At Phoenix House,
we are a family.

Mr Beel hails from Portsmouth, England. He holds a BA in Primary Education and a Postgraduate Certificate in Special Educational Needs from the University of Roehampton.

With over a decade in education, Mr Beel has taught in England, China, mainland Italy, and Sardinia, working across Upper and Lower Prep in both the State and Independent sectors. Mr Beel has five years of leadership experience, serving as Primary School Coordinator in Italy for two years, and currently as Deputy Head Teacher and SENCo in an independent Prep school in London for three years.

Mr Beel is passionate about Special Educational Needs and inclusive education, and, as a fully qualified SENCo, is committed to creating a nurturing school environment in which every child is both suitably challenged and given the support they need to thrive.

In his spare time, Mr Beel enjoys travelling, playing guitar, speaking Italian, and playing football. It is with great pleasure that he brings his expertise and enthusiasm to his role as Deputy Head and SENCo to our Phoenixes.

Before reading Psychology at the University of Glasgow, Ms Fletcher enjoyed academic and boarding school life in the Lake District, from where she originally hails. Following a stint teaching in the UK, she has been involved in international school set up and development as a Founding Deputy Head Teacher, Head of House, Head of Year and Head of English across the Middle East and Asia, namely China, Dubai and Qatar. Currently in Tokyo, as the Founding Head of School at Phoenix House International School, Ms Fletcher has successfully built and led a team through the initial set up of the school, now growing into what the Good Schools Guide describes as “the closest experience to a British prep school that you can get here in Tokyo, with all the usual advantages that you can expect from a prep school education.”

An effusive, engaging and passionate Headmistress, Ms Fletcher builds excellent relationships across the school community. Generously sharing her boundless energy and love of Phoenix House, she ensures every child enjoys every single day of their prep school life.

Instagram: @headofphoenixhouse
Good Schools Guide

Ms Semark has a degree in Primary Education from the University of Greenwich in London, UK. Since graduating, she has gained experience teaching across Upper and Lower Prep in Kent. Ms Semark has developed a passion for creating a positive and inclusive environment, nurturing children in order for them to reach their full potential.

Away from the classroom, Ms Semark loves reading and spending time with family. She enjoys watching live sport including football, cricket and motor sports. Ms Semark has enjoyed moving to Japan and immersing herself in Japanese culture.

Ms Sullivan began her teaching career at a long standing international primary school in the
United Arab Emirates. After completing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Sussex in
Economics and Marketing management, she went on to secure a PGCE in primary education
with the University of Sunderland. Following this, Miss Sullivan moved to the UAE where she
had previously lived and studied to peruse a rewarding and enlightening teaching experience at
an international school.

Over the years studying and working in education, Ms Sullivan has gained experience in both
foundation stage and key stage 1 environments where she brings her creative flair and positive
spirit into the classroom. Miss Sullivan believes in the importance of building strong
relationships with her pupils and that learning is about trust and cooperation as well as
respect and understanding. She is passionate about the performing arts and sports enrichment
for children and believes that the development of pupil’s individual character is as important as
challenging them in their academic ability within the classroom.

In her spare time Ms Sullivan enjoys a wide range of activities; from the refinement of singing
and dancing to the vigor and tenacity of rugby and jujitsu. Deep sea diving, to mountain range
hiking. Wake board riding, to snow board sliding (usually headfirst)! She continues to try new things and hopes to expand her interests even more during her time here in Japan.

Ms Houdi completed a PGCE with English and Drama, after which she taught both
Lower and Upper Prep. Over the course of her career, Miss Houdi developed a passion
for teaching phonics, writing and early reading. Throughout this time, she has also
taken on leadership roles in mathematics and computing. Her teaching philosophy is
centered around encouraging children to become inquisitive
learners. She strongly believes in creating a dynamic and inclusive classroom
environment, where pupils can reach their full potential.

Before starting her career in teaching, Ms Houdi attended drama school to read for
a degree in Acting. This builds on her time studying at a performing arts school,
where she was first introduced to working with children while studying modules in
Children’s Theatre.

Outside of school, Ms Houdi is an avid reader, who loves travelling and discovering
new places. She also enjoys spending time with friends, running and learning
different languages.

Mr Keeley completed his degree in Education and English, as well as his PGCE, at Homerton College, University of Cambridge. He also holds an MA from King’s College London. Prior to joining Phoenix House, he taught across Key Stage 2 at a junior school in Essex, England. During this time, he held subject leader responsibilities for Art, Design and Technology and Modern Foreign Languages.

