Our teachers and staff bring a dynamic and diverse set of skills, passion, education and experience to London Scandinavian School. Without them, our school wouldn’t be such a nurturing and thriving community of creative explorers and lifelong learners.
Teachers and Staff
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Katie Howard
HEADTEACHER & DESIGNATED SAFEGUARDING LEAD (DSL)
Katie is the Headteacher at London Scandinavian School and has a background in both Healthcare and Education.
Prior to training to become a teacher through the University of Nottingham, she worked as a Physiotherapist and Clinic Manager for several years within various settings, both in London and overseas.
She has a varied experience in Primary School education across independent and international school settings, as well as state-run academies.
She has a special interest in English and Literacy, and following the Scandinavian ethos at our school, exposing children to a broad-based curriculum through exploratory, project-based and child-initiated learning.
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Karina Samura
EARLY YEARS LEAD & DEPUTY SAFEGUARDING LEAD
Karina is our Preschool Coordinator from Denmark. She has been associated with our school since 2014 but started her career at The Royal Academy of Arts after studying Art History at Goldsmiths University. She then moved into education, training as an Early Years Practitioner.
She has worked in both private international schools, as well as state-run schools. In the UK, she has worked in Preschools and Nurseries, as well as Reception classes.
Whilst working at Garfield Primary School in London, she was introduced to ‘In the moment planning’ which is child-centred learning through play. She has continued this approach at our Preschool combined with a Scandinavian ethos.
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Åse-Torill Lillevik
ASSISTANT HEADTEACHER & MATHS LEAD
Åse-Torill has worked in Education for 25 years in Norway. She has worked in choir projects in Denmark and the Czech Republic. During the past 7 years, she has worked as Headteacher and Assistant Headteacher in Voss, Norway.
The school's most important tasks are education and training. The students must learn and discover based on their own experiences. They also have to learn to work together and be considerate in a society where everyone belongs.
We know little about the future, and what work life will look like for our children and therefore the most important thing that we can teach our children, is to solve problems, when they don't know the answer.
Ask good questions, breed curiosity, and seek out the solutions, as a team
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Emilie Jørgensen
SCHOOL OFFICE & COMMUNICATION MANAGER
Emilie moved From Denmark to London by herself at the age of 19, on a scholarship for creative songwriting. She is very creative at heart, which is being reflected on the schools social media platforms, and when she interacts with the children at school
She has experience from a Danish kindergarten and nursery, where she discovered her passion for children's overall well being
Her very first job in England was for the Scandinavian brand Joe & The Juice. Where she worked her way up from being a juicer, to being the Senior Recruiter of Joe's UK department.
With her can-do attitude, and positive mindset, there is no task too big or too small for her tackle, and she is always more than happy to help wherever she can.
"London Scandinavian School is so much more than a school, it's a community"
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Nuria Prieto
EARLY YEARS TEACHER
Nuria is enthusiastic about providing the best experiences for children in nursery and early years settings.
With a wealth of knowledge and experience in early years education she thrives on creating a stimulating, encouraging and safe atmosphere for each child's individual needs.
Nuria believes that building trusting relationships with the parents, caregivers and families, and getting them involved as much as possible in the setting and their children’s learning, really helps the children grow in confidence within a strong, nurturing community.
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Emily Hay
PRIMARY TEACHER & LITERACY LEAD
Emily joins us from another ISA school in Manchester and with a Masters degree in Education, she is passionate about delivering high quality and engaging lessons that are accessible to all children.
Emily has a specialism in English but enjoys teaching all subjects in an imaginative and collaborative way where the children are the authors and architects of their own learning journeys.
Emily has already embraced the Scandinavian way of doing things, initiating her own programme of outdoor learning at her former school!
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Olivia Mondrup
EARLY YEARS TEACHER
Olivia is an educated School and Leisure Education Pedagogue from University College in Copenhagen.
Olivia first came to London in 2016, and went back to study in 2020.
