Curriculum Leaders

Director of Character –  Mr S Jackson

Mr Jackson studied at Manchester Metropolitan University where he graduated with his Bsc.(Hons) degree in Geography and Environmental Studies, and subsequently took his Geography PGCE. He is an Earthwatch Fellow and through the Earthwatch Institute won sponsorship to investigate the Cretaceous – Tertiary extinction event and the demise of the dinosaurs. Through this, Mr Jackson spent some time as a field researcher in Montana, USA. Mr Jackson is also an Alumni of the Ambition School Leadership programme and Droylsden Academy’s Staff Governor.

Curriculum Leader – English – Mrs H Abel

Mrs Abel read English Language and Linguistics at The University of Sheffield where she gained a BA Honours degree, followed by a Post-Graduate Certificate of Education in English at the University of Manchester. She is currently in the final stages of completing a National Professional Qualification (NPQ) in Leading Teaching. Previously holding the post of Assistant Curriculum Leader, Mrs Abel has served at Droylsden Academy and the predecessor school for twenty years and is a very experienced practitioner and leader.

Curriculum Leader  – Maths – Mrs C Egan

Mrs Egan completed her post graduate in secondary Mathematics education at the Manchester Metropolitan university. She completed her Bsc(hons) in Business Management with accounting at the University of Salford. Mrs Egan has served at Droylsden Academy and the predecessor school for over ten years and is a very experienced practitioner.

Curriculum Leader  – Humanities – Miss I Worsley

Miss Worsley holds a BA (Hons) in Philosophy and Religion from Bangor University, Wales, graduating in 2017. She went on to complete a Secondary PGCE at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2018, beginning her teaching career shortly afterwards.

Since joining Droylsden Academy in September 2019, Miss Worsley has held a number of leadership roles including Religious Studies Coordinator, Assistant Curriculum Leader for Humanities, and House Leader for Oakfield House. Her experience across these positions reflects her dedication to both academic excellence and the wider pastoral life of the school.

In 2025, Miss Worsley completed a National Professional Qualification (NPQ) in Leading Teaching Development through UCL. She plays a key role in mentoring both trainee teachers and Early Career Teachers within the faculty, supporting professional growth and high standards of teaching.

Miss Worsley is also a trained GCSE Religious Studies examiner for AQA, bringing a deep understanding of exam requirements into the classroom. Beyond her subject expertise, she leads educational visits to local places of worship for all year groups and coordinates charitable events across the Academy, enriching the broader student experience.

Curriculum Leader  – Science and Computing – Rachael Sandiford

Miss Sandiford completed her first degree in Business with Quantitative Analysis at the University of Salford in 2002, before starting a career in the recruitment industry. After volunteering with the Air Cadets as an instructor for a number of years, she decided to embark upon her teaching career, studying Physics and Maths at the Open University, before completing her PGCE. She has now been at the Academy for almost 10 years, is an experienced mentor for recently qualified teachers and is also an external AQA examiner for all three Science disciplines. 

Curriculum Leader  – Technology and Art – Mr C Jones

Mr Jones completed a HND in Aeronautical Engineering at Stockport College and a degree in Design and Technology for Industry BSc (Hons) at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Mr Jones has taught in schools across greater Manchester for the past 8 years and has been working as a Curriculum Leader for the past 3 and a half. Mr Jones has been a mentor for training teachers and newly qualified teachers.

Curriculum Leader – Sports & Performing Arts – Miss A Burgess 

Ms Burgess studied at the University of Salford, graduating with a BA(hons) in Music, having also received classical training in singing. She went on to complete her PGCE through Manchester Metropolitan University. 

She has been an external examiner for both Compostion and Performing GCSE music components and has taught Music, Music Technolgy and Performing Arts to 11-18 year olds across various schools.

Ms Burgess currently produces the Academy’s annual production, and has brought to our stage performances such as West Side Story, Footloose, Matilda and now Les Miserables. In addition, she has led on much of the Performing Arts co-curricular offering, including annual London residentials, singing competitions and Christmas Carol performances.

Curriculum Leader – MFL – Mr A Fitzpatrick

Mr Fitzpatrick studied Modern & Medieval Languages (Spanish & Italian) at Cambridge University and obtained his PGCE in MFL from the University of Manchester. He began his career at Cambridge University working to increase applications from students from underrepresented backgrounds. He subsequently worked in schools in East and South London as a Pastoral Leader, Careers and Higher Education Lead and Director of Learning for Sixth Form. Mr Fitzpatrick teaches Spanish and French, and in his previous role as Assistant Curriculum Leader he managed the MFL department’s Cultural Capital and Independent Learning strategies, in addition to organising and leading educational visits to Spain. Alongside this he has acted as an examiner for AQA GCSE Spanish Speaking.

Curriculum Leader of Learning Support/SENCO – Ms E Preston

Ms Preston studied French and Italian at Salford University. where she left with a BA Honours in Languages, specializing in Linguistics. Having taught as a languages teacher for ten years teaching French and German, she moved to Nigeria to teach French and Spanish in a private boarding school.  Ms Preston has served at Droylsden Academy for eight years. She achieved her PGCERT in Special Educational Needs (SENCO Award) at Edge Hill University in 2022.