Advisors

Peter Norden

Numbers Chairman & Compliance Manager

"I have worked for Frances King for 12 years and a further 7 years in its sister organisations. I studied French in France for 2 years and Hebrew in Israel for 3 years. I have taught English, French and Hebrew. I also worked in Los Angeles as a cabinetmaker (one of my many talents) for 7 years. Between 1965 and 1972 I worked for IBM a year of which was in the Netherlands. I have 2 sons aged 19 and 23."

Jo Wilks

Head of Administration

"I studied foreign languages at the University of Newcastle and later gained an MA in Translation and Linguistics from the University of Westminster. I lived in Valencia, Spain for 2 years and have been living in London since 2001. I worked for several London language schools and the Institute of Linguists before joining Frances King in July 2004. I currently manage the office at Gloucester Road."

Michelle Mounce

Deputy Head of Administration

"I studied languages at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, and have lived and worked in Japan, Spain, France and Italy. I love travelling and learning languages. I moved to London in 2009 and work in the Enrolments Office at Gloucester Road."

Antonio Ramos Placensia

Client Services Team Leader

"I have always been passionate about languages and started to learn both English and German at an early age. I went on to study English and American Literature at university and ended up moving to London to teach Spanish after graduating. What was initially supposed to be an eight month experience has turned into the best (nearly) eight years of my life. I joined Frances King for the first time three years ago and still get a kick out of meeting new students every week and helping them adjust to life in London more easily."

Sean Leahy

Client Services Officer and Building Manager

"I studied art at college before coming to London. I also taught art for a couple of years and worked as an illustrator. I have been working at Frances King for almost 20 years. The thing I like most about working at Frances King is meeting new people and making new friends on a daily basis."

Marta Ruiz Dotras

Client Services Officer and Student Assistants' Manager

"After finishing my degree and working in Barcelona I decided to come to the UK in order to improve my English. Four years have passed since then. I never thought that I'd stay here this long. London must have something very special to keep me away from the beach and the sun. Fascinated by languages, I decided to get a teaching certificate and started teaching Spanish in London. I've been working at Frances King for over a year now and I just enjoy meeting and welcoming students from all over the world and encouraging them to learn the language."

Sarah Scofield-Marlowe

Client Services Officer

"After spending time living in 6 countries and picking up different languages I decided a career in languages was for me. I studied Spanish, English Language and Linguistics at university before becoming an English language teacher. I joined Frances King in July 2011 and really enjoy meeting students from so many different countries, cultures and backgrounds and helping them to enjoy their time in London."

Elena Gardelli

Client Services Officer

"After studying marketing in Rome I decided to come to London for six months to improve my English. However I immediately fell in love with this amazing city and I did all I could to stay. I worked as a waitress for a while then as a customer service executive at the Natural History Museum until I got a job at Frances King. I love working here as everybody is so friendly and everyday I have the chance to meet people from all over the world. In my free time I like reading books, painting and sculpting with recycled materials. "

Chizuko Nakao

Bookings (Marketing) Co-ordinator

"I studied " European and American Studies with English language " at my University in Japan. I've worked for about 10 years in Japan before I came to the UK, in Oct 2003. I did Business English related study in Herts for 6 months then moved to London to do a 6 months Internship at Frances King as a Student Advisor. Originally it was my 1-year big challenge study abroad plan but it was too short so I decided to extend my challenge London life. Since April 2005, I've been working for Frances King as a Bookings (Marketing) co-ordinator. I hope all Frances King students enjoy their study and the London life with us!"

Laurine Tastet

Bookings Co-ordinator

"I am from France but England always appealed to me for its culture and language. I used to be a Frances King student and therefore I intend to use my experience in order to help our students in their choices at the school. I really enjoyed my student life and I am still amazed by what London City has to offer, I am happy to guide all students willing to come over for a great adventure."

