Staff - Downside Primary School, Luton

Staff 2023/24

Click on the relevant section below to view a list of staff members for academic year 2023/24

Downside Primary School Senior Management Team

Miss Karen Hooker – Headteacher
Mrs Deborah James – Deputy Head
Mrs Anne Lacey – Deputy Head
Miss Hannah Bell – Assistant Head
Mr Neil Dilkes – Assistant Head
Mrs Lucy James – Assistant Head
Ms Hazel Beswick – Assistant Head for Inclusion

Year R Class Teachers

Ruby Class – Miss Lauren Dinham (Head of Year R)
Coral Class – Miss Alex Smith
Opal Class – Miss Emma Harrison
Crystal Class – Mrs Jan Hicks
Emerald Class – Mrs Andrea McIntyre

Year 1 Class Teachers

Beech Class – Mrs Gladis Manning (Head of Year 1)
Ash Class – Mr Khadeem Rashid
Elm Class – Khadijah Kausar / Mrs Shaneez Siddique
Oak Class – Mrs Daniela Chitescu
Willow Class – Mahvish Zaheer

Year 2 Class Teachers

Jupiter Class – Miss Olivia Griffith (Year 2 Lead)
Venus Class – Arifah Iqbal
Mars Class – Ms Askah Batool
Mercury Class – Miss Rebecca Cooper
Saturn Class – Ms Rufaida Adwadh

Year 3 Class Teachers

King Class – Ms Rafina Khan (Head of Year 3)
Rockhopper Class – Hannah Bell
Emperor Class – Issalina Ahmed
Humboldt Class – Mary Okpuzo
Adelie Class – Mr Simon Gibbs

Year 4 Class Teachers

Marble Arch – Mr Neil Dilkes (Head of Year 4)
Baker Street – Mr Nasir Rauf
Oxford Circus – Miss Katie O’Brien / Ms Manna Chowdhury
Marylebone – Mrs Kajal Shah (Head of Year 4)
Piccadilly Circus –Haleesa Ahmed

Year 5 Class Teachers

Hamilton Class – Mrs Haleema Ali (Head of Year 5)
Fitzroy Class – Mr Ben Clark
Brampton Class – Mrs Sunita Godhania (Head of Year 5)
Mackay Class – Ms Samena Zamarad (Mon – Wed) / Nahar Choudhury (Thur – Fri)
Wilson – Caitlin Harty

Year 6 Class Teachers

Hurricane Class – Miss Lauren Anderson (Year 6 Lead) (Mon – Wed) / Linda G (Thur – Fri)
Lancaster Class – Lucy James
Spitfire Class – Amy Esh
Tempest – Miss Rebecca Orrell (Year 6 Lead)
Stirling – Mrs Jusna Shah Mostofa

PE Department

Miss Michelle Crosby (PE Teacher)
Mr Philip Martin (PE Teacher)
Miss Aeilish Wynne (PE TA)
Mr Vincent Forsyth (PE TA)

Music Department

Judith

Office / Support Staff

Miss Emily Doyle – Clerical Assistant
Mrs Suhena Begum – Clerical Assistant
Miss Lauren Stone – Clerical Assistant
Miss Alison Usher – Attendance Officer
Iffat Rahman – Clerical Assistant
Mrs Amina Halim – Clerical Assistant
Mrs Andrea Hill – Finance Assistant
Mrs Amanda East – Finance Manager
Mrs Pat McGovern – Finance Assistant
Mrs Donna Stone – Medical Assistant
Ms Tabbasum Younis – (ICT Technician)
Mrs Rozena Mansha – (ICT TA)
Mr Daren Perry – Business / Premises Manager

Family Workers

We employ three Family Workers at our school:-

Mr Shahan Miah
Mrs Naz Akhteer

Family workers are available to discuss any issues or concerns that parents may have both at home or in school, which may impact on their child’s learning. Family workers regularly liaise with parents on a variety of matters and can help complete or translate documents e.g. application forms for Free School Meals, or housing benefit applications.

If the team are unable to support / help with an issue, they are able to signpost parents to a number of agencies within the local community. In addition, they run parenting classes and offer children opportunities through extended services (e.g. clubs / holiday clubs).

To view our current newsletter please click HERE

To send a message to our Family Workers, please complete the form below:

Learning Mentors

Miss Shaida Nazir
Mrs Shahida Akbar
Mrs Karen Day

Since September 2012, we have used some of our Pupil premium money to employ a team of learning and wellbeing mentors. We believe that there is a strong correlation between a child’s wellbeing and their learning; when a child is happy, they are better able to access learning in the classroom. Our mentors support a wide variety of identified children both in and out of the classroom. Children may be identified for support by anyone, for a wide variety of reasons ranging from falling out with a friend on the playground to a bereavement in the family home. The team run a range of interventions including lunchtime clubs, social skills groups, friendship groups and one-to-one sessions: all are designed to help children feel ready to learn and to get the most out of all that Downside has to offer. Click HERE to find out about our Learning and Wellbeing Team.