Rowena joined BET in 2015, drawn to its innovative approach, the infinite ambition leaders have for all students, and plans to open a purpose-built sixth form. As KS5 Humanities Coordinator (2017-20), Rowena established History and Politics A-Level when Bohunt Sixth Form opened and coordinated A-Levels across the faculty. From 2018-20 she served as Assistant Head of Sixth Form (Progress and Guidance), and set up the Target Programme for optimising student progress, the Aspire Programme for supporting students applying to Oxbridge and other competitive pathways, and the VESPA Programme (Vision, Effort, Systems, Practice and Attitude) to develop students’ efficacy as learners. In 2019 the first cohort produced the highest A-Level results in the area, an achievement repeated in 2020.
In 2020 Rowena became Director of History and worked with BET’s exceptional team of History teachers to create a new core curriculum. The BET History curriculum is based on powerful knowledge that increases students’ cultural capital and enables them to understand the world. Its focus on representative history led to it being featured on ITV News. Rowena also collaborated with the Driver Youth Trust and the Virtual School to train all History teachers in disciplinary literacy, with particular focus on developing reading and oracy skills. BET History students achieved 5% higher than national GCSE results in 2022.
Rowena loves teaching and the privilege of working with so many wonderful students, staff, and leaders. Strong teams at all levels have defined her time at BET, leading to creative and meaningful change through collaboration and shared goals. Beyond the classroom, Rowena set up Bohunt Liphook’s Model United Nations in 2015, and it remains one of the highlights of her week. She is the co-author of an A-Level UK and US Politics textbook and multiple revision guides, and has had numerous History and Politics articles published.
