Meet The Team
Warm relationships are key to our success
The Senior Management Team (SMT) are responsible for the day to day running of the School and to the Governors for the leadership and management of St Margaret’s.
We place great value on direct communication and as such we actively invite pupils and families to be in contact with our SMT and will regularly seek feedback.
The Senior Team is made up of the Head, Ben Turner; the Vice Principal, Julie Chatkiewicz; the Head of Junior School, Emma Gray; the Deputy Head: Academic, Simon Winchester; Assistant Head Co-curricular, Dan Bartram; Director of Safeguarding, Cleo Lawrence; the Director of Finance & Operations, Martin Scoble and the Director of Marketing & Admissions, Sally Elvin.
Ben Turner
Head
I began my career teaching History and Politics, largely because I loved both subjects and had not yet worked out what else you could reasonably do with a History degree. Fortunately, I quickly discovered that I loved schools even more. Since then, I have held leadership roles spanning Sixth Form, pastoral care, safeguarding and whole school leadership, most recently as Senior Deputy Head at Wimbledon High School GDST.
What has kept me in education is the privilege of watching young people grow into themselves. I believe schools should be ambitious places, but joyful ones too. Children thrive when they are known properly, challenged thoughtfully and given the confidence to discover what they are capable of. I am immensely proud to be Head of St Margaret’s. It allows me to experience school life in all its variety and to share in the successes, challenges, conversations and everyday moments that make a school a community.
Julie Chatkiewicz
Vice Principal
I began my career teaching history at Blacon High School, Chester, where I saw the impact and difference a teacher could make to a young person’s life. My next post at the Licensed Victuallers’ School gave me the opportunity of joining their girls’ boarding house as a resident tutor whilst still teaching history. Boarding allows you to become more involved in the community of a school and this drew me to St. Margaret’s where I joined as Head of Lower School. Thirty years on, I am now proud to be Vice Principal at a school which truly allows young people to develop their potential at their own pace during their journey through education and beyond.
Emma Gray
Head of Junior School
My teaching career started after a Masters in Teaching, completed in Australia. I moved back to London to teach at two independent schools, first at Hornsby House before moving to Knightsbridge School, from its inception in 2006. As Director of Studies, I enjoyed shaping the curriculum, teaching and learning from Nursery - Y8. In 2012, a move to Hertfordshire and a role at York House gave further opportunities, including Head of Pre-Prep and Assistant Head. At York House, I played an integral part as the school moved from a boys’ school to fully co-educational. It is an absolute privilege to be Head of the Junior School at St Margaret’s, providing the foundations and clear pathways for children to flourish.
Simon Winchester
Deputy Head: Academic
After an undergraduate degree in English Literature, running ski camps for children in Switzerland persuaded me of the rewards of working with young people; I trained as a teacher at University College London and initially taught English for several years at two co-educational maintained sector schools in London. In 2012 I became Head of English at Wycombe Abbey School, where I oversaw a large and successful department. I am an A-level examiner in English Literature for a UK examination board. My post as Deputy Head (Academic) gives me the responsibility for ensuring that teaching and learning across the School is the best it can be.
Dan Bartram
Assistant Head Co-Curricular & Partnerships
I believe a great education reaches far beyond the timetable. After training as a teacher and completing a Master's in Teaching, I spent eighteen years at JFS in Harrow - one of the country's highest-performing comprehensive schools - where I led the PE department before joining the Senior Leadership Team. As Assistant Headteacher I led on pastoral care, behaviour, KS4 outcomes and enrichment. I have long held a great passion for the co-curricular side of education:
I founded an army cadet force, led expeditions and trips across the world, and set up Exercise Leviathan, a national award-winning offshore sailing programme. That passion is what has led me here. As Assistant Head, Co-curricular & Partnerships, I am responsible for the activities, trips, service and adventures that sit alongside academic life, and for building partnerships that open doors - helping every St Margaret's pupil find their spark and the confidence to follow it.
Cleo Lawrence
Director of Safeguarding
After completing my degree in Sociology and Criminology, I worked in the Youth Offending Service, supporting children who were at risk of offending. I later completed my degree in Social Work, after which I worked in Children's Centres and Children's Social Care, supporting families, young people, and children.
I later moved into working in independent schools while completing my degree in Systemic Family Therapy. I most recently served as the Director of Safeguarding at Highgate School before joining St Margaret’s. I am passionate about supporting children and families and feel privileged to be part of a school that recognises the identity of each child as part of their family, while also providing support to enhance academic learning.
Martin Scoble
Director of Finance & Operations
I completed an Aerospace Engineering degree before attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and spending the next two decades in the Royal Engineers. Following a military career, I held a number of different senior roles in the Public Sector, including CEO to elected Police and Crime Commissioners and Director of Resources across both Police and Fire Services. More recently I have been a Director of Finance and Operations and Bursar across three independent schools and have really enjoyed working across the whole school community to ensure we provide the very best for the children. Separately, I have held a number of school Governor and Trustee roles within Multi Academy Trust schools along with other volunteering roles in my local community.
Sally Elvin
Director of Marketing & Admissions
I trained as a fashion stylist and journalist at the London College of Fashion and began my career working on the fashion pages of national women’s magazines. It was a fast-moving, creative environment that gave me a strong foundation in visual storytelling and editorial production. After a career break to raise my children, I returned to creative work through photography, which allowed me to re-engage with visual communication from a different perspective. From there, I moved into a marketing and admissions role at a university, and more recently, into the independent school sector, working across marketing, communications, and admissions. My career has followed a varied path, but at its core has always been a focus on clear communication, creativity, and connecting with audiences in meaningful ways.
