Staff & teaching

At CATS Cambridge you will enjoy being taught by tutors with high academic qualifications and rich life experiences. Here are just a few of them...

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College Principal, Managing Director CATS and CSVPA

Dr Glenn Hawkins, PhD

Glenn began his career teaching Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry at New College Cardiff, Norwich School and The Leys in Cambridge. He became Director of Sixth Form Studies at Norwich School and Head of Physics at The Leys before being appointed Principal of Abbey College Cambridge, which he successfully led to the top of the annual Daily Telegraph league table of A-level results for independent sixth form colleges. Glenn then became a Director of the AlphaPlus Group of 21 independent schools and colleges. In this capacity he assumed responsibility for Sales and Marketing along with a number of trouble-shooting roles for the Group's schools and colleges.

Tell us about yourself?
I have worked in international education for 20 years, 13 of those as Principal of several high-achieving independent colleges in the UK. On a personal level, I have four children, enjoy travel and am a passionate supporter of Cambridge United Football Team.

What is your job?
To create a college environment that ensures both staff and students are happy and successful.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?
Being around an international mix of young adults, creating success for individuals, developing life changing positions and working with outstanding colleagues.

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Head of CATS Cambridge

Kevin Savage, BA(Hons) MSc EdD

Kevin's educational experience is notable for its breadth and depth. Kevin has worked as a senior leader in the independent education sector for twenty years, including Headmaster of a co-educational day school in Nottingham. He joined CATS Cambridge as Vice Principal - Quality before becoming Head of College a year later. His doctoral research on performance management highlights his commitment to the key issue of standards and how to achieve high quality in all aspects of educational provision.

Tell us about yourself?
I am a firm believer in the power of lifelong learning and personal development. I have spent over 20 years working as a senior leader in the independent education sector in a number of positions including Director of ICT, Deputy Head and Headmaster. Before that I taught English language and literature to A level in the maintained sector for almost ten years. I am an experienced school inspector and in my spare time enjoy hill walking, sailing and music making. I am married with four children, two of whom are teachers.

What is your job?
To provide leadership for, and oversee the daily management of, CATS Cambridge, building on the success of our inspection reports to ensure that quality is maintained in everything we do. My most important aim is to fulfil the promises we make to our students and parents. I am particularly concerned with ensuring that students’ experiences meet their expectation.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
It is a diverse role and immensely stimulating and I consider it a privilege to make real changes that enhance our students’ educational experience.

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Director of Studies

Tim Joseph, BA(Hons) RSA Dip MA

Tim has worked in EFL for 25 years in Europe, the Far and Middle East. He holds an RSA diploma, a BA in French and English and a Master’s in Applied Linguistics. He has been an IELTS examiner and currently heads the EAP Department at CATS Cambridge and Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts (CSVPA).

Tell us about yourself?
I am a busy father of three teenagers and enjoy football, walking, cooking and travelling. I have worked overseas for over 30 years in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary education which included managing one of the best and largest universities overseas – Sultan Qaboos in Oman.

What do you do?
I look after the language provision, ESL and MFL and focus on personalised learning throughout the College. Part of my job is to ensure the College remains vibrant and successful.

What do you like about your job?
Seeing individual’s achieve academic success, promoting language and cultural awareness and using my passion and the outstanding opportunity we have here to do just that.

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Director of Student Care & Innovation

Antonio Notarnicola BA (Hons) MA

Tell us about yourself?
I am an avid traveller and have lived and worked in China, Japan, Nigeria and Bahrain. My other passion is activity sports and I love snowboarding, surfing and pretty much any outdoor activity there is.

What is your job?
I am interested in what makes our students happy and catering to the widest range of needs; from the induction to the student council, ensuring their voices are heard.

What do you enjoy about your job?
I enjoy working closely with students to ensure their time at CATS is the best it can be. I champion the student voice and enjoy being able to use my knowledge of different cultures to meet the needs of our students.

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Director of Operations

Dave Robinson

Tell us about yourself?
After leaving a successful career in the Royal Navy, I worked for 10 years in several senior management positions before moving to CATS to head the Operations Team. I am happily married, have two wonderful sons and enjoy spending time with my family walking on the Norfolk and Suffolk beaches, going to the cinema and reading. On a sad note I support Wycombe Wanderers!

What is your job?
I have the responsibility for the management/direction of all aspects of the facilities as well as Health and Safety and Catering. I am ably assisted in this role by a strong team who manage domestic services, Health & Safety, catering and facilities.

What do you enjoy about your job?
I enjoy working at the college as there is a great team spirit and make it happen attitude, it is an environment where staff really do go the extra mile to ensure that the best interests of the students are always at the forefront of our focus.

