Mrs Sheena Inwood
Class Teacher, 5IR
There’s a clever, calculating mind ticking away inside our Year 5 teacher, Mrs Inwood. Never mind decimal fractions and clunky chunking, Mrs Inwood’s leanings tend towards criminal psychology!
But much as she loves the staff and children here at Combe Down, there are moments when Sheena would prefer to be anywhere hot, dining in restaurants and watching the latest film.
A few years ago Mrs Inwood had the opportunity to visit a village near Bangalore in India. This trip was part of a teacher development programme and gave Mrs Inwood the opportunity to visit a number of schools in India and learn about the culture and education system there. It was an amazing experience gave her many memories.
Mrs Inwood is subject leader for Science with Mrs Raby and is one of Combe Down's longest serving and experienced teachers.
Mrs Fiona Raby
Class Teacher, 5IR
We think of Mrs Raby as a quietly spoken lady, spending her time handing out SATs papers and keeping herself to herself…
BUT! This secondary-school trained teacher, who used to be in the Navy Wrens, is a real party animal at heart and loves dressing up to go to the theatre now and then. Conversely, just give her a bike, pair of skis or a gleaming yacht and she’s away – as long as it’s somewhere hot and sunny!
When she’s not jet-setting, however, she plumps for pottering about her gorgeous garden, possibly still using that pretty pink watering can she carried everywhere with her when a small child?
Mrs Raby is subject leader for Science with Mrs Inwood.
M
s Madeline Paterson
Class Teacher, 5PR
The Spring Concert doesn’t run itself... the children of Combe Down don’t win the Mid-Somerset Festival by accident. The peripatetic music teachers have to be organised by somebody. And who is that person? Madeleine Paterson, Music Leader at Combe Down.
Waving her magical, musical wand, Madeline has taught beats, rhythms and tunes to pupils of all ages and orchestrated many musical shows and extravaganzas - including our current Year of Music. When she is not teaching in 5PR, Madeline covers other teachers’ PPA time.
Mr Randell
Class Teacher - 5PR
Don’t blink or you’ll miss him! That’s Alun Randell, our Year 5 teacher extraordinaire and dynamic Deputy Head, who’s always in a mad dash to be somewhere else and juggling his oh-so-many hats!
As well as Geordie (a keen fan of Newcastle United), Alun speaks Mandarin (another possible after-school club?!). This would be excellent, for then we’d all finally understand the more obscure dishes on the menu at the local eatery!
Alun has two boys; one at Ralph Allen and the other here at Combe Down. They have all settled in well after years of living in Taipei, Taiwan, and - we like to think - bring a touch of exotic culture to our school. And we are not talking about Newcastle’s finest dish - chips and gravy!
Mrs Alison Fews
Teaching Assistant, Year 5
Mrs Fews is the first to admit she isn't the sporty type, and much prefers the emotional highs of a good book to keep her in shape. She has in fact written a children's novel of her own: 'No masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but a very good discipline and achievement', she insists. English is her 'thing', and her one regret is that she didn't go on and study it at degree level. Instead, she went out to work, met her husband and, while busy creating a home and family, took various diploma courses in story writing and editing.
Mrs Fews enjoys being silly with her two children and chasing her errant tortoise around the garden.