Key Staff
Sarah Gibbs, Headteacher
Sarah Gibbs has been part of Maiden Erlegh Trust since September 2018, when she joined Maiden Erlegh School as an Assistant Headteacher. In September 2020, she moved to Maiden Erlegh School in Reading to take up the role of Deputy Headteacher (Curriculum and Timetabling). She is now Headteacher at Maiden Erlegh School in Reading.
Sarah completed a Mathematics degree at the University of Birmingham, followed by a PGCE at the University of Birmingham. After completing her training, she moved to Reading to begin her teaching career as a Maths teacher at The Piggott School. Since arriving in Reading, she has taught in a small number of schools and held a range of leadership roles, including Second in Maths, Head of Maths and Assistant Headteacher. She remains a passionate teacher of Mathematics and continues to teach alongside her leadership responsibilities.
Sarah is committed to the education system and the opportunities it provides for young people. She believes one of the strengths of Maiden Erlegh School in Reading is its diverse community, where students and staff from different backgrounds learn from one another. Outside of school, she enjoys supporting her children and going for the occasional run.
Dan Hood, Deputy Headteacher
Dan has been a valued member of the Maiden Erlegh Trust for over six years, initially joining as an Assistant Headteacher before being appointed Deputy Headteacher in 2023.
He began his teaching career after graduating from the University of Southampton and completing his Graduate Teacher Programme at the University of Reading. Following his NQT year in Hampshire, Dan became Head of PE in Reading, where he also successfully led as Head of Year.
Since moving to Maiden Erlegh Reading, Dan has played a key role in nurturing a culture of high expectations, inclusion and aspiration. A values-driven leader, he is deeply committed to ensuring that every student achieves their full potential both in and beyond the classroom.
Samantha Redrup, Deputy Headteacher
Samantha holds a BSc in Psychology and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Information Technology. She began her teaching career in London before moving to Surrey and subsequently to Reading, where she joined Maiden Erlegh Reading as Curriculum Lead for Computing in September 2019. Demonstrating exceptional leadership and expertise, she was appointed Assistant Headteacher in January 2020. In January 2026, she assumed the role of Deputy Headteacher on secondment, continuing her commitment to excellence in education and leadership. Samantha is dedicated to ensuring the highest standards are seen across the school by driving improvements in curriculum, teaching and learning, to ensure the best possible outcomes for all MER students.
Amy Harvey, Assistant Headteacher
Amy has been an Assistant Headteacher at Maiden Erlegh Reading since April 2024. She has oversight of Behaviour and Culture within the school.
Amy is an English teacher and gained her degree in English Literature from Warwick University before completing her PGCE at Reading University. Amy has worked in the Reading area for her entire teaching career and previously held the positions of 2nd in English, Head of Media Studies and more recently Head of Year and Associate Senior Leader.
Amy has completed two National Professional Qualifications one in Leading Behaviour and Culture and the other in Senior Leadership.
She has thoroughly enjoyed her first year at MER and looks forward to helping the school develop in the future.
Beckie Davies, Assistant Headteacher
Beckie has been an Assistant Headteacher at Maiden Erlegh School in Reading since June 2022 having worked here since 2016. In her role she is responsible for Safeguarding and Welfare within the school, and in addition to this oversees Pupil Premium.
Beckie's subject specialism is Maths, with a degree in Business Management from University of Surrey. Beckie trained at Cox Green School in Maidenhead and has spent her teaching career at Maiden Erlegh Trust. Beckie joined as an NQT at Maiden Erlegh School in 2015 before moving to Maiden Erlegh School in Reading in 2016 as an Assistant Head of Year before becoming a Head of Year in 2017 – a role that Beckie truly loved. It was a privilege to see her year group getting their exam results in August 2022 after all the challenges they have had to overcome during their final years of school. She has enjoyed being a part of seeing Maiden Erlegh School in Reading grow, joining in the second year of opening and the adventures of the temporary buildings to seeing the new building completed, and the school grow over the years. Becky feels honoured to be teaching our school community and seeing our students develop into brilliant young adults.
Nicola Benham, Assistant Headteacher
Coming soon
Jake Tomsett, Assistant Headteacher
Jake Tomsett has been a part of the Maiden Erlegh Trust since 2013, when he joined Maiden Erlegh School as a Newly Qualified Teacher of Geography. He held various roles at the school, including Coordinator for numeracy, literacy and more able provision, Key Stage 3 coordinator for Geography and Key Stage 4 coordinator for Geography. However, his history with the school goes back further as he also attended the same school as a pupil prior to completing a BSc Geography degree at the University of Leicester. Passionate about both geography and teaching, he then completed his teacher training at Oxford University. Jake then joined Maiden Erlegh School in Reading as Curriculum Lead for Geography in 2019. He took on the More Able coordinator role in 2021 and carried out both roles concurrently until his promotion to Assistant Headteacher in December 2025.
Outside of school, Jake enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children and tries to keep fit through going to the gym and playing football (when he's not injured!). He is also a keen computer game player.
Charlotte Swart, School Business Manager
Charlotte started her career in hospitality as a Deputy Restaurant Manager before moving to the education sector in 2015. After receiving a National Diploma in Early Childhood Education with the view to go into teaching, she determined that the support function of schools was of more interest.
Charlotte began her career in schools as an administrator at Cranbury College before joining Maiden Erlegh Trust in 2020 as Office Manager/Headteacher’s PA at Maiden Erlegh School in Reading. She joined Maiden Erlegh School in Reading during it’s first year at full capacity and worked hard to form a robust support team for the wider school. Charlotte returned to Cranbury College in September 2022 as Business Manager to gain experience whilst studying a Level 4 School Business Professional qualification to support her development.
Charlotte has now returned to Maiden Erlegh School in Reading as Business Manager to broaden her skill set in a larger mainstream setting. In her spare time, Charlotte looks after her two children and is a keen runner.
With effect from 01 January 2026.
