Come and meet the teaching staff at our school!

Michael Doughty

CEO, Executive Head Teacher, Head Teacher & Safeguarding Lead

I have been in education for over 20 years after qualifying in 1999 from Canterbury Christ Church University.  I started my primary teaching career in the London Borough of Newham and stayed here for 16 years until taking a position closer to home first at The Downs Primary School, followed by my time at The Henry Moore Primary School. 

I have taught in Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and so have a wide range of experience within the primary sector both in teaching and leadership roles 

I became involved with Milwards Primary School in 2018 through HILT teaching a Year 2 class.  The highlight of this was of course being given the opportunity to lead this fantastic school. 

I have two beautiful daughters, both at secondary school, and enjoy nothing more than spending the weekend with them and my wife.  I generally regard myself as a weekend taxi driver ferrying children to either karate or gymnastics. 

I can often be seen with a very red face struggling across the fields on my mountain bike or being run ragged on a badminton court.

Sam Lambert

Deputy Head

Nursery and Reception Class teacher. EYFS Lead, Deputy Safeguarding Lead

I was born and raised in Harlow. Early photos of me as a child often feature a row of dolls, all with a pencil and paper in front of them, ready for a long day of learning ahead.

I trained as a teacher later in life after spending time nannying and working in a nursery. My degree was in Early Childhood Education, and this has been and continues to be my passion. I love to observe where children start their journey at school, whether it is the emergent writing of a few squiggles on a page or developing into writing sentences that can be read and enjoyed by others. I am equally fascinated by a child’s confidence, beginning as someone who may not speak, then evolving into a performer before an audience. It always reaffirms my belief that I am in the right profession when I see the look of pride on a child’s face.

Outside of school, I enjoy movies—whether in the cinema with a big bucket of popcorn or curled up on the sofa. I also appreciate open water swimming, regardless of the weather or temperature.

Lissy Nixon –

HILT Lead Practitioner for SEND (SENCo). Deputy Safeguarding Lead

I qualified as a teacher after studying at both Leeds University and then Cambridge University. Since then I have been lucky enough to teach across the year groups before specialising in SEN.  

I have the fantastic job of working across both our schools in HILT, leading the provision for SEND. This means I get to work with different children every day which I love! I feel very lucky to work with such fantastic teams of staff  and am constantly learning. 

Outside of work, I’m kept busy with my family. We love being outdoors, walking our dog but also enjoy watching films together on rainy days!

Sean Huggett

Year 6 Teacher

Science & D&T Lead

I was born and raised in Harlow and completed my own schooling here. I qualified as a teacher in 2009 from The University of Brighton. Teaching has always been a passion for me because it has enabled me to make a difference. What is more, I can make that difference to the town I grew up in! It is extremely fulfilling to watch the ‘journey’ individual children go on whilst in your care, developing both socially and academically to become well rounded young citizens. Yes, teaching is a hard job, but would I change my career choice? No!  

I have a huge passion and interest towards science (no surprises there) and hope that in school I pass this enthusiasm on to others. I spend a lot of my spare time maintaining my allotment, looking after my chickens, gardening and bee keeping.  

Jenny Tucker

Year 5 Teacher. Art Lead

From a young age, I realised teaching was going to be the job for me! Having taught dance during my teenage years at a local dance school in Harlow, I loved seeing children grow in confidence and learn new skills, so I decided to train as a primary teacher straight from college. After completing my Bachelor of Education at the University of Hertfordshire, I spent the next 14 years working at two schools just outside of Harlow, teaching across both Key Stages 1 and 2.

Having taught at my last school for 10 years, I decided it was time change. I wanted to have more time for my family, so when I heard about the opportunity to work at Milwards, I realised that it was the job I had been waiting for. I already knew what a special place it was, having seen how my two boys have flourished since they started their journey at Milwards, and I feel incredibly lucky to now be a part of such a fantastic team.

Outside of school, as well as running my boys from club to club and spending endless hours on the side of a football pitch, I can also be found curled up with a good book or eating out with friends and family.

Jed Smith

Year 5 Teacher

Upper Key Stage 2 Lead

Forest Schools, PE, History and Geography lead.

