Who's Who

Ms Riches – Headteacher

Ms Riches joined Freegrounds Infant School in September 2011. This is her second Headship, previously she was the Headteacher at John Keble Church of England Primary School in Hursley for 4½ year which she led to becoming the highest performing primary school in the County and one of the top 10 performing schools nationally by 2009. She studied her teaching degree in Southampton and in 2006 was awarded her NPQH (National Professional Qualification for Headship). Prior to this she spent 10 years in leadership roles and teaching within Infant Schools in Southampton and the New Forest.

Ms Riches ensures school improvement priorities are secured by working collaboratively with the Strategic Leadership Team, governors, staff and wider school community, facilitating high quality professional development opportunities, coaching and mentoring. She also ensures the school's budget is spent to best achieve school improvement priorities and the school meets its duties in relation to health and safety, safeguarding and the statutory requirements set out by the DFEE.

She is passionate about Infant Education and committed to working in partnership with parents and the local community, putting down firm foundations which allow pupils to achieve their best. In her spare time she enjoys cooking. gardening and spending time with her children and dogs.

Deputy Headteacher / Orange Class Teacher – Mrs Jones

Mrs Jones is Deputy Headteacher and Year 1 Leader Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and teaches in Orange Class Thursday and Friday. She grew up in West End and studied at Chichester Institute of Higher education, where she gained her Science and Education degree with Qualified Teacher Status. She loves teaching and is dedicated to helping children achieve their potential – developing confident, happy, independent, successful and resourceful learners who want to do their very best. When she is not at school, Mrs Jones is a busy mother of 2 teenage boys. She also loves gardening, reading, sewing and baking.

Assistant Headteacher / EYFS Leader and Blue Class Teacher - Miss Webb

Miss Webb is the Assistant Headteacher, Early years leader and Blue Class Teacher. She also leads Maths across the school. This will be her fifth year at Freegrounds Infant School and she is so excited to welcome you and your children! She completed her teaching degree at Winchester University and has a specialism in Early Years. This was a dream she had since being at Infant School herself! She is passionate about teaching and enabling opportunities for children to explore, learn and grow as individuals in an environment that promotes discovery and inspires their curiosity. When she is not in the classroom, she enjoys visiting new places and spending days out exploring with her friends and family. She also really enjoy arts and crafts, particularly scrapbooking.

Inclusion Manager – Mrs Watkins

Mrs Watkins is the Inclusion Manager at Freegrounds Infant School where she has worked for several years teaching in all year groups. She works with lots of different children, parents and external agencies to ensure the children who have specific needs receive the support and guidance they need. She taught in London and Shropshire before moving to Hampshire. When she is not in school she enjoys travelling and visiting new places in her campervan. She also enjoys reading good books and watching rugby and cricket.

ELSA - Mrs Humphry

Mrs Humphry joined us in June 2021 as our ELSA, having previously worked at a local primary school for 18 years as an LSA3/ELSA/Netball Coach.

She gained her NNEB in 1987 and after working as a private nanny for 2 years joined John Lewis for 12 years where she worked as an Assistant Editor for their in house magazine.

Hayley lives in Hedge End with her husband of 28 years, they have a daughter Olivia, now 22 who attended this school back in 2003.

Hayley enjoys family walks with their dog Archie and loves gardening and netball.

Pupil Premium Assistant - Mrs Jamieson

Mrs Jamieson joined us in September 2021 as our Pupil Premium Assistant and a Lunchtime Assistant.

Prior to having her children, she taught at an Infant School in the Midlands. With her own children happily moving through the Infants and Juniors she has returned to work in her current role which allows her to use her passion for Phonics to support children in 1:1 and small group work.

Outside of school she loves spending time with her family and friends and playing Netball. In the warmer months she enjoys getting out on her family's sailing boat."

Blue Class Teacher - Mrs Caplen

Mrs Caplen is one of the teachers in Early Years. This is her third time teaching at Freegrounds - it's so good she keeps coming back! She particularly loves working within EYFS and specialised in it during her PGCE. The start of a child's education is so important to get right and Mrs Caplen loves to be there to welcome the children, get them settled and start them off on the right path.

When not at school she has a busy time with her 3 young boys and has lived in 4 countries since her oldest was born 9 years ago. The Caribbean was probably her favourite as she loves the sea and swimming with a humpback whale and her calf was definitely a highlight!

Red Class Teacher – Miss Hunt

Miss Hunt is very much looking forward to joining the EYFS team at Freegrounds Infant School. She has just finished her Primary Education with Maths Specialism degree at the University of Reading. She has interests in bringing Maths and other subjects to the outdoors and really ensuring the environment is key to help children learn. Miss Hunt looks forward to teaching and learning alongside your children in their first year here. When she is not in the classroom she enjoy exercising and trying to teach herself new skills such as knitting and crocheting. Miss hunt can also be found enjoying the sunshine outside and watching her 2 cats play.

EYFS Learning Assistant – Mrs White

Marie White works in Early Years as a Learning Support Assistant. She has studied STLS L2 and STLS L3 at Eastleigh college, and has been working at Freegrounds Infants school since 2014. Apparently she absolutely loves it! She thoroughly enjoys working with all the children and finds her role very rewarding.