Before joining the Scandinavian School in February 2024, Olivia worked in both the after school club, youth club and was a school pedagogue in Denmark.
Olivia is using art, craft, music and storytelling as a part of her teaching, which gives the children a way of expressing themselves in different ways. She believes that a creative approach, can enhance learning, and make it more meaningful and enjoyable for our children
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Amanda Sjölund
EARLY YEARS TEACHER
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Cecilie Bruun
PRIMARY ASSISTANT TEACHER
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Karoline Hvass
EARLY YEARS ASSISTANT TEACHER
Karoline was born and educated in Denmark. Over the past 8 years she has lived in both The UK and Scandinavia, which gives her a good insight to both cultures, and languages.
She has previous experience from a nursery in Denmark, where she discovered her true passion for early child education. She truly understands how to foster an engaging, and nurturing environment for all children, whether it's through interactive play, storytelling, or outdoor activities.
She is dedicated to create a positive and enriching experience for all children in her care, at our nursery
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Sine Beck
EARLY YEARS ASSISTANT TEACHER
Sine, originally from Denmark, recently relocated to London, and began working at London Scandinavian School in September 2024.
She has a rich background in childcare, having worked as a nanny, an au pair, and in a kindergarten, alongside her experience volunteering as a scout leader.
This diverse experience has given her the opportunity to work with children of various ages. Sine’s calm and caring personality fosters a safe and nurturing environment for the children under her care.
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Emma Sand
MUSIC TEACHER & SUPPLY ASSISTANT EARLY YEARS ASSISTANT TEACHER
As a musician and Danish native Emma has led the school through all our multilingual, musical endeavours and offers music lessons in the Primary School.
Emma has worked at London Scandinavian School for several years in nursery/preschool and more recently in primary, and has a very naturally calm and gentle demeanour that our children warm to instantly.
It is always like having a family member return home when Emma is free to help us.
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Stella
SCHOOL DOG
Stella joined as our school dog after Easter 2024. She loves cuddles, snacks and chasing a ball!
All the children at the school love hanging out with her.
Board of Governors
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Peter Melbye
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS & TRUSTEE
Peter is a technology leader with a career history of working in Education. As Vice President of Technology Architecture at Pearson, Peter worked with ministries of education across the world to design, develop and implement digital learning solutions in schools and higher education institutes. Peter is the present Chair of Governors and has been a Trustee of London Scandinavian School since 2014.
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Sandy Mathewson
TRUSTEE
Sandy is Head of Prep at The Glasgow Academy. He was Dania's second Headteacher from 2015-2017 during which managed the school's transfer to ISA. Sandy loved his time at Dania and it had a huge impact on him both personally and professionally and he remains a trustee to try and give something back.
Sandy is also a Major in the Britsh Army (CCF) and he is Contingent Commander at his school. In his spare time he enjoys all forms of sport and walking his greyhound.
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Emily Bridges
TRUSTEE
Emily Bridges is a charted accountant and winner of the prestigious Tax Prize from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). After working in London-based accountancy firms, Emily founded re:accounts in 2009. Her thriving accountancy practice helps clients to save tax and maximise profits. Her specialist area is international tax, working with individuals and businesses operating globally. She also supports clients by ensuring their accounts are accurate, compliant and timely. Emily lives in Hertfordshire with her three sons and two dogs.
