Our leadership team

Hazel gained her first degree in History at Brunel University London and stayed on to earn her PhD, also in History. She began her career at the Historical Manuscripts Commission and went on to work at the National Archives before joining the North London Collegiate School in 2006. While there, she taught History and held senior roles including Head of Middle School, Deputy Head (Pastoral) and Interim Headmistress.

In 2023, she joined Habs and brought with her a commitment to outstanding teaching and classroom learning. She is interested in helping students to explore their subjects in great depth while instilling a love of learning in an exciting environment. Hazel believes in nurturing the whole person: every student should be well-known and cared for, and equipped to play their part in today’s global community. She says her goal is to enable students to fulfil their potential and be happy and confident in themselves.

Hazel remains fascinated by history, with an interest in early American history, nineteenth-century social history, and the history of girls’ education in England. She also enjoys reading, walking and shopping. She says she was most inspired by her Headmistress and History teacher at the school she attended in Harrow, who encouraged her to think deeply about causation and effect, as well as constantly questioning the evidence. There was a warmth and inclusivity to her classroom which has greatly shaped Hazel’s own teaching practice.

Sarah has been Principal Deputy Head since 2021, but has been an integral member of the school since starting as a Senior Leader at the Junior School in 2015. During her time at Habs, she has assumed a number of pivotal roles, including Deputy Head (Pastoral), Deputy Head (Academic), Acting Head and Head of Juniors.

In her current role, Sarah manages the day to day running of the whole school, and continues to teach in both Junior and Senior classrooms across her array of subject specialisms, including maths, science, PE and more recently geography.

Reflecting on her time at Haberdashers, Sarah cites the Headmistress’ ambition for the school community as a key source of inspiration. Their shared vision of boundless potential and unwavering standards of excellence continues to inform Sarah’s approach to leadership as she looks to inspire the same drive in her students.

In her spare time, Sarah is a keen athlete. When she isn’t playing for Harpenden Netball Club’s Regional team, Sarah can be found running, open water swimming, tackling a triathlon or managing her fantasy Formula One team.

Tim achieved a masters degree in Music from the University of Cambridge. He came to Habs as a newly qualified music teacher in 2008, later taking up roles as Assistant Director of Music and then twice as Assistant Head focusing on admissions, marketing and alumnae relations. He has been Deputy Head since 2022.

He is the director of two school choirs: the St Catherine Singers, the senior chamber choir, and Habs Choristers, an auditioned Junior School choir. Both groups are proud to have performed in some of the most inspiring surroundings, including the chapels of Clare, Corpus Christi and Pembroke colleges at Cambridge, and Exeter and Magdalen colleges at Oxford.

Having sung with the choir of St John’s College, Cambridge as a student, Tim has continued to sing professionally with choirs such as those at St Paul’s Cathedral, the King’s Chapel of the Savoy, and the Royal Hospital, Chelsea.

Lucy studied History and Management at the University of Cambridge before heading to UCL’s Institute of Education for an MA in History Education.

In her role as Deputy Head Pastoral, she focuses on enhancing our pastoral care – that means identifying pupil issues early on, and developing robust systems and strategies to deliver proactive care. Her vision is for outstanding pastoral care for all Habs children and young people, by placing the individual at the centre of all that we do and ensuring trust and partnership between the school and its students and parents.

Lucy has two young children and enjoys exploring nature with them. She has always been a keen athlete and enjoys running and swimming – but still finds time for reading. As a history teacher, she has a particular interest in the Tudors. She says her children have changed her life beyond recognition – teaching her about the joy of learning and exploring new things. She says she envies their unfettered imagination and creativity.

Claire studied Environmental Science at Newcastle University before doing a PGCE with the Institute of Education. As our new Head of Juniors, she is keen to continue enhancing the curriculum and wants to ensure that every child realises they can achieve their dreams while having a magical time at Habs.

Claire is a girl guiding leader, having volunteered for 10 years with the Guides and Rainbows. She also enjoys cycling, walking and swimming, and plans to start playing netball again. Having lost her dog prior to the pandemic, her family is planning to get another one – which will make dog-walking a priority once again.

From personal experience, she believes it is important to remember that you can learn something from everyone.

Megan holds a BSc in Management from the University of St Andrews and an MA in Leadership from the Institute of Education, London. She joined Habs Girls in 2019 as Assistant Head with ambitions to create an educational environment that fosters excellence and innovation.

Outside of her professional role, Megan enjoys organizing events, cooking and spending quality time with family and friends. She also loves taking long walks with her golden retriever, and often tries to plan her routes to end up at a bakery!

