Mrs Kirsty Kernaghan

I graduated from Goldsmiths London University in 1994 with a BA Hons in Education with DT and Computing.  My first teaching post was in Reception at the Swaminarayan School in Neasden, London.  There I became Head of IT and jumped from Reception to Year 5.  I moved back to my home county of Essex in 2001, and took on the role of Head of English on joining Woodlands in September 2001.  I became Deputy Head in 2016 and subsequently Head Teacher in September 2022.  I have taught every year group in KS2 but I am best known as the Year 6 teacher, having taught them for the last 16 years.  It is true to say Woodlands really is a family which I have been part of for the last 22 years, and cannot see myself anywhere else.

Mrs Catherine Duthie

I graduated from St Mary’s Strawberry Hill in 1993 with a BA Hons (QTS) in Geography and Education Studies. I started my career teaching in Key Stage 2 in southwest London. After four years I left both teaching and England behind to travel the world for two years.

I returned to full time teaching in 2001 when I took a role in the same large junior school I had attended as a child. I have taught across both key stages from Reception to Year Six but my passion is most definitely in the early years.

My Woodlands journey began in January 2013 and I have never looked back. The minute I came I knew it was a special place, in fact my own daughter attended and she, like me, loves her Woodlands family.

Outside of school I enjoy spending time with family and friends, walking, travelling and camping.

Mrs Emma Burman

Hello, my name is Emma Burman and I have been teaching at Woodlands Great Warley for nearly 20 years.  I studied at The University of Derby for 3 years completing a History, Heritage and History and Theory of Art and Design course.  I then took a year out to work in a local Primary School as a Teaching Assistant before completing my Post Graduate Certificate of Education at the University of Greenwich.  I joined Woodlands Great Warley as a Year 3 teacher but during my time here, the only year groups I haven’t been a class teacher for is Year 5 and 6!  I was full time until my two children, Harry aged 6 and Millie, 20 months came along, so now I work 2 days, job sharing in Reception with Miss Duthie. 

I consider myself extremely grateful to work at Woodlands, the team here is fabulous and everyone is so supportive of each other.  The children are the main reason of course, I love the relationships that we are able to build with them and their families.  One of the main draws to Woodlands School is the fact we are so family orientated and the events that are put on amaze me every time!

Outside of school, apart from being a Mummy and family days out, I enjoy spending time with my friends and watching the occasional Crystal Palace football match!

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Mrs Madeline Raymond

My background is in banking but having returned from living abroad in 1997 I enrolled my daughters into Woodlands Great Warley, loving the individual, nurturing environment it has always offered.

I joined the teaching staff in 1998 part time teaching swimming. Since then I have immersed myself in everything sport and health related qualifying in A & P, numerous sports coaching, health therapies, personal training and I am currently developing my knowledge and understanding of mental health and wellbeing. I remain extremely passionate about health as part of a lifestyle and promote this at every opportunity. 

My main hobby now is open water swimming; Having swum the English channel with my daughter in 2017, I continue to challenge myself, pushing boundaries, to see what I am capable of achieving. I have 3 adult children and 2 adorable grandchildren who use up all spare time I have.

Remember- ‘If you don’t leave the shore, you can not cross the ocean’

Mrs Vivienne Parker

I studied Education for four years at the University of East Anglia, then after completing my probationary year of teaching in Barking, I went on to study for a further year at Colchester Institute where I completed a Diploma in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language).

I subsequently went to teach in a ‘Frontisterion’ (Private School) in Crete. On returning to the UK I taught in Basildon for many years before heading out to Kuwait where I taught in a large International School. I then returned to the UK and started at Woodlands Prep in September 1999, I had finally found my ‘forever’ school!!

I took over teaching LAMDA in 2014 and trained as SENCo in 2015/16.

When not at work, I enjoy spending my free time with my husband and three daughters, walking in the countryside, horse riding, caravanning and boating.