Welcome to Westbourne Academy!

Meet The Staff

Meet the Westbourne Academy Team

Welcome

One of the strengths of Westbourne Academy is the warm welcome we offer to all our students.

We wish you a successful and enjoyable experience in the UK and we look forward to seeing you at Westbourne Academy soon!

Meet Our Staff

RICHARD SURTEES

Managing Director

RICHARD SURTEES

Managing Director

I am a senior manager at New City College in London and Managing Director at Westbourne Academy. The school has a good mix of dedicated and friendly staff, a perfect location and competitive prices. It has been a pleasure working with the team to develop all aspects of the school, and I am proud of what we have achieved.

MARK HALLS

Principal/Designated Safeguarding Lead

MARK HALLS

Principal/Designated Safeguarding Lead

I started at WA in 1996 as the Director of Studies and as a teacher and I am now Principal, Male Welfare officer and the Safeguarding lead. Previously I taught in other schools in the UK and also in Italy and Germany and have been involved in this industry for over 30 years. I really enjoy the day to day contact with our International students and still keep in contact with some of my original students I taught over 30 years ago. In my free time I enjoy playing golf and tennis and going to the gym.

KATHRYN CONNOLLY

Head of Administration

KATHRYN CONNOLLY

Head of Administration

I started at WBA at the beginning of 2023 having previously worked as an Office Manager for an Engineering company. I have taken on the role of Head of Administration at WBA and each day is different which I love. The staff are so helpful, the students are friendly and there is a positive and caring atmosphere throughout the school. The location is an added bonus! Outside of work I enjoy horse riding in the New Forest where I grew up, beach runs in the summer and socialising with family and friends. This often includes trying out many of the wonderful restaurants in the Bournemouth area or discovering new places for walks along the coast.

VANESSA ELPHICK

Head of Accommodation/Assistant Designated Safeguarding Lead

VANESSA ELPHICK

Head of Accommodation/Assistant Designated Safeguarding Lead

I am the Head of of Accommodation, Female Welfare Officer and Deputy Safeguarding Lead. I started hosting students over 20 years ago before joining the team at Westbourne Academy in 2014. Westbourne Academy is like a big family, with lovely colleagues and with a great ethos. My job in accommodation is very varied, I place students with our homestays, talk to families daily, visit new homes, welcome students on arrival, and also help them with welfare issues. Outside work I love walking, spending time with my family and cooking.

LOUISE INGHAM

Director of Studies

LOUISE INGHAM

Director of Studies

Over the last 17 years I have been fortunate to have worked in education in different countries including Slovakia, Vietnam, Spain, Kazakhstan, Myanmar and Thailand. I have worked in various teaching, training and management positions. Here at Westbourne Academy, I am the Director of Studies. I love the varied mix of nationalities and diverse cultures we work with and just how motivated and committed our students are to learning English. I am originally from the North-East of England, but I love living in Bournemouth and being able to go for walks along the beach. In my free-time I enjoy going to fitness classes and I am also passionate about music and the theatre.

MR GARFIELD

Academic Administrator

MR GARFIELD

Academic Administrator

I started at Westbourne Academy in 1996. I left in December 1999 to teach English in Brownsville, but returned to Westbourne Academy in 2011. I have been teaching English for over 30 years in various countries, including Panama and Mexico, where I had my own school.

SIMONA RESTIFO PECORELLA

Office Assistant

SIMONA RESTIFO PECORELLA

Office Assistant

I feel I was destined to get a job at WA, as the majority of my housemates in my previous homestay had studied here and had always told me brilliant things about the Academy!

ERIN WHITLEY

Language School Manager

ERIN WHITLEY

Language School Manager

I joined Westbourne Academy in 2015 working in the administration and am now the Language School Manager helping to support the Principal. Throughout my childhood, my family hosted international students and I always loved learning about different cultures and hearing about their experiences. In my free time, you will find me chasing after my two young boys who keep me very busy!

MR JACOB

Teacher

MR JACOB

Teacher

Having completed the Cambridge CELTA course in 2012, I joined Westbourne Academy as a summer school teacher. On completion of the summer term, I was asked to continue at the school and became a full-time member of staff shortly after that.

CLARE VINCENT

Teacher

CLARE VINCENT

Teacher

I moved from London in 2013 and left my career in Social Work to retrain as a CELTA Teacher here in Bournemouth in 2016. I've since gained valuable teaching experience here at Westbourne Academy as a permanent member of staff and I enjoy being able to contribute to high quality student-centred teaching and learning. I spent some of my childhood living in Warsaw, Poland, so the love of international travel, different cultures and languages has stayed with me. It is a privilege to be able to teach students from all around the world. I particularly enjoy helping students prepare for their Cambridge English exams and learning about their achievements. Bournemouth is great for long walks along the beach and beautiful sunsets when the weather is good! I also enjoy walking in the New Forest.