Megan’s best friend has taught her to appreciate all the little things in life, a philosophy she carries into her work and personal life.

Camilla read Drama and English at Brunel University and joined us in 2020 as Assistant Head (Pastoral) and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Her spare time is dedicated to live music, theatre, films, reading, Pilates and long walks.

Camilla says her grandad – ‘an absolute superhero’ – has always been an inspiration, even after he died a few years ago. He was kind, caring, highly ambitious, and had an excellent sense of humour. She says the way he faced challenges, in both his personal and professional life, have had a profound impact on who she is today. She has taken as a daily mantra what he would regularly say to her: “You learn something new every day; life is a journey, enjoy it, and keep learning.”

Liz completed a degree in Accounting and Finance at the University of Bristol and is certified by the CIMA and CGMA. She joined Habs in 2023, bringing us the benefit of her very strong commercial experience. Her aim is for finance to be seen as a key enabler for delivering the schools’ strategy, from supporting decision-making with data analysis to ensuring we are making the best of our assets to provide a fantastic education for our students.

Liz likes to keep fit and enjoys active holidays including water-skiing, swimming, paddle-boarding, cycling and skiing. She keeps busy entertaining her two young sons, but reads and bakes for relaxation.

Her mum dedicated her life to caring for other people, in her job and in voluntary roles. At Habs, Liz feels she is inspired by her mum in seeing the direct impact we are having on the lives of young people.

Bill obtained his undergraduate degree in English & American Literature and Psychology at Stanford University in California, and stayed on for his master’s in the same subject. He then did another master’s degree, in Journalism, at Columbia University in New York.

His objective in his role at Habs is to keep social mobility, inclusion, philanthropy and service at the very heart of what we stand for.

Bill keeps fit and active by swimming and hiking, and with Crossrope. His interests include Panama, Northumberland, Newcastle United and British history. He holds up his mum as his inspiration because of her bravery, drive and indefatigability.

Rob Hagon holds a BA Hons in Music from the University of Southampton. He joined Habs in April 2024 and says he is excited to be working on such a vibrant and forward-thinking campus.

Rob aims to truly embed the use of IT into the life of the schools, supporting colleagues to be creative and innovative while preparing the students for life in an increasingly digital world.

Outside of work, Rob spends most of his time making music. He loves singing and ran a community choir for 10 years. He also plays several instruments and enjoys playing in a local orchestra. It was Rob’s music teachers at school who instilled in him a deep love of music and appreciation for collaborative music that he still has to this day.

Clare holds an MA in Education from UCL IOE, a PGCE in Secondary Religious Education and an MA in Philosophy from the University of Cambridge.

As the new Director of Innovation at Habs, she is committed to achieving the school’s 2023 vision of being at the forefront of education. Clare believes this means striving to be extraordinary, not just delivering the ordinary. She aims to drive digital and curriculum innovation, creating opportunities for teachers to be researchers in their classrooms and putting the latest educational thinking into practice.
Outside of school, Clare can be found knitting Nordic jumpers or visiting gardens with her young family. She also has a passion for singing in choirs, which has taken her all around the world and even given her the opportunity to premiere works on Radio 3.

Reflecting on the inspiration behind her career in education, Clare recalls the profound impact her Head of English made on her life. Introducing her to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave in one English class ignited her lifelong passion for philosophy and serves as a poignant reminder of the transformative influence a good teacher can have on a person’s life.

Joshua studied for a degree in English Literature and Language at the University of Leeds before heading to the University of Oxford for a master of studies in English Literature. He went on to University College London for a master’s in Education Studies, and did the Graduate Teacher Programme for English at UCL’s Institute of Education.

His role is to develop the partnerships programme at Habs, in which hundreds of Habs students and staff work closely with thousands of pupils and students at our local partner schools for around 54,000 hours per year. This helps to build real, sustainable relationships, raise aspirations, and broaden horizons – and develops leadership, teamworking, communications skills, grit and resilience on both sides.

Joshua loves reading, the theatre and a good argument: all crucial elements of his job. He cycles, runs, and will happily kick or hit any ball that comes near him. He has three children, and says that most of his good ideas come from his wife – also a teacher.

Deborah holds a BA Hons in Business Studies. She joined Habs as head of Human Resources and Employee Relations in April 2024, aiming to provide efficient and effective HR systems and processes that support colleagues to be the best they can be.

Outside of work, Deborah enjoys football, gardening and reading. She also serves as the Chair of Trustees for a multi-academy trust, supporting seven schools in Welwyn and St Albans.

Deborah owes her personal values to her parents, who were endlessly supportive and who taught herself and her brother to dream big, work hard and look out for each other.