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Deputy Head of Science

Dr Janet Holden, MSc, PhD

Tell us about yourself?
After graduating from a degree in Zoology at Durham University, I progressed to University College London Hospital Medical School to be a PhD research scientist specialising in molecular biology and protein chemistry of cell signalling. I then worked at the National Institute of Health in Washington, USA; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Melbourne, Australia and finally - and most exotically - on the barrier reef whilst at the Australian Institute for Marine Biology.

I then moved back to the UK, qualified as a teacher and worked mainly with disaffected and excluded teenagers trying to motivate and inspire them back into education! A very challenging but rewarding experience which taught me a great deal about the problems some young people face in today’s complex and competitive world. A large part of this work also included working in the area of special needs.

After a long break from science I decided to return and have been teaching biology for the past 5 years, 3 of them at CATS. I love the working environment here and the opportunity to share in the students wonderful diversity. CATS is a special place, wonderful students, wonderful colleagues and a wonderful working environment.

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Senior Advisor for Maths & Science

Mark Whittaker BSc

Tell us about yourself?
I gained a degree in Physics and Theoretical Physics at Durham University, before working in the materials science industry and carrying our R&D (research & development) work; particularly in semi-conductor materials. This also allowed me to develop my Chemistry and Engineering skills.

I began teaching at CATS Cambridge 12 years ago and love the interaction with students from all over the world. It is also great to advise our students on how they can apply their scientific studies to future careers, as I did before moving into teaching.

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Head of Higher Education & Careers

Gunter Morson BSc (Hons), PGDip, QCG

Gunter Morson is one of our true success stories as he was a former student at CATS studying A-levels from 1995-1997. He completed a degree at the University of Hertfordshire in Computing and Manufacturing Systems when he was offered a position at CATS and CSVPA to support our students progressing onto university. In 2002, Gunter left the College to experience other professions, and spent nearly three years working in the television industry for the BBC and Channel 4. Following a successful period of working in the Media, Gunter progressed to sample other careers in Retail, Administration, Manufacturing, IT and the Automotive Industry.

Sadly for these industries, but lucky for us, he felt that his true calling was in education and came back to CATS and CSVPA in 2005. Gunter recently completed a professional qualification with the University of Reading and the Institute of Careers Guidance. This means that he is fully qualified in providing advice and guidance to our students.

Tell us about yourself?
Although I am not a teacher I would describe myself as an educator. I am truly passionate in what I do and I enjoy offering career advice and supporting the needs of young people. I have been working in education for the last 6 years and know that I am in the correct profession.

What is your job?
I help students assess their interests, values, abilities and skills on a one-one basis in order for them to relate these to opportunities for undergraduate courses or employment where appropriate.

A large part of my work is to help students make decisions, develop strategies and to carry out career action plans. Advice is also provided to students on how to present themselves effectively at interview and cope with the transition from our college onto higher education as well as the employment market.

In terms of group work, I also facilitate this process, which is available to any student in the College. Workshops are offered to help students with university applications, personal statements, preparing for university interviews, PSHEE content, CV’s and volunteering opportunities.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?
I do not think there is only one thing that I enjoy most as all parts of my job are rewarding. One specific area, I enjoy, is listening to a student tell me about their aspirations and ambitions. It is discovering what really motivates and drives them to achieve. It is all about the student in my book and all I do is guide them; they are ultimately the drivers for their own success.
 

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Head of English as a Second Language

Bill Smith BA(Hons) CELTA

Bill’s career as an English teacher is one that has taken him all over the world.
Having attended school in the town of Ely, Bill left Cambridgeshire to study for a BA (Joint Honours) in Geography and Archaeology at the University of Manchester, followed by a Postgraduate Certificate in International Business at Manchester Business School.

He then completed a Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) before beginning his teaching career in the Far East. Highlights include teaching English in a Bilingual School in Guangdong Province, China, teaching at a South Korean Elementary School and at the Ansan University, also in South Korea. During the summer of 2007, he visited Dharamsala, India where he worked as a volunteer teacher to Tibetan refugee students.

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History of Art tutor

Ninette Rubinstein BA(Hons) DipAD

Ninette has taught A-level History of Art at CATS for the last six years. She has a lot of experience in teaching this subject and has organised many trips to art galleries and museums in London and abroad.

Earlier in her career, she was an Art school lecturer, taught Art to adults and to GCSE-level students, worked in a Special Needs department of a local secondary school and taught English as a Foreign Language in Tokyo and London. Ninette is also an exhibiting printmaker.