He is passionate about creating a classroom environment where all children can shine as individuals, have the confidence to challenge themselves and most importantly, love their learning. He is enthusiastic about harnessing creativity in a cross-curricular manner and is particularly keen in challenging children to apply their learning to real world scenarios especially in the design subjects.

Outside of school, Mr Keeley is an avid geek who is passionate about many facets of Japanese culture, especially anime, manga and video gaming (particularly Pokémon). His other interests include art, photography, travel, the dramatic arts and comedy. He has recently completed a 6 month travelling stint around the countries of South East and East Asia as well as Australia. Following this, he is relishing the opportunity to develop his language skills and further explore during his time in Japan.

Ms Mace holds a degree in Education Studies from Bath Spa University and a PGCE in Primary Education from the University of Gloucestershire. She began her teaching career in London, where she taught, before making the exciting decision to move to Japan.

Outside the classroom, Ms Mace is passionate about the performing arts. Growing up, she was classically trained in ballet and is an enthusiastic supporter of all forms of performance, particularly musicals! An avid explorer, Ms Mace enjoys discovering new places, running and cycling. Her favourite subject to teach is English, as she believes it provides a foundation for children to develop critical thinking and communication skills. She is particularly passionate about creative writing!

Ms Mace is dedicated to creating a classroom environment where children feel free to express their thoughts and ideas, fostering discussions and inquisitiveness.

Ms Lees is from the north of England and has lived in Japan, previously in Niigata prefecture where she worked as an assistant language teacher. Her experience teaching in Japan spurred her on to become a fully qualified teacher and she returned to the UK to complete her PGCE. She has a love of Japan and is excited to return to this wonderful country, explore Tokyo and experience everything it has to offer.

Ms Lees has a bachelor’s degree in English from Lancaster University and a Master’s degree, also from Lancaster University. She gained her PGCE in Primary Education in 2017 from the University of Cumbria. Ms Lees is passionate about providing a nurturing environment for children to flourish, excel, and become confident individuals who are ready to take on the world.

Ms Ramsey is originally from the north of England and has spent three years teaching in Thailand. She graduated from York St. John University in England with a degree in Primary Education. Her favourite subject is English and in her free time she loves to read.

Before teaching internationally, Ms Ramsey taught in the UK for two years. When not teaching or reading, she loves to spend time outdoors, travelling and exploring new places. She enjoys lots of different activities, especially hiking and horseback riding.

Miss Rojahn has a degree in English Language from Newcastle University. From the University of Leicester, she acquired a PGCE and a Master’s in Education with a focus on enriching the vocabulary of children.  Her teaching career began in a small village school in Leicestershire before moving to London to experience teaching in a contrasting setting.

Miss Rojahn strives to create a classroom environment where all children believe in themselves in the same way that she believes in them. Her optimistic outlook on life helps her to teach children to learn from their mistakes, knowing they can progress and achieve. She loves anything creative, be it painting, writing or embroidering clothes. Her other passions include reading, running and trying new things.

Mr Hicks is originally from London and has a First Class degree in Primary Education from the University of Roehampton. Since graduating in 2018, he has worked in all year-groups across upper primary, in various schools across London. He has also used his passion for sports in the classroom in his previous role as the Head of PE.

Mr Hicks emphasises fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills in his classroom; he believes by providing children with these key life skills, they can conquer any challenge they set their minds to. He also loves to integrate his enthusiasm for technology into his lessons by incorporating it wherever possible.

Outside of the classroom, Mr Hicks loves to travel and has recently returned from a 3-month long trip all around India, South-East Asia and Japan. He is also an avid musician, he loves enjoys all types of live music and playing the guitar.

Mr Navin has a degree in Primary Education has recently spent three years teaching in Birmingham (UK). Mr Navin set his heart on being a teacher at a very early age, a decision that was influenced by his own educational experiences and his family. He is delighted to say that the experience has far outweighed his expectations. He strives to make his teaching educational, engaging, and entertaining.

Mr Navin is of dual heritage with a Chinese mother and British father and lived in the UK, Thailand and Germany during his childhood before attending Bangor University (Wales) to gain his teaching degree. Mr Navin has a keen interest in dramatic arts having both performed and provided technical assistance to a number of shows over the years. His other interests include photography, music, cooking, coffee and travel.

Mr Morris trained as a teacher at the University of Manchester in England, where he combined his loves of history and storytelling with a passion for teaching. For the past eight years he has taught in a junior school in Salford, working with students across a range of ages and abilities.

Outside of work, Mr Morris enjoys travelling and has visited places all over the world; he also loves writing, cooking and learning new languages!