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Alex Kahn
GOVERNOR
Alexander Kahn, is one of the founders of the school who is a Senior Global Marketing Leader with a digital background from the Tech, EduTech, Agency and iGaming industry. Currently working and living in Canada he has a background with some of the top digital companies in the world and has managed medium to large teams across all sized companies. Originally from Trondheim in Norway, he has since lived in Denmark, the UK (GCSE, College and University in the UK), Ireland, Spain, Bulgaria, Dubai, Australia and now Canada. Alex has a passion for education and food and is a co owner of a restaurant on Tåsinge, in Denmark
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Christopher Seidenfaden
GOVERNOR
Christopher is an Executive Director at Italian investment bank Mediobanca, where he specializes in mid and smaller Italian companies in various sectors. Born in France of Danish parents, he grew up in Italy and studied at the Istituto Filippin, north of Venice, at Sorø Akademi in Denmark and took the IB exam at Vienna International School, Austria. He holds a BSc degree in Philosophy from UCL, University of London. He began his career as a business and financial journalist in Italy and worked for Standard & Poors, Robert Fleming, Schroders and Citigroup. He was a cofounder of UK-based Scandinavian design retailer Skandium and owns Ærø Bryggeri, a micro-brewery on the island of Ærø in Denmark.
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Jeanette Steinbeck
GOVERNOR
Jeanette completed her Bachelor's degree in Social Education back in 2007, and for 10 years, worked as an early years teacher. This experience has given her invaluable insights and a strong understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This passion for early childhood education has led her to her current position as the Head of Early Childhood Education in Denmark, and a valued Board member of London Scandinavian School.
Being a member of the Board of Governors serves as a constant reminder of the school's founding principles, which strive to combine the best practices from the Scandinavian and British education systems. Jeanette is fully committed to working collaboratively with the board and the school community to uphold these values and provide an exceptional learning environment for our children and contribute to the growth and success of the school.
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Dr. Trevor Richards
GOVERNOR
Dr Trevor Richards is a fully qualified Educational Psychologist and Head of All Hallows Prep School, a 3-13 independent setting near Frome in Somerset.
He is passionate about children’s development and emotional well-being. Before taking over the leadership of All Hallows, he was Deputy Head at the school and spent a number of years as the school’s psychologist, working with pupils to maximise their learning, happiness and development, whatever their difficulties or level of performance. He has worked with high performers, children grappling with relationships, anxiety or low self-esteem, as well as those that struggle academically.
Away from school, he has acted as a consultant for Harlequins Rugby Foundation and the Social Mobility Business Partnership, as well as contributing to a Doctoral programme at Bristol University and teacher training courses.
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Børge Andreassen
GOVERNOR
Børge is a partner and Managing Director of Prospectus, a leading global search firm focusing on the non-profit and philanthropy sectors. His experience includes building new practice areas and overseeing a wide range of board and C-suite appointments, as well as advising on leadership transitions and governance effectiveness across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and UK. From Norway. He is based in London and is one of the School's Governors.
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Carsten Jensen
GOVERNOR
Carsten is Danish born and started his working career with 10 years employment in the A.P. Moller/Maersk Group, during which he was stationed in Denmark, Saudi Arabia, India and Singapore. He came to England in 2000 and started his own business in 2001. Today he focuses on entrepreneurial business investments and is the owner and director of several companies based in the UK.
Carsten joins the board of the London Scandinavian School as trustee/governor from September 2023. He presently lives in Orpington, Kent with his wife and daughter. Favourite pastimes include travelling, barbequing and spending good times with friends and family.
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Erika Ewers
PARENT GOVERNOR
Erika Ewers is Program Manager of Operations at Open Society Foundations (OSF). Erika brings ten years of grantmaking and operational experience in social justice and human rights. Before OSF, Erika worked for large-scale institutional donors and with NGOs on the implementation side, and brings field experience from Malaysia, Israel, and Palestine. Erika holds a BA from the School of Oriental and African Studies and an MSc in Violence, Conflict, and Development from the same institution. Erika is a Swedish national based in London with two children at the school.
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Steve Nye
PARENT GOVERNOR
Steve is the Sr Director of Customer Experience at Instructure. The company’s product, Canvas, is a Virtual Learning Environment used by higher ed and secondary schools globally, so Steve is no stranger to the world of education. He has spent over 25 years leading teams that create exceptional customer experiences, and his background can help strengthen the experience of both current and prospective parents.
Steve is honoured to represent the parent community as the school makes decisions to ensure its long term health and its students’ success.