Meet the team

Meet our small and dedicated team of experienced teachers and staff, who strive to make your stay at CIE the best possible.

“We believe that a stay with us will prove to be a happy and unforgettable experience.”

John Hudson & Irma Banyte-Kelly, Co-Principals

 

                                                  Our Team

All of our academic subject teachers are qualified, have a range of experience, and are professional. Our academic programmes are accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC), which requires that our teachers have appropriate teaching qualifications, such as a Bachelors or Masters degree and/or a PGCE in the subject they are teaching.

Our English language courses are accredited by the British Council, which requires that our teachers have certificate-level teaching qualifications such as the Cambridge CELTA (Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults). If you register to study at CIE for more than 4 weeks, you will be assigned a personal tutor who meets with you regularly and makes sure you are happy with your classes and your host family.

 

John – Co-Principal, Teacher

In addition to his responsibilities as Co-Principal,  John takes a keen interest in teaching. Possessing Qualified Teacher Status and TEFL qualifications, John has a wide teaching experience. He taught A-Level History when he was Deputy Head of Cheney School, Oxford and for a short time taught A-Level Sociology at Sibford School and History at the College Stendhal in Grenoble, France. More recently, at Wycombe Abbey School—one of the top boarding schools in the UK—John taught A-Level History, Politics, Philosophy and History of Art, and helped prepare students for Oxbridge entry.

At CIE, he has enjoyed making his contribution to both the General English and Foundation Business Studies courses, and taught the Philosophy component of the Pre-University course for Chuo Suginami High School.

To contact John please email [email protected]

 

 

Irma – Co-Principal, Director of Studies, Teacher

Co-Principal Irma oversees the daily management of CIE Oxford and has been with the school for over 15 years. After qualifying as a teacher in 2000, Irma taught English in Lithuania and Kenya. Irma moved to Oxford in 2004 and joined CIE in June 2006. Since then she’s been appointed to a number of roles, from EFL teacher and activities’ leader to academic manager. She is now responsible for the wellbeing of staff and students and the quality of education at CIE. Irma enjoys her commute to work by bike and likes spending time with her family. On Saturdays she usually watches her daughter play football and teaches or organises cultural events for the Lithuanian community in Oxford.

“I especially enjoy sharing with students what Oxford has to offer, be it history, art or architecture or a vibrant ‘salad bowl’ of nationalities and cultures.  I love language and culture integrated lessons as well as CIE international food parties or cultural presentations through which students learn to appreciate their own and each other’s backgrounds.”

To contact Irma please email [email protected]

Simon – Teacher & Academic Manager

Simon is a teacher and Academic Manager at CIE Oxford. He started teaching in 2009 and went on to work as a teacher trainer for many years prior to joining us here. He has a particular interest in Educational Technology. Simon also enjoys travel, 3d printing and making a terrible noise on his bass guitar. As Academic Manager, his role is to maintain high standards in the education provided by our teachers and to help students with anything that they might need to help them achieve their goals.

“ I love meeting new students from all over the world. I like the variety of roles in my job as I get to teach and take care of student educational needs. I have a particular interest in Educational technology and video production. Everybody makes videos now and I really enjoy seeing the work that students are able to create and how it improves their language skills.”
To contact Simon, email [email protected]

 

Andy Wixon – Teacher & Assistant Academic Manager

Andy is a teacher and the assistant academic manager at CIE Oxford. He became a teacher and taught in several different countries in Europe and Asia before finally settling in Oxford. When not working, his interests include writing, playing games and going to the cinema.

“The small size of CIE allows a personal approach to work and study which is very rewarding as a teacher, and hopefully for students too. It is a very friendly environment which I feel extremely lucky to work in.”
To contact Andy, email [email protected]

 

Luca – Teacher & Welfare Officer

Luca has been an English Teacher since he received his CELTA in 2018. Before joining CIE in August 2019, he taught a varied range of ages and levels in Switzerland. As Welfare Officer he makes sure that each and every student’s well-being is always prioritised during their time at CIE. When not working, Luca enjoys reading, watching films, and cycling.

 

“What I love about CIE is the fact that you’re always surrounded by students who want to learn and share their life experiences in their countries. I also consider myself very fortunate to be able to work in such a friendly and positive environment that makes you feel welcome and rewards you every step of the way.”

To contact Luca please email [email protected]

 

Imogen – Teacher & Marketing Manager

Imogen completed her CELTA in early 2017 and has done lots of travelling, including living and teaching in Spain and China. As well as teaching, her role as Marketing Manager consists of keeping marketing materials up to date, managing the website, social media and being in charge of CIE’s photography. Outside of school, Imogen enjoys long walks, reading, and hanging out with her dog, Pepe.

 

“I love getting to know our students and I am fascinated by the varied cultures I get to learn about about here  It is an honour to meet amazing people from all over the world and getting to know their individual stories .”

To contact Imogen, please email [email protected]

 

Fernanda – Teacher & Activity Manager

 

 

Fernanda has been teaching English since 2019, when she got her English teacher certificate in Chile. Before working at CIE, and moving to Oxford, she taught English in Chile for students between 11 and 19 years old. When not working, she enjoys long walks, board games and books. She particularly enjoys horror stories. 

“I love the atmosphere at CIE, the friendliness of the students and their great attitude towards each other makes this place very welcoming and warm. I consider myself a constant learner and I feel grateful to be able to learn from so many wonderful people, about their culture, language and experiences.”

To contact Fernanda please email [email protected]

 

Hisashi – Finance Manager

Hisashi is the Finance Manager at CIE Oxford.  He studied Business Administration at Senshu University in Japan and decided to work for United Travel Study Service Ltd, CIE’s head office. His experience of Travel and Study Abroad Management at UTS made him explore his interest of improving his English and he moved to Montreal in Canada to continue his studies. He was recruited by UTS for a position as a finance and Japanese liaison at CIE and has been with CIE for 13 years.

“CIE is such a nice place to work. We have an excellent family atmosphere between staff and students; we always love laughing and chatting about different experiences. The regular international parties where everyone brings food from their country are fun and interesting! The team is professional and constantly observing how each student is progressing in their English. This makes me motivated in my work.”

To contact Hisashi please email [email protected]

 

Julie – Accommodation Manager

Julie is the Accommodation Manager at CIE and works with host families and student arrivals. She makes sure that all students are matched with appropriate host families. She also ensures the families apply to the high standards CIE has and makes frequent house visits. Julie keeps in close contact with our families and has regular chats with the students about their experience in the families.

To contact Julie please email [email protected]

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