Our Staff

Sharon Maher

Sharon Maher

Head

BSc (Hons), MBA, GTP (QTS)

Sharon Maher

Head

About me…

I started my working life in London for organisations developing broking, underwriting and actuarial software, I gained my MBA at City University in 2002.  After 15 years in the corporate world I decided to retrain and become a teacher.  After gaining QTS I taught in a number of independent schools in Surrey and London.  I have had a number of roles in school; KS1 and KS2 teacher, Assistant Head, Safeguarding Lead, Deputy Head and Head.  I have enjoyed every moment of my second career.

 

What are you most looking forward to about joining The Study as Head?
Becoming part of a wonderful community, that is incredibly kind and supportive.  I am looking forward to getting to know the children, parents and staff.

 

Tell us something that we might not know about you
I am a qualified swimming teacher and qualified to drive the minibus. Although I am not sure how much time I will have to do either of these things at The Study!

 

What’s the most surprising or adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
I love to travel with my family, when my children were quite young we backpacked from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam – this felt quite adventurous at the time.

 

What was your favourite toy or game as a child?
I had an orange desk with a blackboard in my bedroom. One of my favourite games was playing ‘teachers’ and my poor sister and next door neighbour had to be pupils in my classroom. I think this is where my lifelong dream of becoming a teacher came from.

Sarah Lee

Assistant Head of Wilberforce House and Year 1 Teacher

BA (Hons) Kingston, PGCE Birmingham

Sarah Lee

Assistant Head of Wilberforce House and Year 1 Teacher

About me …

After gaining my PGCE in 1998 I taught in the state education sector for a few years before joining The Study team as a class teacher in 1992. I am now thrilled to be responsible for Wilberforce House as Assistant Head and a Year 1 class teacher.

Tell us about a moment that stands out for you from your time at The Study

Where can I start?! There are so many moments, from school birthday parties and being involved in the planning of the new building to helping with whole school productions.

Tell us something that we might not know about you

I love walking, travelling and being with my family. During COVID-19 lockdowns I started to walk the Thames Path and continue to do so in my free time.

What was your favourite toy or game as a child?

My stethoscope – I wanted to be a doctor!

Chris Baalham

Assistant Head of Spencer House and Year 6 Teacher

MSc, Essex, NPQSL, Anglia Ruskin, BEd (Hons) Cantab

Chris Baalham

Assistant Head of Spencer House and Year 6 Teacher

About me…

Having started my career in a village primary school set in the heart of Constable Country, I have enjoyed teaching in a variety of settings, all with a focus upon educating in a nurturing environment. Before joining The Study in 2017, I held the position of Assistant Head at a leafy prep school in North Essex. In my current role as Assistant Head of Spencer House, I enjoy helping our pupils to discover their strengths and interests, and to feel confident that they are valuable individuals.

Tell us about a moment that stands out for you from your time at The Study

When Year 6 held a mock election. I loved seeing the girls so motivated and confident in forming their manifestos and delivering their speeches to Spencer House.

What was your favourite toy or game as a child?

I was a great fan of Lego. My brother and I had a whole town in the playroom, with frequent demolition and construction projects.

Vicky Moreno headshot

Vicky Moreno

Deputy Head Academic and Year 5 Teacher

BA (Hons) Liverpool, PGCE Somerset SCITT

Vicky Moreno

Deputy Head Academic and Year 5 Teacher

About me…

I started my teaching career in state primary schools within inner London and loved it from day one! I had the good fortune to gain a wealth of experience in a number of different positions, notably Head of Mathematics, Head of History and as an Assistant Head. I began teaching at The Study in 2017 and have enjoyed every step of the journey.

Tell us about a moment that stands out for you from your time at The Study

Taking the girls on an end of year trip to ‘Clip and Climb’ and watching them overcome their fears, by taking part in daredevil activities such as the ‘Leap of Faith’. It was such an eye-opener.

What was your favourite toy or game as a child?

As a child my favourite ‘toy’ was actually my pet dog! We had a gorgeous, cheeky rescue Jack Russell Terrier called Cracker and I adored him. I remember spending many weekends running around the garden playing ‘fetch’ and teaching him tricks.

Natalie Tehrani

Assistant Head Academic and Year 1 Teacher, Wilberforce House

BA (Hons) St Mary's, PGCE St Mary's

Natalie Tehrani

Assistant Head Academic and Year 1 Teacher, Wilberforce House

About me…

I studied English with Creative Writing at university then went on to work as a PA at a HR company. I decided I wanted to teach, so I worked as a TA to gain experience then did a PGCE at St Mary’s University in Twickenham. My first role was at St George’s Junior School and, after four years, I moved to The Study where I have been a Year 2 Teacher for three years.

Tell us about a moment that stands out for you from your time at The Study

I loved celebrating the school’s last birthday. The girls had an amazing day with a fun fair, ice cream van and bubble disco. There was a great atmosphere – the day really captured the essence of the school for me.

Tell us something that we might not know about you

I have an exotic shorthair kitten called Albie who keeps me very busy! He is a house cat, but he likes to go for walks in the garden on his lead! When I’m cooking he enjoys watching bird videos on my phone (to stop him from jumping up onto the stove)!

What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?

I travelled around Thailand, Cambodia and Australia after I left university and had many fun adventures trying to surf, taking a Thai cooking class and visiting elephants.

What was your favourite toy or game as a child?

I loved my Fisher Price kitchen!

Philip Walker

Bursar

BSc (Hons) Loughborough, FCA

Philip Walker

Bursar

About me…

In the late 80’s I studied Mathematical Engineering at Loughborough University, but a sandwich year convinced me engineering was not for me. After qualifying in 1993, I spent 20 years as a Chartered Accountant in the commercial world, mostly at General Motors. For a complete career change, in 2010 I studied for a PGCE at the Institute of Education in London and took up a post teaching secondary mathematics in Kent. In 2018, I combined my finance and teaching backgrounds to join The Study as Bursar.

Tell us about a moment that stands out for you from your time at The Study

A stand out moment for me was watching the temporary classrooms being winched into the staff car park of Wilberforce House on a sunny summer’s day in 2019. It was a spectacular operation, which signified that we were on our way to creating something special that would improve the school for many years to come.

Tell us something that we might not know about you

When I was 19, I learnt to fly a light aircraft – a skill that I have, sadly, allowed to lapse.

What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?

I once delivered someone’s old car across the USA to New York. It was originally in Los Angeles and I had to drive through Death Valley in the summer, praying it would not break down!

Interested in working with us?

As a renowned prep school for girls in South West London, we pride ourselves on our academic and creative excellence, but believe learning means so much more. Our values – compassion, courage, creativity and curiosity – are as relevant to the way we work with our staff as they are to our girls.

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