Our teachers

Our mission is to help students pass the 11+ in a positive learning environment – fun and encouragement are at our core.

All of our teachers are highly experienced teachers, most of whom have worked in grammar schools and know what it takes to be an 11+ student. Between the team, we have over 40 years grammar school teaching experience (in Maths and English) at both Crossley Heath and North Halifax Grammar School.

Geoff Storer

11plusschool was founded by Geoff Storer who was previously Head of Maths at both North Halifax and Crossley Heath Grammar schools. Geoff has taught and tutored Maths for over 25 years. He also works as a consultant in Calderdale schools helping teachers and students prepare for the 11+ exam.

Fiona Hardy

Fiona is our Year 5 Manager and the main contact for Year 5 classes on a Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. Fiona has been teaching since 2004 in schools across Bradford, Kirklees and now Calderdale. She is a year 6 English specialist, having been head of Upper Key Stage 2 and literacy coordinator.

Sue Parsons

Sue is a highly experienced English teacher at Key Stage 2, 3, 4 and 5. She taught for 8 years at Crossley Heath where she was Head of Key Stage 3 English and Leader of Whole School Literacy. During the last Ofsted visit to Crossley Heath her lessons were graded as outstanding.

Paul Dignum

Paul has been a teacher since 1991 and is an English specialist. He has 20 years’ full time teaching experience at Crossley Heath and understands the expectations and skills needed for a successful English 11+ exam.

Simon Wells

Simon has over 18 years’ experience teaching across Key Stages 2, 3, 4 and 5. As a Maths and English primary and secondary school teacher he has a unique skill set ideally suited for delivering Verbal Reasoning.

Jon Biggin

Jon has worked in primary and secondary schools for over 20 years. He is a Maths and Non-VR specialist, and provides a useful insight into the latest change to the 11+ exam format.

Helen McMinn

Helen is currently the Director of English and Drama at a secondary school in Leeds. She has taught Key Stage 3 and GCSE English Language and English Literature for 15 years. Helen has worked in a leadership role for four years and now leads teaching and learning across the school as a whole. 

Katie Whitton

Katie is currently a Year 5 teacher at a primary school in Halifax. Prior to teaching in Year 5, which is where she has been for the last year, she has had roles within Year 6 and Year 4.  This year, she is continuing to support those children in school who shall be taking the 11+ next September and she is leading History.

Sarah Crosland

Sarah is a Year 5 and qualified specialist dyslexia teacher who has been working within schools in Calderdale for over 14 years.

Amy Bell

Amy is currently a year 5 teacher at a primary school in Halifax but has experience across the whole of KS2. She tutors various year groups in maths and English as part of a covid catch up scheme. Amy is the computing lead in her school but has a keen interest in maths too.

Shahida Ali

Shahida is a highly qualified and experienced teacher with 26 years’ experience. Shahida has worked as a Maths Lead for 20 years across both Key Stages in Primary, working with and supporting KS3 teachers. She is Primary Maths Specialist, and her Maths and English lessons have been judged outstanding by Ofsted.

Clare Frith

Clare has been a teacher for over thirty years and has been English coordinator in a variety of schools. Clare has specialised in Year 6 and has worked as a Key Stage 2 writing moderator for both Oxfordshire and Calderdale. She has also carried out research for the Education Endowment Fund and offered advice and support to local schools wishing to improve standards in English.

Jez Firth

Jez has been a secondary maths teacher for over 20 years, including the last 20 years at Crossley Heath grammar school. He was responsible for teaching GCSEs maths as well as a-level maths and further maths.

Jennie Rolls

Jennie Rolls is an experienced primary school teacher and currently teaches year 3 at a school in Halifax. She is Maths and Computing lead and has taught across the primary key stages.

Kate Callaghan

Kate qualified as a primary school teacher in 2007. She has since worked in schools in London, Kirklees and Calderdale with experience in all primary classes from early years to year 6.

Julie Dolan

Julie is in her third decade of teaching and has experience across all primary age pupils in both state and independent schools. Her specialism is in English and as well as being subject coordinator she was also an Inclusion manager for twelve years, working with children with additional needs including gifted children.

Kelly Hopkins

Kelly is an experienced primary teacher and has been teaching since 2001. Her roles in schools have included inclusion manager and assistant headteacher.

Robin Humphreys

Robin began teaching as a secondary Maths teacher over 10 years ago. Since then, he has experience in teaching at KS2, KS3 and KS4 levels. While continuing to tutor Maths, he also specialises in Reasoning.

Angela Chapman

Angela has been in education for over 30 years teaching in the UK and also in the Middle East across both primary and secondary sectors. Angela’s roles in school have included Assistant Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher and Acting Head Teacher, leading and specialising in English and year 5/6. 

Michelle Storer

Michelle has worked in the corporate world for nearly 30 years in various sales and marketing roles mainly at EY where she was the Business Development Director for Yorkshire. Michelle now works with Geoff to manage the school.

All our teachers are DBS checked and 11plusschool is liability insured