Leadership Team

Welcome to Sheldon School, I am Peter Lynch and was appointed as Headteacher of Sheldon School in Sept 2023. I am originally from Newport in South Wales, but I have lived just outside of Bristol for the last 20+ years. I graduated from the University of Wales in Cardiff, where I completed a Sport and Exercise Science degree and I qualified as a PE teacher in 2003. During my time there I enjoyed representing the University at football, rugby league, tennis and athletics. I continue to have a passion for outdoor education, fitness and I currently enjoy coaching  my children’s sports teams.

My previous roles have been in schools in North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, where I have led on pastoral care, teaching and learning and safeguarding. Most recently I was the Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher at Bradley Stoke Community School in South Gloucestershire, a position I held for 9 years. In 2017, due to a national shortage, I retrained as a maths teacher and I am currently teaching KS3 maths here at Sheldon School.

I believe that leading a school is about fostering a partnership between the school and home, so we ensure that students achieve and become the best version of themselves. If you need to get in touch please email my PA at hakinbobola@sheldonschool.co.uk. 

I have lived in the South West since 1995 when I moved to the University of Bristol from the University of Liverpool to complete my PhD in Organic Chemistry. I then joined a local pharmaceutical company working in research and leading a team of chemists in the development of neurochemicals.

A career change in 2006 saw me retrain as a teacher with the University of Bath. The move to education is one that I am passionate about. I have a love of learning and recognise fully, that teaching is a privileged profession where we as educators have the ability to make a difference to the lives of the young people with whom we work.

My previous roles include Second in 6th Form, Head of Science, Assistant Headteacher and Director of the Avon Teaching School Alliance. Before joining Sheldon school I worked as Assistant Headteacher in two other schools in the region.

I am excited to be joining the Sheldon community and am looking forward to working with students and staff to develop further the supportive and nurturing environment in which all students can achieve their full potential.

I am passionate about education and its power to transform lives. Young people having access to a good education is so important to me. Having been raised in an area where less than fifteen per cent of 18 year olds attend university—one of only four constituencies in the United Kingdom—I understand education’s challenges, complexities and rewards.

I believe that clear expectations and routines, committed pastoral care and strong academic outcomes are the key drivers that promote social mobility. Within my role as Deputy Headteacher with the responsibility for pedagogy and professional development, it is my responsibility to ensure that Sheldon adopts evidence-informed strategies in the classroom that have an impact. This will ensure that the quality of teaching and learning facilitates good academic outcomes. I also have responsibility for the development of literacy across the school and line management of the Learning Support team. I am committed to aligning these aspects of school life to ensure a rich experience for Sheldon students irrespective of educational need, prior attainment or socio-economic status.

I have six years of senior leadership experience, leading on outcomes, teaching and learning, and holding a National Lead Practitioner role within a large multi-academy Trust. I am so excited to be joining Sheldon and working with its stakeholders to deliver a first-class education for our children.

After completing my teacher training in South Wales, I was fortunate enough to be appointed as a teacher of English and Media Studies at Sheldon School. I spent five incredibly happy years at the school in various posts, including Teacher in charge of AS/A2 Literature and Deputy Year Head, before moving on from the school in 2012 to become a Head of Faculty.

Since leaving in 2012, I have worked in range of schools, both in the UK and Australia, but it is the upmost privilege to have been appointed to the position of Assistant Headteacher and to have been able to return to the school where my career started.

I learnt so much in my initial five years at Sheldon School, and have learnt even more since. Therefore, it is a complete delight to be responsible for the Continuing Professional Development of my colleagues. It is my ambition to be able to give back to the staff that taught me so much in my early career, and to nurture the talent of new teachers, and teachers joining the school, so that we can become even greater.

Like all teachers, I am passionate about the importance of education and I firmly believe that a good education can transform your life. As Assistant Headteacher responsible for Pastoral Care, it is my aim to ensure that every student at Sheldon is supported and challenged to reach their full potential. 

