Staff

At Drumbeat we are very fortunate to have an eclectic blend of staff with a range of talents, skills, expertise and experience all working together seamlessly to deliver a high quality education for pupils with Autism.

We have a leadership team made up of 8 members:

Marie Neave

Executive Headteacher

Emily Thompson

Head of School (Downham)

Denise Gallagher

Head of school (Brockley)

Bryony Bowen

Head of School (Turnham)

Marina Olympidis-Slattery

Assistant Headteacher

Rebecca Day

Assistant Headteacher

Poppy Wells

Assistant Headteacher

Charlotte Finch

School Business Director

Drumbeat believes that staff are our greatest resource in supporting our children and young people with Autism. All staff receive a robust training program and are encouraged to look for opportunities to expand their own continuing professional development. All staff at Drumbeat are trained and accredited to Level 2 by the Autism Education Trust.
 
 
Teachers
We have a strong team of specialist teachers all of whom bring a range of skills and experience to the classroom. A number of our staff have studied autism and special educational needs at a higher level and hold Masters qualifications in these areas. 
 
 
Support Staff 
 
In every class at Drumbeat we have 2-3 teaching assistants who support the learning of pupils within a particular group. Our TAs are highly skilled at supporting the learning and individual needs of pupils.  
 
Instructors 
 
We have a strong team of Instructors working across the school. They perform a range of key roles, including supporting teaching in classes, leading on delivering specific projects and subject specific qualifications. Instructors also lead on supporting and nurturing Teaching Assistants when they are new to the Drumbeat team.
 
 
Therapists 
 
As a school we employ our own team of Therapists to work integrally across the school with pupils and staff. As a result we have developed a very successful format of trans-disciplinary working where the therapy often takes place in the classroom with staff learning from one another. This in turn means that the impact of the therapeutic approach stays in the classroom long after the therapist has left, having a far-reaching affect.
 
Check out our Therapy pages.
 


Drumbeat is supported by an Office Team
  • Donna Gale -  Office and finance manager
  • Karen Peachey- School Receptionist Downham 
  • Yanique Harlley - School Receptionist Brockley 
  • Madison Milne - School Receptionist Turnham  
  • Claire Smith - School Administrator
  • Hendrina Smith - PA to the Executive Headteacher
  • Alex Cronin: Outreach Coordinator 
  • Sarah Mays - HR Manager   
 
 
Premises Managers:
  •  Andrew Porter
  • Erica De Freitas 

In addition to our large school based staff team we also have an Outreach Team working in schools across Lewisham. The team is based at the Drumbeat Turnham site and is led by Sonia Gannon, Lead Outreach Teacher. 

Check out our Outreach pages.