Wilfred Owen Primary School

Karen started her teaching career 11 years ago following a career in Financial Services.  During her career in Financial Services, she worked in Sales and Management roles, including 4 years spent based in Edinburgh managing call centres for Scottish Widows.

Following a relocation to Shrewsbury, Karen wanted a new challenge so started a degree course in English Literature in 2007 whilst working as a teaching assistant, she then went on to achieve QTS status through the Graduate Teacher Programme in June 2012.

Karen’s first teaching post was in The Wilfred Owen School in September 2012. To further her career, Karen took on the role of SENCO and completed her National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordination qualification in 2015 with the University of Wolverhampton.

Karen is passionate about ensuring that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential through delivering an engaging curriculum and raising aspirations.  She is an empathetic leader who focuses on developing the strengths and talents of the people she works with.  She truly believes that a strong leader is only as good as the people they work with.

In her spare time Karen likes to spend time with her family, to wind down at the gym and lose herself in a good book. She likes a challenge and recently walked the 96-mile West Highland Way.

With 14 years at Wilfred Owen Primary, as Head of School I bring a huge amount of experience and enthusiasm to the role. I’m especially passionate about designing a curriculum that excites and challenges our children and I’m always looking for ways to help the school grow and improve.

One of the things I love most is the joy that comes from working with the children—whether it’s seeing their faces light up when they learn something new or hearing their brilliant ideas during lessons. That daily connection with the children is what keeps me inspired and motivated.

I also enjoy working closely with staff to bring fresh thinking into the classroom and create a positive, supportive environment for everyone.

Outside of school, I’m just as energetic spending my spare time dancing, running, and walking my dog. It’s all part of my commitment to staying active and balanced, both in and out of work.