Senior Leadership Team

Jossie joined Abingdon from Witham Hall School where she was the Director of External Relations. She has worked with a broad range of senior and prep school clients in the Independent Schools Sector as a freelance consultant for the Philanthropy Team at RSAcademics and has previously held positions responsible for Marketing, Admissions and Development at Ludgrove and Summer Fields, where she also ran a boarding house for five years. Jossie hails from New York, moving to the UK to read History of Art at the University of St Andrews followed by an MA in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. Prior to her transition to education, Jossie worked in the Arts for collections including Oxford University Museums & Gardens, MoMA New York and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.

Role at Abingdon:

Jossie joined Abingdon as Director of External Relations in 2024. She holds Foundation-wide responsibility for Admissions, Alumni Relations, Communications, Development, Marketing and Partnerships. Together these key operations provide cohesion and a sense of belonging for all stakeholders across the greater Abingdon Foundation community. Having worked in pastoral and administrative roles within schools for nearly two decades, she is passionate about the role of an independent school education in transforming lives.

Having read Physics at Durham University, Ben started his teaching career with TeachFirst in Birmingham. He has now been at Abingdon for more than ten years having previously held the roles of Resident Boarding Tutor, Head of Sailing and Head of Physics and Electronics. In his spare time, Ben plays the tuba in a local brass band.

Role at Abingdon:

Ben’s core role is the strategic management of all academic aspects of the school. This includes an overview of the curriculum and the leadership of the Heads of Department. Ben has always enjoyed providing opportunities for students through the Other Half programme including running weekly canoeing sessions and the annual yachting trip to Greece and Physics trip to Geneva.

Prior to Abingdon Justin was at Vodafone for 12 years where he held various positions, including Head of Financial Planning & Analysis at Vodafone UK, Southern Europe Financial Controller for Vodafone Group, Head of Strategy at Vodafone Italy and Director of Vodafone Ventures. Prior to this, he worked for Goldman Sachs investment bank in London and San Francisco. Justin graduated from Oxford University with a MEng in Engineering, Economics & Management, and a MSc in Management Studies. Justin is also an OA.

Role at Abingdon:

Justin became the Director of Finance & Operations in 2015. His responsibilities are Foundation-wide and include finance, facilities development and maintenance, compliance, security, IT and Information Systems, health and safety, grounds, gardens, catering, housekeeping, financial assistance programmes, company secretary as well as commercial activities in Abingdon School Enterprises.

An Exeter graduate in Modern Foreign Languages, Helen’s love of, and passion for, languages translates to teaching classes of 11 to 18 year olds across all abilities. A product of a co-educational upbringing, she joined Abingdon from Epsom College where she was instrumental in introducing girls at junior level in a day and boarding environment. Her roles included boarding Housemistress; Head of Year monitoring academic progress for the GCSE cohort; Head of PSHE; and EDI and Mental Health Lead. Helen is particularly interested in digital wellbeing. She coaches hockey, football and tennis, and is a keen runner. As part of her role as pastoral lead on SLT, she trained senior student digital mentors, peer mentors of various ages and delivered regular training to teachers, gap students, parents and matrons on pastoral issues, safeguarding and e-safety updates. She tutors for the Boarding Schools Association, sits on the steering group for EDI policy and Gender Agenda initiatives for the Royal National Children’s Springboard Foundation, is a member of the advisory board of the Votes For Schools debating platform and enjoys raising awareness of positive mental health issues through local charity work.

Role at Abingdon:

Helen’s responsibilities include the oversight of the welfare of all pupils, leading pastoral systems through Heads of House, section heads and tutors, plus the counselling team and health centre. She is the Designated Safeguarding Lead and oversees the boarding and day structures across houses as well pupil induction. She has a key role in implementing the transition to welcoming girls to Abingdon in 2026 heading up the pastoral workstream. She is the school’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lead and line manages the Heads of House, the Head of Wellbeing and Mental Health, the Chaplain and the Senior Nurse. She also oversees all rewards, sanctions and discipline issues, whilst coaching sport and teaching MFL.

Having read English at Oxford, Graeme began his teaching career at Pocklington School and, after short stints at Blundell’s and Lord Wandsworth College, moved to St Paul’s School in London where he was at various times Head of Drama, Deputy Head of English and a teacher of Latin alongside his English. Whilst he was at St Paul’s he undertook a two-year teacher exchange with Sydney Grammar School, Australia. On return to London, Graeme was quickly off to a Head of English post at Cheltenham College, where he also started up curricular drama, was editor of a number of school publications and visiting tutor to a boarding house before moving on to Abingdon after 5 years. He inspects regularly for ISI and is a governor at two secondary schools.

Role at Abingdon:

Having served as Deputy Head (Academic) since 2007, Graeme was appointed Senior Deputy Head in 2023.  He is responsible for the day-to-day organisation of the school, has general oversight of the teaching staff and deputises for the Head in his absence.  Throughout his time at Abingdon, Graeme has taught his core subject of English, in addition to Drama, Ancient History, Computing and PSHCE. He continues to direct drama productions when he can.

Before completing a PGCE in French and Sport in Manchester, Ronnie gained a degree in French and Linguistics from the University of Leeds. She quickly became Head of French in an all girls’ school in Lincolnshire and has subsequently led Modern Foreign Language departments in a variety of settings, including single sex and mixed schools. An Advanced Skills Teacher, Ronnie joined Abingdon in 2017 and draws on her previous SLT experience and work as a senior lecturer in teacher training at Oxford Brookes and chair of Oxford University’s Professional Tutors.

Role at Abingdon: 

Ronnie’s key focus is to oversee continual improvement in teaching and learning and to foster a culture of belonging for all. In this aspiration she leads a team who are passionate about promoting a collaborative climate of pedagogical reflection and professional development. She is involved in interviewing; lesson visits; research focused development of pedagogy and is a qualified coach. Ronnie continues to work with leading independent schools as a mentor for women in leadership. Ultimately her role is to ensure that students and teachers can be the best they can be. As an ex-national player she can be seen on the volleyball court in the summer term and also contributes to life in chapel, silversmithing and coaches students delivering lessons for CCF.

Educated at Milbourne Lodge and Bradfield College, Craig went on to read Geography at St Edmund Hall, Oxford. After graduating, he worked for an executive search consultancy before realising that his true calling was a career in teaching. He completed his PGCE at Rolle College, Plymouth University and subsequently worked in a number of co-educational schools including Great Ballard Prep, Taunton Prep and Thorngrove. His roles have been wide ranging and included Head of Geography, Housemaster, Master in Charge of Cricket and Senior Deputy Head. He joined Abingdon Prep as Head in September 2017.

Passionate about cricket, Craig is a member of Falkland Cricket Club, where he captained the 1st XI for three years as a wicketkeeper / batsman, and he still plays regularly on Saturday’s throughout the summer. Other hobbies include football, golf and walking his beloved Labrador, aptly named ‘Wicket’. He is married to Hannah and is proud father to Quinn.