I have been fortunate to have worked at Sheldon since 2004. My role as Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for Behaviour and Character is to ensure that students feel safe and supported so that they can thrive. Our community ethos is built on kindness and respect for others. In conjunction with the pastoral team, we look to reinforce these values at every opportunity. I have a focus on Year 11, and I am committed to ensuring that our students are fully prepared for the challenges that life will present, both in terms of character and the qualifications that will open doors for them. 

My role also involves working with outside agencies and Alternative Provision providers, so that students unable to access education in the traditional way get the best possible experience. I am also part of the safeguarding team and work closely with pastoral colleagues to ensure that all students receive the support and pastoral care they need. 

My teaching role involves Business at GCSE and Economics A Level

Born and brought up just outside Oxford, I moved to Bristol to study Politics and Sociology at the University of the West of England. After graduation, I spent some time working in London for a publishing company before going to the Institute of Education in London to complete my PGCE in Social Science. I started my teaching career in East London as a teacher of Sociology and went on to be Subject Leader and later, Head of Initial Teacher Training and member of the whole school pedagogy team.

I moved back to the West Country in 2010 for my first Assistant Headteacher role at Oldfield School in Bath. I then spent 7 years at The John of Gaunt School in Trowbridge with various leadership responsibilities. It was during this time that I was Acting of Head Sixth Form for a year and really enjoyed the role as I have always taught post-16 students and think it is such an exciting time in young people’s lives. I was really pleased to secure a permanent Head of Sixth Form role here at Sheldon and am proud to be part of an excellent team.

My name is John Rumble and I am Assistant Headteacher at Sheldon School.

I attended Sheldon School as a student, joining the school in 1987 and leaving the Sixth Form in 1994. I then completed a degree in Education Studies with Physical Education and Mathematics at Exeter University, graduating in 1998. My career started as a PE teacher at Chosen Hill School in Gloucestershire, where I quickly became Head of Boys PE and then Assistant Head of Middle School soon after. I then moved to John of Gaunt School in Trowbridge where I led a year group before moving to Kingsdown School, Swindon in a similar role. In my 14 years at Kingsdown, I held a number of roles, spanning across pastoral leadership, subject leadership and senior leadership.

I moved back to Sheldon in 2018 as Head of Year and quickly took on the role of Child Protection Officer alongside this post, using my experience as a Deputy Safeguarding Lead in Swindon. In my current role I am the Designated Safeguarding Lead and am responsible for keeping our students safe. Alongside this, I also lead on children who are looked after and those who were previously looked after. I am also the Senior Lead on Mental Health, working closely with our school counsellor and other external professionals. I also lead on attendance of students and oversee the lunchtime supervision team.  Alongside my leadership responsibilities, I teach mathematics.

I am very proud to be a member of the Leadership Team at Sheldon School. Supporting our young people in their journey through education into adulthood is something I am hugely passionate about.   

I have over 30-years experience working with trustees, boards and leadership teams in developing strategy and building the organisational capabilities to improve quality, performance, colleague experience and outcomes for beneficiaries. 

I have a passion for working in organisations with a strong inclusion agenda.  Prior to joining Sheldon School I held senior leadership roles in a disability charity supporting disabled people to live, work and enjoy life through a diverse portfolio of services spanning education & skills,  employment, social and transitional housing, supported living, residential care, and information and advice services across South/South West UK. My work experience has been supplemented by a range of voluntary experience and I am currently a Trustee of a local multi-academy trust and also a Trustee of a charity providing training to SEN schools and therapy teams to help disabled children gain functional mobility and increased independence. My career experience has been supplemented through professional studies and I am a Chartered Director, Fellow of the Institute of Directors, and Associate Member of the CIPD.

I am delighted to join the Sheldon community as School Business Manager and look forward to working to working with all stakeholders in supporting every student achieve their ambitions.