Beeleigh Language Hub

MRS C. PEETERS - Hub Lead

Further to completion of A levels in German, French and English Literature, I studied for a BA Hons in English and German Literature at the University of Warwick. I spent a year working as an English Language Assistant at the Fuerstenzell Gymnasium in Passau, Germany prior to graduating in 2003.

The following year I attained a DELF 2nd Degré qualification with the Institut Francais and completed 3 months’ work experience in France. I was then employed as a European Sales Executive for an online education subscription service.

Subsequently, I embarked on study for a PGCE in MFL at Sussex University, which I completed in 2006. My first appointment was at Sunbury Manor School, teaching French and German to GCSE level. Further to attaining a TEFL Certificate and following my marriage, I spent a year in Israel learning Hebrew and working as a freelance English teacher.

I returned to the UK in 2009, first working as a Languages Teacher and International Partnerships Coordinator at Hall Mead School, Upminster and then joining Anglo European School, initially as Head of German, before being promoted to Head of Languages in 2017 and then to Assistant Headteacher in 2020. I am currently on secondment as Associate Deputy Headteacher.

I have experience of working with pupils across a wide range of abilities, from native speakers through to students with SEND. I have prepared students for the FCSE, GCSE, A level and IB qualifications.

As Head of Languages, I was responsible for a department of 22 teachers and a curriculum comprising 8 different foreign languages. My achievements in this role include curriculum redesign and implementation, extensive staff development and participation in a research project in conjunction with Cambridge University to establish how teachers might boost languages learning.

My responsibilities as Assistant Headteacher are Teaching and Learning, Performance Management and Professional Development. I also have oversight of the Literacy Strategy, ITT and ECF and management of the Arts and Technology departments as well as the school library. My achievements include development and implementation of a Teaching and Learning Policy, launch of a literacy strategy and design and implementation of an in-house coaching programme to enhance teacher development and performance.

In 2019 I completed the NPQSL, thereby underpinning my practical experience of leadership and management with strong theoretical foundations. An additional significant element to my professional development was attainment of a Diploma in Executive Coaching through the Academy of Executive Coaching (AoEC), strengthening my capability as a leader and coach.

I enjoy sharing experience with other schools and in 2021 I was appointed ELE (Evidence Lead in Education) for Essex. This role entails working closely with the Research School Network under the Education Endowment Foundation to support schools in the Essex region in school improvement matters.

Mrs H. Latimer - Specialist Teacher

Hannah Latimer graduated with a BA Hons in French and Spanish in 2012 from Lancaster University, having spent time teaching at Colegio San Viator in Madrid where she also attained the CELTA qualification and having studied at L'institut supérieur de traducteurs et interprètes in Brussels. Hannah completed her PGCE at Middlesex University in 2013. Since then, Hannah has taught at Anglo European School and became Head of Spanish in 2015. In 2019 Hannah began coordinating the teaching of Russian, Italian & Japanese in the school and in 2020 was promoted to Head of Languages, leading a department of 22 teachers, covering 8 different languages. The department achieved their best results to date in Summer 2022 with a progress 8 of +0.89 with consistently positive progress 8 across disadvantaged, EAL, EHCP and SEND students.

Hannah is experienced working with pupils across a wide range of abilities, having taught from Year 7 through to Sixth Form, including both A level and the International Baccalaureate. Hannah has led a Teaching & Learning group on Assessment and is currently seconded to the Leadership team with a focus on whole-school Assessment. Hannah has also co-led whole-staff training following research into mixed ability teaching and coordinated annual teacher workshops for the Confucius classroom hub. In 2023, Hannah was awarded the UCL IoE Excellence award for her contribution to the promotion and support of Chinese. Hannah is an examiner for the International Baccalaureate with a specific focus on the speaking examination. Additionally, Hannah has successfully mentored a number of student teachers and Early Career Teachers and achieved the NASBTT accredited level 1 in effective mentoring and coaching. Hannah was appointed a Specialist Lead in Education in 2019 and has offered bespoke support to other MFL departments. Furthermore, Hannah has co-facilitated the Teacher Subject Specialist Training, supporting and developing practitioners in order to improve their subject knowledge.

In 2018, the school introduced Arabic with the support of the Qatar Foundation. Since then, Hannah has spoken at the Qatar Foundation International Annual Conference, co-leading a session on "Offering Arabic as a Modern Foreign Language in your school: Why and How" in which she shared the implementation process of adding a new language to the school curriculum.

A particular interest for Hannah is the development of enrichment opportunities for students. She has designed and implemented a school-wide “Language of the Month” programme to promote different taught and community languages. Hannah has developed an enrichment calendar for the department and our Primary feeder schools and enjoys watching students’ enthusiasm for language and culture grow.

Mrs S. Porsz - Specialist Teacher

I fell in love with German when I first learned it at school and it was this love that then made me want to go on to study German and French Joint Honours at UCL, graduating in 2004. I then qualified as a teacher of German and French ten years ago, was first promoted to Head of German and I am now the International Baccalaureate (IB) Coordinator in my current school, the Anglo European School, Essex.

We teach eight languages in total at the Anglo European School through a varied curriculum with each student taking two languages in Key Stage 4 and then having the choice of A level German or IB Standard or Higher Level German in the Sixth Form. I enjoy teaching a wide variety of students and firmly believe that all students can learn a language. As part of my degree, I spent six months living in Vienna and I am very excited to be leading a Citizenship and History visit to the city this summer for the first time and I take a group of Sixth Form students to Frankfurt each spring to complete work experience through our long-standing partner school. I love mentoring and coaching other teachers and I am very excited to start work as a GEM and to help other schools to increase uptake of or to introduce German.