Our Team

Jenny brings a wealth of experience in legal, financial and governance roles, gained through senior positions as Bursar and Clerk to Governors at Kimbolton School in Cambridgeshire and as Head of Legal and Governance at England and Great Britain Hockey.

Prior to this, Jenny served in the British Army for 16 years, commissioning into the Royal Logistic Corps from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst before transferring to the Army Legal Services as a criminal barrister. During her military service, Jenny specialised in operational management, aerial logistic delivery and military law. She held senior operational, legal and training roles, advising on and prosecuting criminal and non-criminal conduct matters and managing strategic change projects in the UK and NATO, with deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq and the wider Middle East.

Jenny holds a Bachelor of Laws with German from the University of Dundee, a Master of Laws in Sports Law and Practice from De Montfort University, and several postgraduate qualifications in law and strategic leadership and management. A keen sportswoman, she plays hockey at club, regional and Army level, is a Level 1 England Hockey Coach and a Swim England J1 Official.

Jenny is accompanied by her husband Rob, their two young sons, Thomas and Henry, and their English Springer Spaniel, Tweed.

Abby has over 15 years of experience in Finance, training at an accountancy firm in Taunton before moving into industry, progressing to Finance Director level. As a member of ACCA, Abby thrives at making a difference and contributing towards the success of a great organisation, maximising efficiencies, and streamlining processes to increase revenue available to further support our vision, values, and objectives.

Joining Taunton School in 2024, Abby brings with her a wealth of experience in running a finance department. Outside of Taunton School, Abby enjoys watching her children participate in sporting events, mainly tennis, cricket and running.

Elliston, with over 20 years of experience in Information Technology within the education sector, began his career as an IT Helpdesk Technician at a large college. Over time, he progressed through team leader roles and senior department positions, eventually joining Taunton School in 2015 as the Head of ICT. His passion lies in creating impactful environments that positively influence people’s lives. Elliston firmly believes that education is the key to unlocking opportunities for everyone and is pleased with the level of support Taunton School provides to families from diverse backgrounds. As a family man, Taunton School’s commitment to great pastoral care resonates deeply with him.

Beyond Taunton School, Elliston has spent 4 years volunteering as a governor at a local primary school, culminating in his final year as Co-Chair.

Emily started her career as an HR & Training Coordinator in 2001 in Chester, having studied Sociology, Social Policy & Politics at Cardiff University, then an MA in Human Resource Management at UWE, Bristol, before taking a well-earned year out travelling across Australasia in 2000.

She is a chartered member of the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) and has worked in a diverse range of HR roles, across many sectors. She joined Taunton School in 2020, with 3 years prior experience of the Education sector.

Emily holds a performance coaching qualification and is an accredited mental health first aider. She is particularly passionate about EDI, wellbeing, culture, engagement & retention, and the development of systems & policies. Her cornerstone values are empathy & compassion, humility, and respect.

A lover of music, Emily was awarded Grade 8 piano in her early teens, although she admits that she is unable to play anymore; something she regrets.

Vikki joined Taunton School in 2024, bringing over 20 years’ experience in project, marketing and event management. Throughout her career, she has worked on a diverse range of high-profile projects, from the launch of new Nokia smartphones to the delivery of charity cruises with Cunard, and most recently as Manager of the Taunton Flower Show.

Vikki thrives in a fast-paced, creative and collaborative environment. At Taunton School, she leads the Marketing Team in supporting all areas of the school across the academic year, as well as overseeing marketing activity for year-round commercial programmes.

Outside of work, Vikki enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors and attending live music events.

Jack studied International Relations at Nottingham University before joining the graduate teacher programme at Teach First. After two years teaching in a challenging urban school, Jack travelled with his now wife to South America to build and teach an English curriculum for a rural school in Cusco, Peru. Upon returning to the UK, Jack joined Teach First’s sister charity, Teaching Leaders, selling tailored leadership training to teachers within the state sector. Continuing with his love of education, Jack joined the international development charity, United World Schools, helping to grow the business from a family charity to an organisation turning over £3million and building over 200 schools for out-of-school children across South East Asia.

In 2019, Jack joined Emanuel School, Clapham as the Development Director. Over two years he increased donation income fivefold, allowing the school to double their number of free places. In 2021, Jack joined Taunton School as the Foundation Director, bringing with him his wife and four boys, who all attend Taunton.

Jack’s role is to engage with the school’s wider community of parents, alumni and supporters. The aim is to foster a lifelong relationship between the community and Taunton School and to raise funds for essential projects and means-tested bursaries.

Julia started her career as a Chartered Architect in 1990 in London, having studied at Manchester University. She has now worked in the construction industry for over 35 years, working with estates teams at independent schools and leading teams of construction professionals.

Moving to the Southwest and living in Taunton for over 27 years, Julia joined Taunton School in 2025. She shares the school’s core values of humility, engagement and kindness and is passionate that young people should thrive within a welcoming and supportive environment.

Julia enjoys a learning culture and has further qualifications including a Level 7 Postgraduate Masters in Architectural Conservation, people management, service improvement, and children and young people’s mental health. Outside of school, Julia enjoys live music, playing the piano, choir, sewing and gardening.

With a sixteen-year background as a Teacher and Deputy Headteacher, Alex brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the independent education sector to his role as Director of Commercial Enterprises. A firm believer in the responsibility of education to transform lives, Alex is passionate about Taunton School’s commitment to ensuring opportunities exist for children from all backgrounds.

The non-fee income generated by Taunton School Enterprises is a product of close collaboration between several teams and plays a vital role in supporting the continued delivery of exceptional education. Proudly offering a diverse range of facilities and expert services, Alex’s team provides everything from first-class venue hire and residential stays to activity camps, sports lettings, swim school, international summer school, and transport hire to serve communities across the South West and beyond.

Alex and his wife are deeply invested in the school community, with their three children all attending Taunton Pre-Prep and Nursery. Always an advocate for the importance of co-curricular opportunities, Alex is eager to connect with individuals, businesses, and organisations that share the school’s values to build partnerships that will enhance experiences for the Taunton School community.

Having studied for a BSc in Management Sciences at Manchester University, Helen initially pursued a career within Commercial Operations, gaining extensive experience in the Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism sectors both in the UK and overseas.

More recently, she has worked at the National Trust, combining her love of the outdoors with a role in Facilities and Estates Management, caring for some of the most iconic Somerset landmarks including Wellington Monument and Glastonbury Tor.

Helen also brings an in depth understanding of schools where she spent almost twenty years in primary teaching and all aspects of school leadership, this included time both in London and the South West.

Helen is committed to providing exceptional customer service and is looking forward to developing the services her team can provide for the whole school community.

Outside of work, Helen spends as much time as possible outdoors walking and cycling with friends and family. Summers often involve a trip to the French Alps where she met her husband.