Who are we?
We are the staff team here at Physis Academy, and we are very much looking forward to getting to know you and supporting you throughout your journey with us. We hope you will feel welcomed, valued, and part of our school community from the very beginning.
James Nation
James is the newly appointed Headteacher at Physis Academy. James has extensive experience working with young people from all walks of life. From residential social care to specialist education, James has worked across the UK and holds over 20 years' experience in educational settings working with SEND, SEMH and challenging behaviour. James holds a BA Hons in Education.
James loves the outdoors and has further experience and qualifications leading groups on expeditions, running Duke of Edinburgh Awards and Forest School programmes. James' ideal day would be spent up a mountain, beside campfire in a woodland, or under a tent in the rain.
James further runs his own football coaching business. James' coaching journey started about 15 years ago and currently holds a UEFA license. James further coaches at Stoke City FC as an Academy and Development (Foundation) Coach- coaching foundation players aged 6-15 who are on the development or academy pathway within the football club.
Ultimately, James loves to bring his love for the outdoors and nature into schools and is a huge believer that any classroom should be beyond four walls.
Headteacher
Domoni Supple
Domoni is a qualified Modern Foreign Languages Teacher with Postgraduate Certificates in European Languages and Cultures and Child and Adolescent Mental Health. She fell in love with teaching while living in Mexico teaching English as a foreign language which encouraged her to qualify in the UK when she returned home. She was a Head of Year in a large mainstream school for many years alongside teaching in the MFL department and mentoring both staff and students. Domoni made the decision to move to Physis when she felt that her pastoral skills were not being fully utilised within a mainstream setting and that she could better support pupils in a smaller specialised school. Domoni is an MFL Teacher, Mental Health Lead and Mentor for QTS, QTLS and ECT.
Assistant Head and MFL Teacher
Katherine Mooney
Assistant Head and SENCo
Domoni is a qualified Modern Foreign Languages Teacher with Postgraduate Certificates in European Languages and Cultures and Child and Adolescent Mental Health. She fell in love with teaching while living in Mexico teaching English as a foreign language which encouraged her to qualify in the UK when she returned home. She was a Head of Year in a large mainstream school for many years alongside teaching in the MFL department and mentoring both staff and students. Domoni made the decision to move to Physis when she felt that her pastoral skills were not being fully utilised within a mainstream setting and that she could better support pupils in a smaller specialised school. Domoni is an MFL Teacher, Examinations Officer, Mental Health Lead and Mentor for QTS, QTLS and ECT.
Lisa Beaman
School Business Administrator
Lisa joined the school in May 2023 as our School Business Administrator. Prior to this, Lisa has over 8 years’ experience working with children, based within nursery settings where she has worked in a variety of roles, including part of the management team. During this time, Lisa has completed NVQ qualifications in both childcare and team leading before completing her Foundation Degree in Childhood Studies.
Anneliese Harrington
Exams Officer
Anneliese has worked within education since 2021, starting out in an administrative role for a short period before moving into an Exams Officer position across mainstream secondary schools and sixth form settings in both London and Cheshire. She has worked with young people aged 3 to 18 in both administrative and behaviour support contexts, giving her a broad understanding of supporting learners across different stages of development.
Abbie Morrissey
Pastoral Manager
Abbie started working for Physis in September 2025. Abbie’s first job was working in an Italian Takeaway. When leaving high school, Abbie had 0 GCSE’s and little motivation for the future, however, later in life when ready took herself to college and enrolled in English, Maths and Health and Social Care to which she passed both GCSE’s and received distinction stars in H&S Care.
Abbie then went to work as a Nursing Assistant for a couple of years in a nursing home dispensing medications and helping with wound management.
Abbie then started working with young people as a support worker and in time ended up leading her own Crisis Prevention Team which was her passion. Abbie also helped create an online education platform for children out of education, supported House Managers with workloads, lead an Employee Wellness programme whilst also working alongside Senior Leadership.
Abbie loves supporting others and being there to ensure every individual see’s their worth and everyone know that Abbie always has their back!