Ms Keen has a degree in Primary Education with Drama from St. Martins College, Lancaster, UK. She taught in the East of England before transitioning to international

teaching. Her first international post was at a British school in Penang, Malaysia. Following this, Ms Keen relocated to Japan to teach. Her teaching experience has expanded across both Key Stages and involved the role of Mathematics Leader, EAL, Drama and Science coordinator.

She is passionate to deliver curriculum in an engaging, differentiated manner with a variety of diverse learners in an international setting. She strongly believes that through exploration, inquiry and play, children gain academic excellence.

Ms Keen is married and has a son. As a family they thoroughly enjoy travelling and exploring new places together. She enjoys being outdoors whether it is skiing, exploring mountain ranges on foot or horseback, playing with the waves on a skimboard and making sandcastles at the beach with her son.

Miss Callan completed her PGCE at the University of Buckingham following a career in public policy, political and media research. Here, she gained a BA in International Relations from The University of Hull as well as an MA in International Peace and Security from King’s College London. Throughout this time she volunteered for organisations delivering equine therapy and academic tuition to vulnerable children. It was this voluntary work that made her decide to train to teach.

Miss Callan has taught across both Primary Key Stages throughout her native county of Kent in the South East of England. Roles that have seen her lead in science and enrichment (LoTC). She has a real passion for the teaching of early reading, creative writing and oracy skills. She also firmly believes in the power of learning beyond the classroom. Where children are given the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge to problem solving, enquiry and exploration based tasks.

Outside of school Miss Callan is a keen equestrian, cyclist, swimmer and baker. She is excited to explore her partner’s native Japan and discover the country’s rich culture and heritage.

Ms Nishijima was born and raised in Tokyo and is certified in Education. She has taught at an International school for 5 years and has experience teaching Japanese delivering the Japanese National Kokugo curriculum to Years 1-6.

She believes that in Japanese lessons, it is not a matter of just learning the language, but also the origins of the language and its culture. By interweaving culture and language, and historical background, children can learn about different cultural values and gain new perspectives.

Ms Nishijima is committed to collaborating with other teachers and subject areas to give children an opportunity for a more rounded worldview. Outside of school, she has a passion for music, she loves playing the bass and making music.

Miss Tyte has a degree in Psychology from the University of Birmingham, and a PGCE from the University of Southampton. For the past four years she has taught in Surrey, England, in both Key Stage One and Key Stage Two.

Miss Tyte is passionate about creating a positive and nurturing learning environment where children feel engaged and successful. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, paddle boarding, travelling and playing board games.

Ms Barnard has a first-class honours degree in Biological Sciences from Durham University and a PGCE from Roehampton University. She previously taught in Surrey, England, and thoroughly enjoyed going to an international school as a child herself.

In her previous school she held the role of Reading Lead, and enjoys bringing a love of language and books to the classroom. With a passion for all things creative, she loves bringing learning to life inside the classroom and out, promoting natural enquiry around a topic. In her spare time, she enjoys singing, dancing and running.

Ms Hawkins has a degree in Psychology and has been teaching for 25 years both in the UK, at state schools and a prep school and at two very different schools in Dubai where she lived for ten years. She has taught in various year groups, is qualified as an Advanced Skills Teacher, Leading Maths Teacher and been head of Maths and Computing.

Mrs Hawkins has a 20 year old daughter who is studying at University in the UK. In her time away from teaching, she enjoys photography (often taking photographs of rescued animals to help them find homes), running and travel. A proud geek, technology is Mrs Hawkins’ passion. Learning is something that she has always enjoyed and she has been working hard to learn Japanese.

Mr Symonds graduated from Lancaster University with a degree in Media and Cultural studies. He started his career in teaching at primary school after completing teacher training with an accredited graduate teaching programme in West Yorkshire. For the past seven years Mr Symonds has continued his teaching career in Japan. He has experience teaching at an international kindergarten and recently specialised in English language teaching at a private Japanese high school.

Mr Symonds is excited to contribute to building a supportive and inclusive environment for education at Phoenix House. His teaching philosophy is to cultivate a love of learning, essential from an early age. He believes that every child at Phoenix House can achieve mastery of something and is eager to help our children discover their talents.

Outside of his career, Japan has been a wonderful playground for adventure. Mr Symonds enjoys skiing with family and friends in Nagano and Hokkaido. In the summer he loves touring the country on his bicycle. And now with his first child who was born over the summer, his wife and him are looking forward to more adventures in Japan as a family!

