaks.

Before teaching, Elizabeth worked in the UK Government as an Economic Adviser for both the Ministry of Justice and HM Treasury. She holds two degrees in Economics: a first-class BSc from York and an MPhil from Cambridge. She also earned a Distinction in her MBA from Coventry. Elizabeth enjoys netball and hockey and has coached both sports throughout her career.

On joining the school in September 2025, Elizabeth said: “I am delighted to be joining the vibrant and diverse community at Sevenoaks. It’s a particularly exciting time to be joining the school as we continue to build on a fantastic school history with the Sevenoaks 600 strategy. I’m especially looking forward to my family being a part of a global, forward-looking community, and to supporting students and staff in both academic endeavour and flourishing in all aspects of life.”

Deputy Head Academic Mr Chris Taylor

Chris Taylor

Deputy Head Academic
Deputy Head Academic Mr Chris Taylor

Chris Taylor

Deputy Head Academic

Chris attended King’s College School, Wimbledon, read Classics at Trinity College, Oxford and completed a PGCE in Classics at Cambridge.

Chris began his teaching career at Brentwood School, Essex where he became a PGCE mentor, supporting other teachers into the profession. He was also a UCAS coordinator and supported Sixth Form students with the UCAS process. He then moved to Tonbridge Grammar School where he was Head of Classics and Deputy Director of Sixth Form. There he taught the IB Diploma and had sole responsibility for university entrance, managing UCAS applications and supporting Oxbridge and international applicants.

He became Head of Classics at Sevenoaks in 2012. He has worked closely with the school’s Institute of Teaching and Learning (ITL) and been in charge of the Model United Nations co-curricular activities. He is a dynamic leader, an incisive thinker and is committed to the academic success of Sevenoaks School.

Tom Danby

Interim Deputy Head Co-curriculum

Tom Danby

Interim Deputy Head Co-curriculum

Tom gained his undergraduate degree from Loughborough before completing his Masters at Homerton College, Cambridge.

After a career in Transport Planning, he began his teaching career at St John’s School, Leatherhead before moving to King’s Ely.  He was Head of KS4 Geography and Assistant Housemaster before making the move to Sevenoaks in 2015.

In his time at Sevenoaks he has coached rugby, football, cricket and most recently golf as well as attending a wide variety of trips.  In boarding he has worked in Johnsons, School House and most recently, as Housemaster of Aisher House.

“The co-curriculum is a cornerstone of a Sevenoaks education.  It gives pupils the chance to discover new skills and explore opportunities, enriching their enjoyment of school life and the depth of their learning experience.  The greatest challenge for pupils is simply finding enough time to try everything on offer”.

Nichola Haworth

Deputy Head Boarding

Nichola Haworth

Deputy Head Boarding

Nichola’s school years were divided between the UK and the UAE. She read Physics at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, then completed her PGCE.

She taught at Kimbolton School in Cambridgeshire, before arriving at Sevenoaks in 1998 where she immediately joined the boarding team.

Since then, Nichola has worked in a number of boarding roles, including Housemistress of the Girls’ International House for 12 years. From 2008 she also held the post of Head of Boarding, leading the team of boarding housemasters and housemistresses, managing boarding staff and working with the various support teams in school. She was appointed Deputy Head Boarding in 2021. Alongside this, she remains an enthusiastic teacher of Physics, is part of the CCF (RAF), helps with DofE training and gets involved with all aspects of boarding life.

“Boarding is at the heart of so much that we do at Sevenoaks, adding greatly to the diversity of the school, and creating a culture of education that doesn’t end when the last lesson bell rings.”

Jon Lidiard

Deputy Head Pastoral

Jon Lidiard

Deputy Head Pastoral

Jon attended boarding school and earned a first-class degree in Classics from Oriel College, Oxford.

He began his teaching career as Head of Classics at St Columba’s College in St Albans, an HMC day school, and was subsequently Head of Classics and a housemaster at Sedbergh School, Cumbria.

Jon is a progressive, emerging leader who demonstrates great insight into best practice in top schools. At Sevenoaks his pastoral role sees him maintain a central focus on student flourishing and wellbeing, guided by student voice, and he also leads on all aspects of safeguarding. He continues to enjoy Classics teaching and rugby coaching, as well as running in Knole Park (and beyond!).

“It remains a great privilege to be Deputy Head Pastoral here at Sevenoaks. The atmosphere is dynamic and inspiring, driven by the energy and ambition which our students exude, while understanding that kindness is at the heart of our community, and their success. My role is a simple one: to ensure that the welfare and best outcomes of all our students remain central to everything we do.”