Andy Lawson
Careers Lead
Andy Lawson is a qualified Tutor with a PGCE. He is the schools Careers Lead and has 20 years’ experience working in education including post-16 and working with children in specialist education settings. Andy started his careers in 1988 working in financial services as an independent consultant and trainer. In 2001 he joined a six-form college delivering functional skills English, Maths and ICT to vocational groups and apprentices.  As part of his role, he was involved in several specialist programmes for students who struggled to attend college. Andy was also one of the colleges senior tutors leading the provisions tutorial programme for vocational students including transitions to university, behaviour management and the colleges wider personal development programme. After he left the college, he worked independently supporting students and helping a local college set up their functional skills programme for their apprenticeship provision.  In 2014 Andy joined a SEND school developing and delivering the education programme in the newly formed assessment centres. He then took on the role of careers lead setting up the school’s careers programme. Andy joined The Physis Heathgates Academy in September 2022 as the Careers Lead and Employability Skills teacher.
Lizzie Bush
English Teacher
Andy Lawson is a qualified Tutor with a PGCE. He is the schools Careers Lead and has 20 years’ experience working in education including post-16 and working with children in specialist education settings. Andy started his careers in 1988 working in financial services as an independent consultant and trainer. In 2001 he joined a six-form college delivering functional skills English, Maths and ICT to vocational groups and apprentices.  As part of his role, he was involved in several specialist programmes for students who struggled to attend college. teacher.
Jo Millington
Maths Teacher
Jo is an experienced teacher who has worked in further education for almost 30 years.On leaving school Jo worked as an office worker in the manufacturing industry. Jo then went on to work as an administrator, progressing to become a Personal Assistant within a further education college.
Jo retrained in her thirties undertaking her teaching qualifications and began teaching students with learning difficulties and disabilities. Jo has taught English, maths, vocational studies, skills for life and ICT.
Jo is passionate about maths and through her therapeutic approaches prides herself to enable young people to enjoy, thrive and gain an understanding in maths.
Sarah Newall
Humanities Teacher
Sarah qualified to teach in 1998 and has worked in a variety of mainstream settings, in UK and the Channel Islands. During this time, she has also worked in youth theatres as a teacher and Safeguarding Lead, as well as spending time as carer in a therapeutic community. She loves the therapeutic model offered by Physis.
Sarah’s main subject is Religious Studies: she works tirelessly to help people understand that a qualification in Religious Studies does not mean you have to become a priest (or a Religious Studies teacher). In her classroom she shares her enthusiasm for Religious Studies alongside the other Humanities subjects as a discipline that opens a person’s mind to other views and ways of life.
Her approach is child-centred, and tailored to the individual, and Sarah hopes that students leave her lessons with an expanded understanding of what has formed the world, and their place in it.
Becky Dyke
Health and Social Care Tutor
Becky taught for 9 years in a Post 16 Education setting working with groups of students age 14+. Predominantly supporting young adults into training, further education, obtaining ASDAN Employability awards, completing employment-based learning or transition into employment. After 9 years Becky retrained within Early Years education and for 12 years has successfully set up and run a small childcare business, caring from birth to 13 years old. With the company ethos and focus of ‘outdoor learning’ within a home from home nurturing setting. During this time Becky has independently cared for 63 children supporting their physical, emotional, social and intellectual development from Early Years to Key Stage 3.
Gaining valuable first-hand experience and knowledge of Child development and Life stages. Becky is teaching Health and Social Care, and units of the awards combined with Child Development and employment-based certification, within a therapeutic setting and an encouraging approach to the qualifications.
Linda Mills
Personal Growth and Wellbeing Tutor
Linda began her career in 2006 volunteering in a Key Stage 1 primary school while completing her NVQ Level 2. She went on to gain her Level 3 qualification, working across Key Stages 1–3 and supporting SEN students with individual needs.
From 2009 to 2012, Linda worked in an EBD school supporting Key Stage 3 students through outdoor education, vocational pathways, and ASDAN programmes. She later worked in a PRU (2012–2015), helping students build confidence and reintegrate into school, including one-to-one support to improve attendance.