MURRAY NEIL

Teacher

MURRAY NEIL

Teacher

I've been teaching English for over 27 years now, mostly in the UK but I've also lived and worked in South America and the Middle East. I started working at Westbourne Academy about 6 years ago and I love meeting students of all different nationalities and helping them to develop their English skills. I really enjoy all aspects of teaching, but in particular I have a passion for assisting students with their spoken English and pronunciation. In my free time, I like running along the beach to keep fit and I'm a huge music fan with a collection of over 5000 vinyl records.

PETER CHANDLER

Teacher

PETER CHANDLER

Teacher

I started at WA in January 2023. Between 2012 and 2022 I completed the CELTA and DELTA teaching qualifications and taught English close to the centre of Bournemouth. Before then, I was a qualified state-school teacher for 6 years and a qualified accountant for many years - I have a degree in Business Studies. My wife is Polish, we have a son and a daughter (twins) and have hosted students for many years. In my free time, I love travelling, walking my dog (especially on the beach when permitted), following AFC Bournemouth and family time.

HOLLY WALTER

Teacher

HOLLY WALTER

Teacher

I moved to Paris in 2016 to study physical theatre and fell in love with the city, French culture and the language. I ended up staying there for 5 years, during which time I trained as an English teacher and taught range of students from children to business executives. I moved back to Bournemouth in 2021 and have been working as a freelance actor and theatre maker along side teaching at Westbourne Academy. As much as I miss the French baguettes, I've got used to sliced bread again and I do love living by the sea!

ZEHRA KILIC-DIFFEY

Teacher

ZEHRA KILIC-DIFFEY

Teacher

I am originally from Turkey but have lived in the UK since 2005. After completing my CELTA in 2009 and my DELTA in 2012 I worked for language schools, universities and primary schools. I came to Bournemouth to work for a language school in the summer of 2013 and have been living and working here since then. I feel so lucky to be working with international students and learning about different countries and cultures. I enjoy teaching all levels particularly Academic English and ELTS exam classes. My husband is from Bournemouth and we have a baby girl. We have travelled in Asia and South America as well as Europe but we are looking forward to doing more once our daughter is a bit older.

LUCIA HEARN-KUKOVA

Teacher

LUCIA HEARN-KUKOVA

Teacher

I started at Westbourne Academy a couple of years ago after completing my CELTA teaching course and moving to Bournemouth from London with my husband and two children. I am originally from Slovakia, where I developed my passion for teaching as a University student. Later on I moved to Cambodia for 2 years to teach English in language schools.

DEANNA KASPROWICZ

Teacher

DEANNA KASPROWICZ

Teacher

After completing my Cambridge CELTA course in 2013, I began teaching in summer language schools in the UK. I later moved to China where I lived and worked for 9 years, immersing myself in the language and culture. During my time there, I taught English to students of different ages and abilities and also worked in translation. I returned to the UK and joined WA in January 2024. I am passionate about teaching international students, supporting their progress, and sharing cultural experiences and customs. I love seeing my students improve their English skills and confidently engage with people from different cultures. Outside of work, I enjoy travelling, yoga, salsa dancing, and spending quality time with my family.

DIANA ARMSTRONG

Teacher

DIANA ARMSTRONG

Teacher

As a young child I was always fascinated by the stories my uncle and grandparents used to tell me about different countries they visited and the people they had met. Their passion for travelling inspired me to do the same and I was lucky enough to meet people from many different nationalities and cultures.

TONY PLAYTER

Teacher

TONY PLAYTER

Teacher

I have been teaching for the last 6 years in: Thailand, Spain, China, Malaysia (remote teaching), UK, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Teaching English is the most rewarding job I've ever had and I'm extremely passionate about it and have completed a PGCE in teaching English Language and Literature and have recently started an MA in TESOL (Teaching English and Linguistics). I love the diversity of a multi-national classroom and strongly believe this is the best environment to improve one's language skills effectively. I'm pleased to be part of the team here and I am already greatly enjoying my time at Westbourne Academy.

31 Alumhurst Road

+44 (0)1202 75 27 77

info@westbourneacademy.com

Welcome to Westbourne Academy!

Meet The Staff

Meet the Westbourne Academy Team

Welcome

Meet Our Staff

RICHARD SURTEES

MARK HALLS

KATHRYN CONNOLLY

VANESSA ELPHICK

LOUISE INGHAM

MR GARFIELD

SIMONA RESTIFO PECORELLA

ERIN WHITLEY

MR JACOB

CLARE VINCENT

MURRAY NEIL

PETER CHANDLER

HOLLY WALTER

ZEHRA KILIC-DIFFEY

LUCIA HEARN-KUKOVA

DEANNA KASPROWICZ

DIANA ARMSTRONG

TONY PLAYTER

Arrival

Facilities & Teaching

Student Resources

Culture, Sports & Social

Where We Are Based

Location

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