Helen Tebay

Deputy Head Staff

Helen Tebay

Deputy Head Staff

Helen comes from Kent and attended two local schools before studying Mathematics at Cambridge.

She taught at Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School before coming to Sevenoaks in 1997, where she has been a teacher of Mathematics, sports coach, RAF officer, DofE trainer, choir member and enthusiastic supporter of trips, plays, concerts and exhibitions.

Her previous roles at Sevenoaks include Lower School Tutor, Middle School Divisional Head, Sixth Form Divisional Head and in 2012 she became Deputy Head Pastoral. She was appointed Deputy Head Staff in 2021.

“Having been involved in so many areas of the school, I know it extensively and truly believe in its ethos. The school is its people and the relationships between all those people is key.

“It is very important to me is that the staff really know the pupils, make time for them, value them as individuals, care about their happiness and aim to develop the thoughtful, caring side of their characters as well as their intellect and ambition. At the same time I want all staff to thrive in their respective roles, to enjoy working together, to look out for each other and to know they are valued members of the school.”

Vanessa FitzGerald

Director of Admissions

Vanessa FitzGerald

Director of Admissions

After studying History at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, Vanessa worked for OxBridge Academic Programmes in New York, and then as a corporate communications consultant in London.

She joined Sevenoaks as a History teacher in 2012 and was appointed as Head of History in 2016 and then Sixth Form Divisional Head in 2017.  She continues to teach History, alongside her role as Director of Admissions. She has three children, one of whom is an Old Sennockian.

Emma El-Alami

Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel

Emma El-Alami

Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel

Emma has already fulfilled important roles since joining Sevenoaks in January 2022, including Assistant Bursar, Director of Governance and Compliance, and Clerk to the Governors.

Before joining Sevenoaks, Emma had a career in the City in the banking sector, in a range of senior leadership roles involving business transformation, integration and project management. This included as a Head of Employee Relations and Head of Employment Law for the EMEA region. Emma has also worked in a director role for a Japanese pharmaceutical company, in addition to roles in the public sector and private practice. Alongside her legal qualifications, Emma is also an accredited mediator. She loves Sevenoaks and is bursting with ideas about how to make it even better.  

Stuart Ansell

Chief Financial Officer

Stuart Ansell

Chief Financial Officer

Stuart graduated from Cardiff University with a degree in Economics and Politics.

He joined Deloitte where he qualified as an accountant, and after qualifying moved to a leading professional education group where he delivered exam training to accountancy trainees, developing a passion for education. Gradually leaving the classroom behind, Stuart has spent 20 years in senior financial and operational leadership positions in professional, higher and independent school education.

Before joining Sevenoaks, Stuart worked with the Reigate Grammar School family of schools, and spending eight years as Chief Operating Officer at a day and boarding school in Surrey. 

 

Darren Davies

Chief Commercial Officer

Darren Davies

Chief Commercial Officer

Although initially a civil engineer, Darren eventually migrated towards financial management and the manufacturing sector with Unipart International Ltd before moving into school management as Bursar and Group COO of a number of premier independent schools.

A Chartered Accountant with an MSc from Liverpool in Strategic and Operational Management, Darren now focuses primarily on commercial development and has helped a number of organisations within both the private and independent school sector to develop commercial opportunities, both in the UK and in a number of countries overseas including Brazil, Uzbekistan, Russia and the UAE.

Joanna Walker

Chief Development Officer

Joanna Walker

Chief Development Officer

With over 20 years’ experience in fundraising, finance and philanthropy in the UK and internationally, Joanna is a giving specialist with deep insight into philanthropy from all sides.

Joanna has worked with donors and clients on their philanthropy at Charities Aid Foundation, Chichester Festival Theatre and UBS Wealth Management. At Impetus Trust, Joanna was a founding member of the Education Endowment Foundation steering group and is passionate about bringing her skills to help widen access to the world-leading education that Sevenoaks provides. Joanna is also a member of the Development Committee of Sussex Community Foundation.

Rebecca Dunstan

Director of Marketing and Communications

Rebecca Dunstan

Director of Marketing and Communications

Rebecca has led Sevenoaks School’s marketing and communications since 2019.

She has more than 25 years’ experience in marketing, communications, public relations and brand management, working both agency and in-house. Her background is in delivering innovative marketing and communications strategies for leading education, consumer and business brands.

Award-winning campaigns include, ‘The 3D Mummy’ for the British Museum and SGI, and ‘Understanding RoHS and WEEE’ for Premier Farnell.

She is a Mental Health First Aider, and a member of the EDI Steering Committee at Sevenoaks.

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