Mrs Justice’s most vivid memory of her primary school days is of being read to by her teacher and being transported to the many magical and enchanting places captured within the pages of a book. She is a lifelong advocate of reading for pleasure (her favourites ranging from Dickens’ “Bleak House” to Antoine de Saint Exupery’s “The Little Prince”) and is thrilled to be able to promote reading and literacy at Phoenix House in the role of Librarian. Her philosophy is to place reading at the heart of her teaching practice – to encourage children to be curious about the world and to discover the wonderful world that is held within the four walls of a library (the beating heart of the school!) and beyond. Mrs Justice is also committed to developing collaborative links between school, home and the wider school community through a common love of reading and being read to.

Since graduating from Bristol University with an honours degree in History, she worked in a variety of business fields – from book publishing to curriculum consultancy before training as a primary teacher. She has over 8 years of primary teaching and tutoring experience in a variety of settings and year groups. In the UK she was involved in the post-Covid national scheme to support learners adversely affected by lockdown and headed up a school “catch-up” initiative to address gaps in learning in both literacy and mathematics.

Mrs Justice (as well as having her nose in a book) enjoys creating mixed media art and visiting art galleries and museums. She is thrilled to be back living in Tokyo again (she first came to Japan as an English Teacher 20 years ago and feels extremely fortunate to have another chance to live in and explore this fascinating country with her family.

Mr Mathers started his teaching career at a senior boarding school before moving to a 3-18 boarding school in York. After that he has spent three years at London independent day schools teaching Reception to Year 6. Outside of school he coaches Saracens academy, working specifically on their athletic development.

Mr Mathers believes that all students can benefit from physical education, as he knows how much it has given him. He is a big believer in improving children’s mental and physical health and knows that sport and PE can facilitate this. He believes in making sport fun and accessible for all and is convinced there is a sport for everyone.

Personally Mr Mather’s is as passionate about sport in his own life. He still plays competitively in his favourite sport Rugby, you will definitely hear him talking about this. On top of this he has completed many long distance charity cycles.  Most recently completing Chase the Sun, which is a 205 mile bike ride from East to the West of England in one day.

Mr. Carlson is a passionate music educator and multi-instrumentalist from Alexandria, Minnesota, United States. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Olaf College, specializing in music theory and composition. Throughout his life, he has performed with a wide range of musical ensembles, including orchestras, choirs, wind ensembles, pit orchestras, percussion ensembles, marching bands, jazz bands, jazz combos, and rock bands. Outside of the classroom, Mr. Carlson enjoys reading books, watching movies, exercising, cooking, and playing video games with his friends.

Since learning English at a young age, Ms Kakuya has been fascinated by the joy of learning languages and cultures. After completing a Master’s degree in Japanese Applied Linguistics, she started teaching Japanese as a foreign language at junior high and high schools in Tokyo. She worked as a language assistant in Tasmania, Australia for two years before returning to Tokyo to teach Japanese.

She understands the value of language learning as a means for pupils to gain new perspectives and deepen their knowledge and understanding of the world.

Ms Kakuya enjoys playing the ukulele, going to theatres and museums, reading, learning Korean, watching sports, and hiking.

When in doubt, draw!

Mrs. Kato is an artist and educator who has been working in Japan for over seventeen years and drawing since receiving her first pack of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle crayons.

From an art scholarship to The Royal Masonic School, to the Fine Art degree that led her to Tokyo to study traditional Japanese arts and set up an atelier and drawing school, art has been the golden thread running through her life.

She is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, a Companion of The Guild of St. George, Founder of the When In Doubt, Draw drawing programme and the award-winning Big Draw Japan drawing festival.

Mrs. Kato’s work in art education spans preschools to universities, corporations to cross-cultural collaborations and her work as an artist exists in collections both in Japan and abroad.

She draws inspiration from the Reggio Emilia approach to childhood education and the key principles of teachers as learners, the hundred languages of children, the classroom as a third teacher and involving the local community.

Mrs. Kato loves large-scale, collaborative art projects.  Creating the first murals for North Peak and Phoenix House with our wonderful students have been the highlight of her year and she can’t wait for the ones to come!

During the pandemic, Mrs. Kato became a mother of two to Ollie and Georgie: arguably her best creations to date.

Ms Yamamoto is from Tokyo and has a Master’s degree in Japanese Applied Linguistics. She has 4 years of experience teaching Japanese at an international school in Tokyo. She aims to provide pupils with skills that they can apply to their lives in Japan. In her spare time, she loves reading and exploring new places, as well as socialising with people. She is so excited about the opportunity to join Phoenix House and contribute to its community.

Mr McIntyre grew up in the British Virgin Islands before moving to the southwest of England. He holds a degree in Anthropology from Durham University and a TEFL qualification, which has fueled his passion for teaching and cross-cultural experiences.