She has been married for 14 years and has 2 children. When she is not at school she enjoys spending time with her family either at the beach or going on a bike ride in the forest.

EYFS Learning Assistant – Mrs Taylor

Mrs Taylor has had a long and happy career at Freegrounds Infants, firstly as a SNA, then as an LSA in Year 1 and 2 and then her current position of EYFS LSA, making a grand total of 30 years! She lives locally, has been married for 35 years, has 2 sons, 5 granddaughters. In her spare time she organises a family swim club session at Wildern Pool. She enjoys Pilates, big family holidays and cruising on the high seas whenever she can. One of her favourite pastimes is attending concerts especially Celine Dion and Donny Osmond!

EYFS Learning Assistant – Mrs Giles

Angela Giles has lived in Hedge End for 39 years and has been a teaching assistant in Early Years for 29 years. She is married with 2 grown up children and 2 granddaughters. She really enjoys her role in school, seeing the transformation from when the children start compared to where they finish in Early Years. She is very committed and doesn’t tend to stop until she has finished what she’s started. She enjoys reading, shopping, catching up with friends and seeing her granddaughters.

Scarlet Class Teacher – Mrs Rigby

Mrs Rigby is one of the Scarlet Class teachers at Freegrounds Infant School. She will be the teacher pm Thursday, Friday and every other Wednesday. She has been a teacher at Freegrounds Infant School for 14 years, many of them spent in EYFS. She moved to Southampton when she was 18 to go to university from Staffordshire which is where the rest of her family live.

Away from school her time is mostly taken up by her 2 children. They keep her very busy! She is also committed to her yoga practise of 22 years which helps keep her fit! She enjoys swimming. gardening, vegetarian cooking and walks at the beach and in the forest.

Scarlet Class Teacher – Miss Emery

Miss Emery is one of the class teachers in Scarlet Class. She will be teaching your children at the start of the week and every other Wednesday. She is also the school Leader of Art. She gained an English degree at university and then spent two years working as a teaching assistant before completing her PGCE. She loves teaching and is passionate about creating a happy and stimulating classroom in which children can achieve their full potential as she feels there is nothing more rewarding than watching the children grow and develop throughout the year.

When not working she is a busy Mummy. She enjoys all sorts of activities at home but especially outdoor and messy play. Any free time she gets to herself she loves to spend gardening and reading. She also enjoys arts and crafts including creating her own cards, felt making and cross stitch.

Scarlet Class Learning Assistant – Mrs Kotch
Mrs Jenny Kotch has worked at Freegrounds Infant School for nearly two years as a Lunchtime Assistant, Pupil Premium Support Assistant and a Learning Support Assistant in year 2. Previously she was a Paediatric Nurse at Southampton General Hospital. She has three children and enjoys family days out to the beach or a country park. She also helps run a kids club at her local church which is lots of fun. She thoroughly enjoys supporting the children at Freegrounds Infant School with their learning, seeing them progress and take on new challenges.

Emerald Class Teacher - Miss Moors

Miss Moors is the Emerald Class teacher who joined in December 2020. She completed her Early Childhood Studies degree at the University of Chichester in 2017, and later returned in 2019 to complete her PGCE (5-11yrs) degree. She has also obtained her Makaton qualification. Miss Moors believes outdoor education is key within children's holistic learning and well-being and learning through play at any age is vital for children's successes, as her background lies within Early Years. She is also a mother to a two year old little girl, who keeps her very busy when she is not teaching. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter exploring and traveling to new places together, going to theme parks and being outdoors - we love to be out and about!.

Turquoise Class Teacher and Year 2 Leader - Mrs Henderson

Emerald Class Learning Support Assistant - Mrs Knight

Lindsey Knight joined Freegrounds Infant School in September 2021. She is an LSA in Emerald Class as well as a Lunchtime Assistant. Previous to this role, she was a Senior Admin Officer for another local infant school. She has over 20 years’ experience working in education including the SEN department and School transport and training. Lindsey lives locally with her husband, 3 children, dog and cat. They enjoy long walks on the beach or in the woods, going on holiday and taking their RIB out on the Solent.

Turquoise Class Learning Support Assistant - Mrs Martin

Mrs Martin joined Freegrounds Infant School in September 2019 as an LSA. Mrs Martin studied childcare at Chichester college and has since then spent 12 years working in various nursery and pre-school settings. Mrs Martin has always loved working with children and is now very excited about a new challenge, working within a school, supporting the children to learn and flourish. Mrs Martin is married with two young children of her own. Most of her spare time is spent enjoying time with her family and friends. She also enjoys running, reading and listening to music.

Orange Class Teacher - Mrs Jones

Mrs Jones joined Freegrounds in 2017. After returning from Maternity leave, she is now working three days a week as Year One Year leader and teacher in Orange Class. She completed her degree in teaching and learning with the University of Worcester and her PGCE with Cornwall SCITT (School Centred Initial Teacher Training). She is passionate about how children learn and bringing the learning to life. Mrs Jones is a keen computing lead and likes to explore how technology can enhance learning whilst also teaching the children the importance of using it safely. When she is not at school, she enjoys spending time walking, and exploring with her husband, daughter and two dogs!

