Mr D Whitehead

OCMAT Chief Executive Officer

Hello.  My name is Mr Whitehead.  I am very proud to be the CEO  of OCMAT Academy Trust. I have been a teacher for many years and I love my job! 

I support Liverpool Football club.  I enjoy listening to all sorts of music but my favourite group is The Beatles.  I also enjoy watching films, my favourite film at the moment is ‘Cars’.  I have two children Jack (aged 3), Mollie (aged 1). They keep me very busy.

Please say hello to me when you see me around your school, I always enjoy finding out what you have been learning.

Mrs Hurst

Executive Headteacher

My name is Mrs Hurst and I have been teaching at Minterne for many, many years. This is because I love this school and would not want to work anywhere else.

When I was small I went to lots of different schools and finally settled in Devon. I moved to Canterbury to go to University and loved living here so I stayed in Kent.

When I am not in school, I love watching films, reading and politics (!) My favourite book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen which I insisted my husband read on holiday. He made me read his favourite book Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks. That is not my favourite book. I also love comedy as I believe laughing every day is very important. I have got two children who entertain, delight and frustrate me on a daily basis.

My favourite subject to teach is maths because I love the moment when a child suddenly ‘gets it’. That feeling is why I wanted to teach and still love it.

Ms Warner (previously Mrs Hadfield)

Head of School

My name is Ms Warner and my job is the Head of School at Minterne (some children say I am Mrs Hurst’s ‘assistant’, which I quite like!). In 1995, I was a student at Minterne and after university I came back to work at Minterne; I have been here ever since!

The reason that I have stayed at Minterne for so long is because it is like a huge family to me; the children and the teachers all have so much fun together and there is nearly always an exciting activity of some kind or another going on. In fact, I have been working at Minterne longer than I lived with my parents!

I live by the sea with my twin boys. I enjoy running and do the local Park Run most weekends. Cooking is a hobby of mine too and my family all enjoy visiting for dinner on a Sunday. I also like shopping and buy far too many clothes, bags and shoes! I am quite creative and enjoy making things and sewing if I have time.

In fact, if you come to Minterne, you will notice my Accelerated Reader display in the entrance hall. My favourite subject to teach is English and so the best part of my job now is visiting all the classes and handing out the reading certificates each term