Since graduating in 2023, he has worked as a teaching and boarding assistant in various educational settings, including UK summer camps and boarding schools. After moving to Japan in January, he worked at an international primary boarding school in Hiroshima Prefecture.

He is committed to creating a nurturing and supportive learning environment that enables pupils to excel academically and develop holistically. His goal is to help pupils thrive and find joy in all aspects of school life.

Outside of school, he enjoys playing basketball, following the NBA, and exploring the diverse neighborhoods and culture of Tokyo.

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Dana has been a long-time enjoyer of bridging Japan with the world. After working as an Assistant Language Teacher on the JET Programme, she decided to continue her education journey in Tokyo. Her interests include reading, creative writing, and juggling…though usually not at the same time!

Ms Ferraro grew up in London, and has a degree in English Literature from UCL and a Master’s degree in Comparative Literature from SOAS. She has always loved working closely with children, and likes to encourage their creative pursuits through story-telling or art. Outside of work, you will find her visiting various museums and exploring the city’s sights and food.

Ms Scarlett is from Birmingham, England. She has two Bachelor’s degrees in Criminology and Sociology and Criminal Justice and a Master’s degree in Digital Marketing.

She has experience working in further education in England and in primary and secondary education in Japan. Ms Scarlett believes in creating a supportive, expressive and compassionate environment. As a Teaching Assistant she supports pupils in fostering learning, confidence and creativity. She enjoys playing sports, radio production and travelling.

Ms Bavia is from the Philippines and holds a degree in Elementary Education. With over 10 years of experience teaching in international schools, she is committed to ensuring that every classroom is a fun and safe space that fosters growth, collaboration, and inclusion.

She has a son and her husband also works in education. Together, they enjoy exploring the outdoors and trying various sports. Ms Bavia also loves cooking and baking

Ms Bouchier is originally from Sussex, England, and grew up in Switzerland, France, and the UK. She moved to London to pursue a degree in law at UCL. Ms Bouchier has been working in Tokyo and has developed a strong passion for teaching. She believes that the role of an educator is all-encompassing and understands the importance of instilling the values of honesty, respect, empathy, and responsibility during these formative years of each pupil’s life.

In her spare time, Ms Bouchier enjoys running in Tokyo’s beautiful parks, skiing in the winter, and exploring the diverse Japanese countryside.

Mr Williams is originally from Wales and has a First Class degree in Sport Science from Liverpool John Moores University. Since graduating in 2017, he has been working as an assistant language teacher in Tokyo. Mr Williams believes engagement, communication, and a positive atmosphere are key ingredients to help children reach their full potential. In his spare time, Mr Williams can be found playing futsal and badminton, exploring Japan, and finding nice restaurants around Tokyo.

Ms Abbey grew up in Japan has an Honours degree in Psychology from The Open University, which has fuelled her passion to create an environment in which children feel safe, accepted and cared for at all stages of life. She strongly believes that the role of an educator is to provide children with the tools they require to reach their full potential. Outside of teaching, Ms Abbey spends her time reading, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. She is also involved with a charity organisation that cycles to raise funds for marginalised children in Japan.

Ms Masuda is from Tokyo and has a degree in Child and Adolescent Development from the University of San Francisco. Upon graduation, she worked in a preschool in Hawaii. She has worked in teaching for over 15 years.

She loves outdoor activities, especially fishing, camping, and cooking the fish that she catches. She also enjoys walking and taking photos of landscapes with her camera.

Ms Rutkowska is originally from Poland. She moved to London, England, to pursue her academic career, where she earned a Bachelor of Science from Westminster University. She decided to move to Japan last year after a long COVID lockdown; it had been her dream since she visited Japan in 2017.

Ms Rutkowska has taught English and Science, as well as Dance. She enjoys creating fun, positive, and productive environments to help children reach their goals and dreams. Outside of teaching, Ms. Rutkowska’s biggest lifelong passion is ballroom dancing. She is a former Danish champion as well as a finalist in major worldwide competitions, and she will always be happy to talk about or help with any performing arts.

Mrs Yamamoto grew up in Japan and the United States. She has a degree in Comparative Culture from Sophia University. Teaching is her passion and she has 15 years of experience as a teacher. Nami is always looking for ways to improve herself to provide her students with the best care and education possible. She believes that each child is unique and brings different experiences and strengths to the classroom. She knows children are capable of reaching their full potential and that this can be achieved through creating a strong and effective partnership between educators and families.

Nami believes everyone needs a good sense of humour. She enjoys spending her spare time outdoors playing and exploring with her two young children, and loves working out and relaxing doing yoga.