Orange Class Learning Support Assistant - Mrs Dore

Mrs Sue Dore has worked at Freegrounds Infant School since 2003. She started as a parent helper before becoming a Lunchtime Assistant and then a Learning Support Assistant working in Year One and Two. She gained HLTA Status in 2006 and achieved a BA (Hons) in Education and Training in 2013. She has several roles in the school including School Librarian, Lunchtime Co-Ordinator and she also works as a Speech and Language Teaching Assistant. She has been married for 30 years and has a daughter and two sons. Outside of school she enjoys baking cakes and reading. She thoroughly enjoys working with all the children and sharing their awe and wonder moments when they learn something new.

Purple Class Teacher – Miss May

Miss May will be the teacher in Purple Class in September. She studied for her Primary Education degree at Canterbury Christ Church University and she enjoys working with children in the EYFS and KS1. Teaching is something she has always been passionate about, and she is dedicated to supporting children with their development and creating an environment that gets them excited about their learning. She believes that all children should be given the opportunity to grow as individuals, and as part of a class. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, as well as reading books and watching films. She also likes to travel when she can and has a general love of animals, particularly cats.

Learning Support Assistant Purple Class - Mrs Emery

Mrs Emery joined Freegrounds in September 2021, before this she worked in a Nursery as a practitioner in Whiteley for just over 4 and half years. She really enjoyed helping children with the start of their development journey but now wants to help children with the school journey so decided she would start doing her Teaching assistant course alongside working at Freegrounds. She is really looking forward to working in Purple Class alongside Miss May! She is married with two young daughters and a dog! When they can they like going on walks, eating out and spending quality time together. In her free time she loves being arty crafty by creating pieces in resin, vinyl and flowers too!

Green Class Teacher - Miss D'Arcy

Green Class Learning Assistant – Mrs Sims

Beckie Sims has worked at Freegrounds Infant school since 2013 and is the Learning Support Assistant in Purple Class. She has completed Level 3 Supporting Teaching and Learning in schools whilst volunteering here since 2011. She also has a Psychology degree and Makaton Foundation level. She is married with three little girls and in her free time she enjoys days out, going on holiday with her family, visiting the theatre and eating at new restaurants. She is really looking forward to working with Purple Class, Miss Moors. Besides being an LSA in the mornings, she also works two afternoons a week with groups and individual children doing Speech and Language Therapy.

Special Needs Assistant - Mrs Lucas

Mrs Lucas has been working at Freegrounds Infant school since 2017 as a Lunchtime Supervisory Assistant and Special Needs Assistant. She is married with two boys. When she is not in school she loves spending time with her family and friends and being outdoors. With 2 boys a lot of her weekend is spent at the side of a football pitch come rain or shine.

Special Needs Assistant - Mrs Darnton

Mrs Darnton has been working at Freegrounds Infant School since 2017 as a Lunchtime Supervisory Assistant, Learning Support Assistant & Special Needs Assistant. She is married with three boys and enjoys spending time outdoors with her family. In her spare time she enjoys cycling, kayaking and helping at beach cleans with her children.

Special Needs Assistant - Mrs Z Carr

Mrs Carr joined Freegrounds Infant School in February 2020. Her role is a Special Needs 1:1 Assistant and a Lunchtime Assistant. Before joining Freegrounds she had some time out of work to have here son who is now in year 1 at another local school. Before having her son Mrs Carr worked in the Dental Industry, with qualifications in Dental Nursing , Radiography & Implantoligy, so joining a school was a totally new adventure and one that has been thoroughly enjoyable .
Whilst not at school she enjoys lots of time with her son and husband, exploring adventure holidays in the UK along with their dog Bentley, as well as trips to London to find nice food, restaurants and boutique hotels.

Administration Officer – Mrs Haines

Mrs Haines joined Freegrounds Infant School in January 2018. Prior to this she has worked in an office environment. She is responsible for the administration of several areas including HR, Finance, procurement whilst also managing the welfare needs of pupils with the odd plaster or two when required. Mrs Haines is married with two children. A lot of her spare time is taken up with spending time with her family, running, going on family holidays and gardening.

Administration Assistant - Mrs Harris

Mrs Harris joined the Freegrounds team in September 2021. Having worked at a local preschool for 4 years before this, she regularly sees familiar little faces around the school. She lives with her husband and two children, and in her spare time enjoys art, paddleboarding and camping, and is currently trying to teach herself how to play the ukulele.

Site Manager – Mr Southern

Mr Southern joined the school in 2013. Prior to this he worked as Operations Manager at Fawley Marine terminal overseeing 50 operators in the day to day management of the facility. His areas of expertise lay in Health and Safety, project planning and facilities management. In his spare time he enjoys DIY, gardening and especially wood work.

Mr Southern does a fantastic job of keeping our school grounds safe and tidy. He feels the school grounds should be a bright and attractive place for children to and learn and he has planted and nurtured the plants that grow here. His personal favourites are the dahlias.

Lunchtime Staff

Mrs Wetton