Meet the Leadership Team

James Saunders
Headteacher

I joined Honywood as headteacher in April 2018 after leading a local cross-phase teaching school and Challenge Partners school improvement hub, working with schools across Essex.  I hold a degree in Music, MA in Electronic Media and an MBA in Educational Leadership.  Prior to teaching I worked as a freelance sound, graphic and web designer.  I then retrained as a computing teacher; a subject I continue to teach as Headteacher.  I have a deep interest in technology and, in 2014, was one of 50 people globally who were selected to work with Google and awarded the status Google Certified innovator.  

I have also served on the ethics committee at UCL between 2017 and 2020 and am a founding fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and fellow of the RSA.  I am also a Trustee of a local primary school Trust, a member of another local trust and Vice Chair of governors at my son's primary school.  I am also senior partner for Challenge Partners. 

I have two boys: one at primary school and one at secondary school.  Beyond school everything I do is focused around being a dad and enjoying time with my family.  I still try to turn my hand back to music from time to time.

James Munro
Deputy Headteacher

James Munro joined the school in 1999 and has had a number of different roles before being appointed Deputy Headteacher, a role he currently undertakes. As a sabbatical he worked in a school improvement role in a school in Suffolk. James studied PE and Geography at Demontfort University, Bedford.

Scott Caygill
Junior Deputy Headteacher

Scott Caygill joined Honywood in September 2009 when undertaking his teacher training year. In 2012 he was appointed as Cohort Leader before becoming Assistant Head in 2017. Scott has also worked as an Assistant Head at one other school in Suffolk where he was seconded for 1 year. Scott studied Biomedical Science at Durham University between 2005-2008. Scott's responsibilities in school are Behaviour & Standards which involves him leading the Cohort Leaders, Learning Group Leaders, PSHE provision and Behaviour Interventions as well as being one of the school's Designated Safeguarding Leads.   In September 2022 Scott was appointed as Junior Deputy Headteacher.

Jo Hickford
Junior Deputy Headteacher

Jo joined Honywood in 2006, having previously worked in Hertfordshire. She was Subject Leader for MFL before being Assistant Headteacher and became a Deputy Headteacher in 2022. Jo studied Modern Foreign Languages at Newcastle and has lived and studied in France and Germany prior to completing her PGCE at York University. Her responsibilities include Curriculum Quality Assurance, Inclusion, SEND and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.   In September 2022 Jo was appointed as Junior Deputy Headteacher.

Paula Downes
Assistant Headteacher

Paula Downes joined Honywood School as part of the graduate teacher programme in 2006, and remained at the school as an NQT in 2007. She became Subject Leader for Expressive Arts in 2009, and gained the post of Assistant Headteacher at the start of 2015. She was awarded her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music at the Colchester Institute before undertaking teacher training.

Abbi Bansropun
Assistant Headteacher

Abbi Bansropun has been a member of the Leadership team at Honywood School since 2019; before this she was Subject Leader for English. Abbi has a degree in English Literature and Theatre from the University of Portsmouth. She currently leads on whole school literacy, assessment and Leadership and Career Development programme for staff. 

Dan Smith
Assistant Headteacher, Designated Safeguarding Lead and Designated Teacher for Looked After Children

Daniel Smith joined Honywood School in 2011. He was Subject Leader for History before becoming Head of Year and is now Assistant Headteacher. Daniel studied History at the University of East Anglia before completing his PGCE at the University College of London's Institute of Education. His responsibilities include overseeing the whole school safeguarding and the progress and wellbeing of looked after and adopted children. 

Jonny Williams
Assistant Headteacher

Jonny joined Honywood as a History trainee in September 2013, following serving seven years in the British Army with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment. Before joining the Army, he graduated from Northampton University, where he studied a combined course of History and Law. Jonny took over as Subject Leader for Business Studies in 2016 and then became an Associate Assistant Headteacher in 2019, which saw him absorb overarching responsibility for curriculum design, development, interventions and outcomes across the Science and Industry subjects. Jonny then became an Assistant Headteacher at Honywood in 2022, and as well as continuing to be responsible for Science and Industry, he is now also responsible for the Peer Mentoring Programme, Pupil Premium, ITT, as well as supporting the STEM Lead and Tutoring Programme Lead.

Tom Gribben
Associate Assistant Headteacher

Tom Gribben joined Honywood as a trainee in January 2015 after studying Biological Sciences (Genetics) at the University of Leicester. In 2018, he began supporting the leadership of the science department, helping develop the team’s physics curriculum. Tom took on the roles of Acting Subject Leader for Science and Leader of STEM before being appointed Associate Assistant Headteacher in 2023. In his current role, he has responsibility for staff CPD and whole school literacy.

Dan Scott
Associate Assistant Headteacher

Danny joined Honywood as a Trainee Teacher in January of 2014. In 2017 Danny took on the role of Cohort Leader picking up a group of C10's in the summer term and seeing them through to their final exams. Danny then managed the Intake 18 Cohort throughout their five years at Honywood before becoming an Associate Assistant Head in May 2023. Danny studied PE and Sport at the University of East Anglia. In his spare time Danny plays rugby and enjoys running.