Linda then moved into residential care as a Therapeutic Support Worker, gaining her QCF Level 3 and progressing to a senior role. She supported young people in therapeutic settings and completed Physis training (Stages 1–4).
Linda now works at Physis Heathgates Academy as a tutor, delivering Personal Growth and Wellbeing using a therapeutic approach.
Lee Ellis
Science Teacher
Lee is a qualified Science Teacher with an NPQ in Leading Behaviour and Culture, alongside Level 3 qualifications in Safeguarding and Health & Social Care. He has 15 years’ experience working with vulnerable young people across care homes, SEMH and BESD schools, and further education, as well as experience supporting youth offenders with West Mercia Police and young people with mental health needs.
Lee began his career in 2009 as a Therapeutic Support Worker in children’s homes before moving into education as an Instructor, delivering KS3 Maths and Science. After successfully covering a long-term teaching absence, he became a fully qualified teacher. Throughout his career, Lee has supported a wide range of young people, developing strong behaviour strategies to achieve positive outcomes.
He has also worked closely with families and youth offenders to support rehabilitation, and in 2019 established a charity shop providing students with valuable work experience.
Lee joined Physis Academy in February 2024, where his passion for the therapeutic model and high standard of care continues to shape his work.
Rachel Hollis-Walden
Teacher of SEND
Rachel began her career in childcare and education in 2004 as a nursery nurse, developing a strong foundation in early years practice. She later broadened her experience by working as a teaching assistant within a secondary school setting, alongside commencing her academic journey by studying part-time for her degree while raising toddler triplets.
Throughout her time as a stay-at-home parent, Rachel undertook a range of voluntary and paid roles within education, further strengthening her skills and commitment to education. A few years ago, after qualifying as a nail technician and then completing online teaching, she made the decision to formally pursue a teaching career.
Rachel has ADHD and brings valuable lived experience of navigating additional learning needs, which informs her empathetic and inclusive practice. She completed her Primary PGCE and achieved QTS with a specialism in SEND in 2025. Rachel is currently an Early Career Teacher (ECT) at Physis Academy, where she continues to develop her practice supporting pupils with diverse needs.
Tori Vespa
Teaching Assistant
Tori began her career as a singer, dancer and kids entertainer in the UK and abroad, before completing her qualifications to become a dance teacher. She ran classes in several local schools, as well as running her own studio.
She then decided to pursue a career in education, so completed an NVQ Level 3 in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools. After this, she spent a couple of years supporting an individual pupil in a mainstream primary setting, which gave her valuable experience in providing tailored one-to-one support. Tori was really interested in the safeguarding part of the role and left the school setting to go on and be the Designated Safeguarding Lead for a large organisation, with over 10,000 children involved.
She did this for approximately eight years, gaining extensive knowledge in safeguarding practices and children’s wellbeing. More recently, she spent a year working in a school specialising in SEN and SEMH, further strengthening her skills in supporting children with a wide range of needs.
Emma Dutton
Teaching Assistant
Tori began her career as a singer, dancer and kids entertainer in the UK and abroad, before completing her qualifications to become a dance teacher. She ran classes in several local schools, as well as running her own studio.
She then decided to pursue a career in education, so completed an NVQ Level 3 in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools. After this, she spent a couple of years supporting an individual pupil in a mainstream primary setting, which gave her valuable experience in providing tailored one-to-one support. Tori was really interested in the safeguarding part of the role and left the school setting to go on and be the Designated Safeguarding Lead for a large organisation, with over 10,000 children involved.
range of needs.
Imogen Cornes
Teaching Assistant
Imogen joined the team in January 2025. Prior to this Imogen has worked with children for eight years in a variety of environments including Swimming Teaching and Nannying. She has gained qualifications in this time frame including CACHE Children and Young People’s Mental Health Level 3.
She spent the past year travelling through Central America and parts of Asia, volunteering along the way at animal sanctuaries and doing some freelance graphic design work.