Senior Management Team
Head Teacher, Safeguarding Lead: Andrew Day
Andrew Day has been Head of The Unicorn School since April 2015. Prior to this he was Head of Calder House School in Bath where he spent seven happy years transforming a generally good school to an “Outstanding” school in all seven areas.
Andrew brings a wealth of experience with him as he has also taught at Bristol Grammar Lower School, Hornsby House School, Wycliffe Preparatory School and Cheltenham College Preparatory School. He was in charge of the academic side in the last three of these schools.
Married to Helen, and with two daughters, Andrew has made his home in Abingdon. Outside school Andrew’s main passion is Rugby. He has represented Cotham Park in Bristol over 500 times and has also represented London Welsh RFC. He also loves the great outdoors and has enjoyed numerous skiing and hiking trips to Europe and to the USA.
Deputy Head Teacher, Deputy Safeguarding Lead & SENCo: Alexandra Foster
Alexandra first moved to Oxfordshire in 1999 to work for Heinemann Educational Publishers utilising her undergraduate degree in English Literature from Exeter University. After having her two children she decided to pursue a new career path and studied for her PGCE at Oxford Brookes University. Since then Alexandra has been working in special education both in a teaching and outreach capacity and has also delivered training workshops to NQTs. In November 2019 Alexandra completed her Masters in Education: Leadership and Management at Oxford Brookes.
Alexandra lives in the Cotswolds with her family including a much-loved dog and cat. Her key passions are reading, going to the theatre and walking her dog in the beautiful countryside around her home.
Academic & Digital Lead, Exams Officer: Sallie Greenhalgh
Sallie has wanted to be a maths teacher since the age of 5! Having graduated with a Maths & Computing degree from Bath University with a concurrent certificate in education she taught in the Bath & Bristol area for 11 years. Sallie then set up her own maths tutoring business before moving to Oxfordshire in 2013. Sallie is also a qualified teacher of the deaf and has worked with Oxfordshire SENSS and a Hearing Resource Provision in Buckinghamshire. Sallie joined The Unicorn School in January 2018 teaching maths and music across the school.
Sallie is married with one daughter. Sallie loves watching Formula 1 and is looking forward to introducing her daughter to the delights of Silverstone. When Sallie isn’t playing the piano, singing or playing the viola, she is ferrying her daughter from her own musical and sporting activities!
Bursar: Katy Johnson
Katy joined the Unicorn School in May 2020 as Bursar. She is a qualified accountant with 30 years experience in audit, accounts and support services in various finance roles within the commercial and education sectors. With her passion for education, she spent nearly 6 years as Finance & Admin Bursar for Farleigh School, an Independent School in Andover. Always looking to continue her own development, Katy is currently studying a Level 7 Diploma in Project Management.
Katy and her husband have two sons and live on the edge of the Cotswolds. She loves travelling, music, cycling and walking.
Development Manager: Tamora Burford
Tamora is the Unicorn School's Development Manager. She joined in October 2021 just as the school began its 30th Anniversary celebrations. Tamora has spent the past 5 and half years acting as the Fundraising Manager for Watford FC's Community Trust, where she secured funding to support the delivery of over 30 community projects and the running of two community hubs. Prior to this Tamora has worked at Ashridge Business School as part of their Business Development Team, and before this at the BBC, where she negotiated additional funding to support their Natural History Programmes.
Tamora lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and young daughter. She loves being outdoors, whether that is going for long walks or simply pottering in the garden.
OUTREACH Coordinator, 1:1 Co-ordinator & Specialist Assessor: Sara Jones
Sara has worked at The Unicorn School since September 2017. In January 2021, Sara took over the role of One to One Co-ordinator, Senior Assessor and Outreach Co-ordinator for the school. Prior to working at The Unicorn School, Sara has worked in a variety of educational settings which have included a specialist preparatory boarding school for boys, a further education college and a comprehensive school.
Sara has a degree in Human Geography and a PGCE in Geography and Special Needs. During her career, she returned to The University of Bristol to complete a Masters of Education Degree and to Oxford Brookes University to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Supporting Children with Literacy Difficulties. During this time, Sara worked on a voluntary basis in a primary school and a comprehensive school in Swindon. Sara hold the AMBDA and APC qualifications which enable her to carry out her role as an assessor.
Sara has two teenage boys and enjoys spending time with her family. Together they enjoy long walks with their dog, travelling and cooking.
Pastoral and Safeguarding Lead: Ann-Marie Martin
Ann-Marie Martin has been Pastoral and Designated Safeguarding Lead at The Unicorn School since January 2018. She teaches Science to Years 8-11, and is also the class teacher for Sycamore. Prior to being appointed at The Unicorn School, she was an experienced Head of Year at St Birinus School in Didcot where she spent twelve years moving through Key Stages 3 and 4 with three different cohorts of children and their parents. Within this role she liaised with staff, parents and outside agencies to support the teaching, learning and well- being of the students, and she was instrumental in establishing a recognised system of rewards and responsibilities.
Ann-Marie has also taught at Reading Boys School, and at Fitzharrys School, in a variety of roles which have included responsibilities within her teaching subject, organising and implementing work experience and developing resources to support independent guidance for careers education.
Married to Paul, and with a son and a daughter, Ann-Marie was born in Wantage, studied in the area and continues to live locally. Outside of school hours, Ann-Marie enjoys reading a variety of different genres of literature, watching films, and going walking with her two English Springer Spaniels, and her children, preferably along a sunny beach in Cornwall.
Registrar and Head of Marketing: Elizabeth Carter Shaw
Lizzy graduated from Leicester University with a degree in Economics before moving to Thailand. She founded the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School which she ran with her husband for 17 years.
Upon returning to England she worked in the Admissions Department at Abingdon School being responsible for organising Open Days, the primary and prep school events and exam days. Most recently she successfully ran an election campaign for a local MP.
Lizzy has her own company, Tongue Thai'd, teaching Thai cooking and regularly runs courses at Marlborough Summer School. She has also written a couple of Thai cookery books. She enjoys opera and theatre, playing squash, watching cricket, her puppy and long walks. She lives in Abingdon, and has three grown up children.