Avril studied Typography and Graphic Communication at Reading University, before completing the ADP at London Business School. Avril spent over 20 years working in leading advertising and brand design agencies, creating, growing and reviving some of the worlds’ most loved brands and businesses such as Brakes, Diageo, GSK, LVMH, McCormick and Twinings before moving to Habs.

Avril loves making a difference for others, helping her colleagues at Habs develop the schools’ vision and purpose, supporting them to clearly communicate it. Being half-Singaporean and holding wine qualifications, food and entertaining is central to Avril’s free time. Her friends and family cannot escape her love for chilli, chicken rice, fishballs and cocktails!

Philanthropy also plays a very important role in her life. Avril can be found regularly campaigning for Auditory Verbal UK, a charity that supports deaf children to listen and talk with Auditory Verbal Therapy and have the same opportunities in life as their hearing peers. The charity has had a profound impact on her family and deaf son.

After studying for an MA in Ancient and Modern History at the University of Oxford, Gus gained his PGCE in History at the University of Bristol. He joined Habs in 2018 – which has included rewarding challenges such as managing to operate remotely during the pandemic and improving equity, diversity and inclusion for everyone in our community.

He has also been working to bring Habs Boys and Habs Girls much closer together. In 2023, Gus was appointed Executive Principal, to continue this work of creating two outstanding single-sex schools on one co-educational campus – a very different picture from his first experiences of Habs, where he was at school in the 1990s.

Gus is a big sports fan but tends to watch and listen these days, rather than taking part. He remains a very enthusiastic historian but increasingly enjoys gardening and cooking, especially cooking homegrown vegetables. He also spends time travelling and walking, particularly in the Lake District and always alongside his wife and three children.

He says he is lucky to have had a number of inspirational role models. Notably, his late stepfather had a great love of learning, the arts, music and sports – but also took a genuine personal interest in everyone he met.

Hazel gained her first degree in History at Brunel University London and stayed on to earn her PhD, also in History. She began her career at the Historical Manuscripts Commission and went on to work at the National Archives before joining the North London Collegiate School in 2006. While there, she taught History and held senior roles including Head of Middle School, Deputy Head (Pastoral) and Interim Headmistress.

In 2023, she joined Habs and brought with her a commitment to outstanding teaching and classroom learning. She is interested in helping students to explore their subjects in great depth while instilling a love of learning in an exciting environment. Hazel believes in nurturing the whole person: every student should be well-known and cared for, and equipped to play their part in today’s global community. She says her goal is to enable students to fulfil their potential and be happy and confident in themselves.

Hazel remains fascinated by history, with an interest in early American history, nineteenth-century social history, and the history of girls’ education in England. She also enjoys reading, walking and shopping. She says she was most inspired by her Headmistress and History teacher at the school she attended in Harrow, who encouraged her to think deeply about causation and effect, as well as constantly questioning the evidence. There was a warmth and inclusivity to her classroom which has greatly shaped Hazel’s own teaching practice.

Robert gained his BA (Hons) in French and Spanish at the University of Manchester and was Head of Spanish at Habs from 2011-2014. He rejoined as Deputy Head (Academic) in 2020.

He says Habs is a hugely special place – blessed with outstanding teachers, exceptional facilities, and curious and ambitious students. He believes that teaching here is a real privilege; it is a can-do place where students and colleagues can make things happen. Habs is a dynamic community which never stands still, and the collaboration with Habs Girls is hugely exciting. That said, he is looking forward to greater inclusion, more scholarship places, more partnerships, and greater sustainability.

Robert is interested in French, Spanish and Hispanic literature, theatre, art and film, and also enjoys travelling – particularly to Spain and Latin America. He plays football and tennis, he runs, and he referees for his son’s football team. He also likes walking, reading, cooking, and time with family and friends. He is inspired by two of his sixth-form languages teachers, as well as a Headmistress at a previous workplace; he says her clarity of vision helped him take the next steps in his career.

Liz completed a degree in Accounting and Finance at the University of Bristol and is certified by the CIMA and CGMA. She joined Habs in 2023, bringing us the benefit of her very strong commercial experience. Her aim is for finance to be seen as a key enabler for delivering the schools’ strategy, from supporting decision-making with data analysis to ensuring we are making the best of our assets to provide a fantastic education for our students.

Liz likes to keep fit and enjoys active holidays including water-skiing, swimming, paddle-boarding, cycling and skiing. She keeps busy entertaining her two young sons, but reads and bakes for relaxation.

Her mum dedicated her life to caring for other people, in her job and in voluntary roles. At Habs, Liz feels she is inspired by her mum in seeing the direct impact we are having on the lives of young people.