Our Heads of Sixth Form play a fundamental role in supporting students throughout their sixth form journey. Read below to find out more about our Heads of Sixth.
Mr L Dowd - Head of Sixth, Crestwood Campus
My name is Mr Dowd. I joined The Crestwood School in 2015 as Head of Computing and then also became Head of Post-16 in 2019. My passion is supporting young adults and guiding them towards their career goals. Outside of teaching I am an avid footballer and enjoy keeping fit in the gym.
Currently, I am working on a programme whereby Year 12 students have the opportunity to move abroad for 4 weeks to live with another family and study at a local sixth form college. This is a great opportunity for students to learn about different cultures and gain valuable experiences.
Mrs J Watson - Head of Sixth, Ellowes Campus
Hello, I am Mrs Watson and I am the Head of Sixth Form at Ellowes Hall Sports College. I am a PE teacher to key stage 3 and 4 students and teach Sports and Exercise Sciences to students at Invictus Sixth Form. Outside of school I am a keen runner and having completed the London Marathon a few years ago now, the buzz never quite went away. I have also recently taken up cycling and open water swimming with the ambition of completing my first triathlon this year.
The thing I love most about being a Head of Sixth Form is working with our students. Making a difference to our young people is one of the most rewarding things you can experience as a teacher and there certainly isn’t a better place to see students thrive than Invictus Sixth Form.
Currently at Ellowes Hall we have a range of enrichment sessions happening each week with ultimate frisbee featuring in this week’s sports and fitness enrichment session. There are also plans in the pipeline for a new sixth form coffee shop to be developed later on this year.
Mr A Fox - Head of Sixth, Kinver Campus
I began teaching at Kinver in September 2010, working initially as a Cover Supervisor, before beginning teaching History at KS3, GCSE and A-Level from 2011 onwards. I became the Head of Sixth Form here at Kinver in 2015, working alongside my colleagues at Invictus to deliver the new opportunities and courses available as part of the newly created Invictus 6th Form. This role evolved into Head of Upper School (Years 11 to 13) in September 2020, which now means I get to work with the senior students at KS4 and KS5 here at Kinver.
I specialise in Modern Socio-Economic History, and in particular, Germany and the way it evolved during the 'Age of Total Warfare' in the 20th Century. Although I love the topics that I teach to all year groups, as working alongside my fellow Historian, Mr Davies, these last ten years or so, we have created a whole school curriculum that we are very proud of, and which has made History such a popular subject at GCSE and A-Level. Outside of teaching I'm a keen sportsperson and (try my best to!) play football and golf in my spare time, as well as watching West Brom and Stourbridge whenever I get the chance to as well.
Being Head of Upper School at Kinver within Invictus is quite possibly one of the best responsibilities any teacher could have. Whilst the role entails a great deal of work and things that constantly keep me busy, working with students whilst they are preparing for their GCSE/A-Level examinations is a really exciting task. I got into teaching to help young adults achieve as much success as possible, and working right at the forefront of the pivotal years of study, advising students on their career paths and helping to prepare them for the challenges they face in their examinations is a joy. I also really enjoy being able to work with our Y12s and 13s on their UCAS applications, and as I write the overall UCAS reference for every Kinver student, I love being able to look back on the successes and responsibilities students have had here, and then sharing them with the wider world so that everyone can see just how fantastic they are.
Kinver's 6th Form has undergone a great deal of change since I first started in this role. I was delighted with the refurbishment and refurnishing of our 6th Form Centre that began this year, finally giving students a place to socialise and relax in away from their lessons. I was also incredibly grateful to Mr Bowles and Mrs Clifton for their work in building the brand new Upper School Block here at Kinver. This space is specifically designed for Upper School students to have their lessons in classrooms with incredible facilities, but also to provide Sixth Formers with a study space and a computer room that they can use during their free time too. It has made a huge difference this year, and is really appreciated by staff and students alike.
I'm very excited to see how our Y11 and Y13 students get on in their examinations this summer. Having worked with them for so long, I am sure that they will do themselves proud and move onto whatever project they are wishing to pursue next. Alongside this, having nearly interviewed all Y11 applicants here at Kinver, I look forward to welcoming another brilliant group of new Y12s into the Sixth Form next September to join the current cohort in Y12, who I am so proud to work with each day too.
Ms L Ridley - Head of Sixth, Leasowes Campus
Hi, I'm Mrs Ridley and I am the Head of Sixth Form at Leasowes Base Campus. I am an Assistant Headteacher at Leasowes High School and I teach Chemistry up to A level.
In my spare time, I like to listen to and play music, undertake a little bit of retail therapy and I enjoy going on holiday and soaking up the Turkish sun every year!
I enjoy the more relaxed teacher-student relationship that can be had in sixth form whilst still ensuring studies are of most importance. I also enjoy supporting students overcome the big jump from GCSE to A-Level enabling them to get accepted onto their desired University course/apprenticeship.
Miss C Papadopoullos - Head of Sixth, Pedmore Campus
Hi, my name is Miss Papadopoullos and I am Head of Sixth Form and Deputy Headteacher at Pedmore High School. I started my career as a PE teacher at another Invictus School, Ellowes Hall Sports College, back in the last century. I became Head of the PE Department, then Director of Sport as we became a sports college.
My hobbies revolve around sport, travel and my family and friends. I enjoy being Head of 6th Form at Pedmore as I have the chance to see students mature into young adults and embark on their careers. At Pedmore we pride ourselves on the pastoral support and guidance we give our students as they navigate through their two years of further education. We are also excited to share the many volunteering opportunities not only within a secondary school environment but also with the close links we have with our primary schools and Mary Stevens’s Hospice.
Mrs J Stokes - Head of Sixth, Wombourne Campus
Hello, my name is Mrs Stokes and I have been an Art Teacher at Wombourne High School for the past 21 years and lucky enough to be the Head of Sixth Form for the past 6 years.
What I enjoy the most about being Head of Sixth Form is being in the privileged position to watch students as they make that unique transition from GCSE to A level and then beyond to University or Apprenticeship. I see my role as one that helps provide the next stepping stone to where they want to be! Speaking of which, our Year 12 students will soon begin embarking on the ESB qualification. This will be an opportunity to showcase a variety of their skills highly desired by employers, University admissions and apprenticeship recruiters while gaining UCAS points.
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