Arianna Carloni

Bookings Co-ordinator

"I studied English, Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Pavia, near Milan. After completing my degree, in April 2010, I honestly had no idea of what to do with my life! So I decided to book an IELTS preparation course at Frances King and move to London. While taking the IELTS course, I started doing the work experience first in the student centre and then in the bookings office. One thing led to another, and after more than one year here I am..still in London and still at Frances King, working in the bookings office! :) At the moment I am also attending a master in Audiovisual translation at City University. And I'm not really planning to leave this amazing city in the near future! "

Llorenc Jorda

Bookings Co-ordinator

"I started working at Frances King last year on work experience, doing a bit of everything and having English lessons at the same time. I was working on the family programme last summer with Diane Briggs who is the Director of that programme and it was so interesting. I’m currently working with the bookings department, trying to make it easy for agents’ students and direct students that decide to come to London. I’m really delighted to be working at Frances King. It’s such a really nice Language School where thousands of students from all over the world come every year to improve their English. I really love to play tennis and squash, I used to teach both, I’m still playing as much as I can in Wimbledon and Hyde Park .Follow me on Twitter: @lwJorda "

Helga Dias Dos Santos

Accommodation Manager (Homestay)

"I was born in Portugal, although my parents are originally from Angola. For part of my childhood, I lived in northern Italy and attended primary school there, before coming to London in 1994 at the age of 11. The rest of my education I did here, and before starting at Frances King, I was studying Sociology and Criminology at the University of Westminster. In the past, as well as studying, I have worked mostly in the hotel industry as a front of house team leader. I currently work in the accommodation department, and love being involved in arranging part of a student’s experience in London. "

Pablo Abraham

Residential Accommodation Officer

"I started working in Residential Accommodation for Frances King in the Spring of 2011. For the past 10 years I’ve been dipping in and out of teaching TEFL and business English which I’ve always found very rewarding and a great experience meeting students from an array of different cultures and backgrounds. I have a BSc in Environmental Management which has become a good excuse to travel overseas and at times collaborate with Greenpeace campaigners. In the past I’ve lived in Australia, Spain, France, Scotland, UAE and New Zealand. Fortunately, for the last 4 years I’ve settled in London and regularly watch Premier League Football and go to the theatre with friends. "

Aboo Aboobaker

Accommodation Assistant

"I am a BSc (Hons.) Media and Communications graduate from Brunel University. I’ve been working in the EFL sector for the past two years. I began working as a TESOL Trainer in Barcelona, Spain. I joined Frances King in April 2011 and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the experience since. I love working with people; the interaction I share with my host families is something I cherish. In addition to this, I thrive on the challenge involved in meeting our student’s homestay expectations. My objective is to work with the Homestay Manager in ensuring that we keep both parties (students and host families) happy."

Tricia Simmons

Homestay Accommodation Inspector

"I have worked for Frances King for many years as the homestay accommodation inspector. I am a widow with four adult children. I thoroughly enjoy visiting new families who have offered to accommodate students in their homes. I think it is very important that we choose the best people to host our students. I have made many friends with the families who host our students and they, in turn, have made really good friends with many of their students."

Angela Elder

Homestay Visitor

"I have been a host family for more years than I care to remember, and still enjoy every minute of it. My husband and I have made many long-term friendships with the foreign students over the years. I am a reflexologist by profession, which I only do on a part-time basis now, mainly working with an aftercare team, and a few private clients. I have now acquired a new position helping Tricia with revisiting the Frances King homestays. It is very interesting to meet other like-minded people, and it gives me an insight into other homes. We have two adult children and one of my favourite new experiences is babysitting for my young grandson. It's fairly exhausting but great fun. "

Steve Darwen

Social Programme Organiser

"I have been teaching since 1996. Apart from in London, I taught for 3 years in sunny Spain! I now run the Frances King Social Programme as well as teach. I like to get involved in London events and have discovered loads of fascinating things about this diverse metropolis. As Dr Johnson would say: A student who is tired of studying, should go on an FK Social Programme event!"

Paul Kennedy

Social Programme Organiser

"I was born in London and I’ve been working at FK for more than 15 years. In that time, I’ve taught virtually every type of class including General English, Cambridge exams, Business English, TOEFL, IELTS etc. I enjoy teaching as I meet lots of interesting people- both students and teachers. My hobbies are travel, food, London history, football, cinema…"

Viv Tolley

Student Experience Manager

"I studied Marine and Freshwater Biology at Queen Mary and Westfield University in the east end of London. I trained as a teacher in Lancashire and then worked as a secondary school science teacher for 11 years, some of the time in schools in the north of England and 6 years in Florida in the United States. I took up my position as Student Experience Manager at Frances King at the beginning of 2012 and I am looking forward to this new role. I am so excited to be back in London, it’s an amazing city and I know you are going to love it here. I look forward to working with the rest of the staff to make your time at Frances King an experience to last a lifetime!”