Our teachers

The quality of teaching that students receive at d'Overbroeck's International Study Centre is our greatest strength.

All our teachers:

Are experienced in working with international students in the 15-20 age group

Take a personal interest in the progress of their students

Treat each student as an individual

In this way, students can build on their personal strengths and improve on their areas of weakness as quickly as possible.

Dr Helen Wood - Director and Head of EFL

Helen is the Director of the d’Overbroeck’s International Study Centre and Head of English as a Foreign Language at the College. Helen graduated from Cambridge University before going on to complete a PhD in International History and Politics in Geneva. She is also DTEFLA qualified and a specialist in teaching English for Academic Purposes. Helen takes an active role in helping international students with music and drama activities and often accompanies overseas students on cultural visits around the UK. Outside school, Helen has taken on the role of running the Oxford English Teachers’ Forum at d’Overbroeck’s. The Forum, which was formerly led by respected ELT trainer and author H.A. Swan, provides training in methodology and resources for English teachers in and around Oxford. Helen is also a fluent French speaker and accomplished musician.

Kate McCabe - OPAL Programme Coordinator, English

Kate is an English and Linguistics graduate and has an MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL from Leicester University. As an experienced teacher of Academic English to the 15-20 age group, Kate has taught specialist IELTS classes for several schools in Oxford and works closely with our 6th Form students preparing them for this exam. In her role as OPAL Programme Co-ordinator, Kate is responsible for monitoring the students’ academic and pastoral welfare, while she also takes an active role in the extra-curricular activities programme. Her contributions to this range from leading ‘Newsday’, when students at the centre work as journalists in a national competition to produce a newspaper, to directing the annual OPAL Pantomime.

Katie Jones Beattie - Form Tutor / English teacher

Katie is an ISC Form Tutor and teaches English to both ISC students and international Sixth Form students. Katie has a degree in Modern Languages (German) and Linguistics from the University of Essex and is a fluent German speaker with a real passion for languages. As Katie herself has studied and worked overseas she has a real understanding of the needs of international students. After university, Katie completed her Trinity College London TESOL Certificate and mainly worked with young adults before moving to d’Overbroeck’s. Katie helps with ISC Activities and runs a hugely successful Dance Club for d’Overbroeck’s College, teaching street, jazz and Latin dance to over 40 students.

David Wareham - Form Tutor / English teacher

David is an ISC Form Tutor and teaches English to both ISC Students and international Sixth Form students. He is also an English & Drama teacher at Leckford Place School, part of d’Overbroeck’s College. David completed a first degree in English, and then went on to do a MA in Drama at Exeter University. After his Masters he completed the Trinity College TESOL Certificate and taught in The Basque Country, Spain. Upon returning to the UK he taught refugees/ESOL in London before moving on to Oxford. David plays a major role in assisting with excursions and enjoys taking the students to places of interest around the UK. He is interested in Chinese martial arts and is currently learning Chinese.

Alan Milosevic - Maths teacher / Head of ICT

Alan is a Mathematics graduate (BSc, PGCE) and is also Head of Computing at d'Overbroeck's College. Alan spent several years setting up and running ground breaking software companies in San Francisco, Montreal and Tokyo and, although teaching is now his main preoccupation, he remains on the board of several innovative technology companies today. Alan is a keen walker and mountaineer as well as a talented musician. He regularly helps out with musical aspects of the OPAL extra-curricular activities programme.

Angus Roberts – Physics, Maths & ICT (CLAIT)

Angus studied Physics at Oxford University and then went on to Birmingham to gain an MSc in Applied Mathematics. He has worked as a consultant for many international companies including Xerox, Mars and Glaxo Smith Kline. Angus has been teaching for several years in Oxford schools and joined d'Overbroecks in September 2005. Angus is also a keen sportsman and takes students from Leckford Place School (part of d’Overbroeck’s College) for rugby sessions and sailing.

Dr Tuncel Tack - Chemistry

Tuncel is a Chemistry graduate from the University of London (BSc, PhD) and has worked for several international companies as a research chemist. Her academic links with industry have also credited her with many publications including inventions that have led to commercial successes. She has therefore brought her industrial and academic expertise into her teaching. She is University of Oxford trained and an experienced teacher. She teaches Chemistry to A level students at d'Overbroeck's College.

Jill Partridge – Biology, General Science & Geography

Jill has a combined Honours degree in Biology and Geography from Exeter University and a PGCE from Homerton College, Cambridge, and is CELTA qualified. Jill received her school education in Brussels (second language French) and subsequently spent many years working as a company trainer and translator in Holland, Germany and France. During this time she developed a clear insight into how difficult it is to study and work in a foreign language, and at d’Overbroeck’s enjoys applying her skills to teaching Biology, General Science and Geography. Jill helps out with ISC extra-curricular activities, including the Christmas Pantomime and summer sports events.

Dr. Martin Winstone – History

Martin obtained a First Class Honours degree from Oxford University before going on to complete a D.Phil in History. He is also an experienced examiner for OCR. Martin teaches both A level Politics and History for d’Overbroeck’s College and is responsible for History teaching on the Opal programme. He has been actively involved in educational trips for d’Overbroeck’s and has taken students to Moscow and St. Petersburg as part of the A level extra-curricular programme.

Clare Wildish - Business Studies

Clare came into teaching from a business background and therefore brings with her much welcome real life business experience. As well as teaching GCSE Business to the international students on the OPAL Programme, Clare teaches A level Business Studies and is Subject Co-ordinator for A level Accounting at the College.