Her qualifications include a BA Hons in English, French and History of Art from the University of Bristol, a DipAD Fine Art from Homsey College of Art and a PGCE from Homerton College, Cambridge.

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Head of the Academic English Programme

Sioban Parker BA(Hons)

Sioban came to CATS Cambridge in 2009, bringing with her over 20 years of experience teaching languages in schools.

She graduated from the University of Salford with a Joint BA Hons in French and German, going on to train to become a teacher at the University of Reading.

Her teaching career began in France, where she spent several years as a lecturer at the University of Poitiers. She then returned to the UK to teach French and German to students of all ages in both the state and the private sector. She also co-authored a book designed to help children learn German.

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Head of Modern Foreign Languages

Sonia Canville BA(Hons) MA

Tell us about yourself?
I'm from France originally and graduated from Paris University. I have been living and teaching in England for 10 years. Before joining CATS, I was doing some research on French politics in Paris.

What do you do?
I'm the Head of Modern Foreign languages and French teacher at CATS. I am responsible for the students and teachers in the Modern Foreign languages department, with its 7 different languages: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish.

What do you enjoy about your job?
I enjoy teaching my language and culture to students and like sharing their experience. I like working in my department because it represents the richness of the different nationalities and languages of the school. Each teacher is a well educated native speaker and is enthusiastic! So, we learn a lot from each other and from the students, of course!

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Tutor of Italian Language & Culture

Dr Anna F. Di Giovannantonio

Tell us about yourself?
I am an Italian native speaker. After achieving a first class MA Degree in Modern Languages and Literature at the University of Naples, in the South of Italy, I went to live in the North of Italy, near Lake Maggiore, where I taught English language and literature and German.

Since coming to England in 1998, I have taught Italian as a foreign language in English schools and worked as a private tutor and as an examinations supervisor in several colleges of the University of Cambridge. I am also an examiner for the Oral Italian Speaking exams.

I have a Diploma in Teaching Italian as a Foreign Language from DILIT, International House in Rome, Italy and I am a registered member of the Institute for Learning. In 2006 I was officially appointed by the Italian General Consulate in London as a Consular Correspondent for the city of Cambridge. I work as a promoter of the Italian language and culture with the Italian Embassy in London.

I am an active member of the Italian society for University of Cambridge and a member of Dante Society in Florence, Italy.

I have enjoyed teaching Italian language and culture at GCSE, AS and A level to International students at CATS since September 2003. I have a great enthusiasm for teaching and I like to share my own culture with other nationalities. Also I have always had a true passion for British culture and literature. My main interests are Foreign Languages, Philosophy, History of Art, European Literature, Dante Studies and Poetry.

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Director of Education - CATS

Jonathan Ullmer, MA LRAM F . Coll.P ACP Dip Arts NPQH

Jonathan took up the role of Principal at CATS Canterbury after 2 years as Vice Principal at CATS Cambridge and retains a brief across both colleges on educational development, staff training and planning. For six years previously he was involved in College leadership and development at a College in Brentwood, along with the welfare of 1,000 students. He has led school development work involving schools and Colleges, and been involved in UK wide national education projects.

Tell us about yourself?
I have a passionate belief in the power of education to change lives and have enjoyed working with a range of schools and colleges in the UK and overseas on teaching methodology and approaches for over 25 years. Its great to still be in touch with so many students and hearing of their success and achievements, as young people lie at the heart of everything we do. I have enjoyed publishing work and helping schools and students alike win a range of national awards and feel very privileged to work with so many young people who will become the leaders of tomorrow.

I also enjoy sailing and have studied at universities in France, Canada and the UK. I am married with two young children and very much look forward to meeting you in Canterbury.

What do you like most about your job?
Working with staff and young people and helping to make all CATS Colleges amazing places for everyone.

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Maths Tutor - CATS Cambridge

Rob Mathers, MMath (Hons) PGCE

I studied a Mathematics Master's Degree at Durham University, specialising in Pure Mathematics. In my fourth year of study I worked in a group designing and analysing the Mathematics of different bubbles and how this could be used in other topics. After graduating I taught in three schools in the South West of England, before joining CATS Cambridge just over a year ago. I have loved working with students from all over the world and finding out which different parts of Maths they've studied and enjoyed.

As well as being a Maths Tutor and a PT at CATS, I also work with the student council, helping to make the changes that students want to see happen in the College. Outside of college I captain one of the University of Cambridge college's MCR football teams, and I also play guitar in a band who gig in Cambridge.

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Please contact the College if you would like further information about the number of teaching staff and a summary of their qualifications.