I always knew I was going to be a teacher. As a child, I was always playing ‘schools’ in my bedroom and telling my parents I needed to stay up late to mark all the work I had made them complete that evening. My journey at Milwards began in 2010 when I completed my year 10 work experience, and I knew one day I would return. Fast-forward to 2015 and I did just that. I completed my degree at the Anglia Ruskin University and my PGCE at the University of Derby. There are so many things I love about teaching at Milwards, including the beautiful school grounds we have to play and learn in, the passionate colleagues that challenge and inspire me, and most importantly, the special children I get to teach every day. The artists I love to paint with, the singers I love to perform with and the scientists I love to explore with.

Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. You will often find me at the cinema, the theatre, trying out a new restaurant or competing in a quiz! I love to travel and explore different places around the world, with New York and Rome being two of my favourite cities.

Fiona Gomes

Lower Key Stage 2 Lead

Year 4 Teacher & Maths Lead

I qualified as a teacher after studying at Middlesex University. My degree was Education Studies with Psychology, and I went on to complete my PGCE in 2009. My early teaching career was within schools in London before I joined Henry Moore in 2013. 

I joined Milwards in 2018 and took on the role as Maths lead. I am passionate about Maths and successfully qualified as a Maths Mastery Specialist in 2020. Alongside teaching I now support and train other schools with adopting the Maths Mastery approach.

Outside of work, I am a busy Mum of twin girls and a baby boy born this year! We also have a 1-year-old dog that we love to take out.

Emily Taylor

Year 3 Teacher. Music and RE Lead

From a young age I have always been involved with children’s work and knew I would work with either children or animals. It was my mum who suggested teaching and encouraged me in this direction. I linked this interest with my love of music, which I had grown up surrounded by, to study education with music at York St John. Since qualifying I have worked in a large Essex village school followed by the exciting opportunity to be part of the team opening and establishing a new school in Colchester. After 12 years in Colchester, I decided to move this direction to be closer to family and was drawn to the role at Milwards. Having family roots in Harlow, it seems very much to have been elements falling in to place to be teaching here now.

Manon Pinkett –

Year 3 Teacher. PSHE Lead

Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to work with children and become a primary school teacher. I used to organise fun events in my neighbourhood when I was young, which were always greatly appreciated by parents as they knew their children were entertained. It was therefore no surprise that I began my teaching journey after completing secondary school.

When speaking to me you can probably hear my accent as I was born and raised in the Netherlands and still have an accent that I can’t seem to hide! You might find your child singing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes in Dutch as I love to have fun with them all and teach them how much fun it is to learn a new language.

My teaching career in the UK started when I moved to England in 2006 and taught in three primary schools in Enfield until 2017. The Milwards family then became my new work environment and I absolutely love working at this school.

My mission as a teacher is to help all children discover the joy of learning both as an individual and in teams. I also aim to support each child in developing a strong belief in their ability to achieve.

My three children keep me busy and we often go back ‘home’ to visit our family. In my spare time I enjoy taking my dog Preston for walks and reading books (of which I have far too many, I could start a library!).

Rachael Alcock –

Key Stage 1 Lead

Year 2 Teacher. Literacy Lead

Born and raised in Harlow, I started my teaching career in 2011 locally at the Henry Moore Primary School, alongside studying for my degree in Early Years, Playwork and Education. It was great to learn on-the-job; this gave me experience of different ages and stages, and how every child learns in a unique way. Since qualifying, I have taught across both key stages and have enjoyed each and every year group. 

I can still remember my first day and the feeling I left with - this is my purpose. There is something truly magical about teaching and I consider it a privilege to educate the future generation. 

Fast-forward to today and I am delighted to be teaching at Milwards, after many years at Henry Moore. It is a very special place to be a part of. 

In my spare time I enjoy gardening, reading, shopping for antiques, and taking care of animals. I also have a passion for performing arts, particularly singing, and acting. I love nothing more than a West End show! 

Caty Elwes

Year 1 Teacher.  Computing Lead

I recently trained as a teacher before coming to Milwards in 2021. Previously I had lots of experience both in healthcare and working with children as an LSA and in a variety of other settings. I knew I wanted to train to be a teacher after becoming an LSA, though I took a break to travel, study and work abroad before I undertook this new journey. I studied photography at Canterbury Christ Church University, and I enjoy everything involving creativity in my spare time, especially knitting, and sewing!