I left school without any vocation and tried jobs in the army, international banking, air traffic control, agriculture and teaching English in a school in Spain. This latter was so intriguing that I returned to Bournemouth to qualify at the local College of Further Education, where I was later offered work as both a teacher and teacher trainer on what is now the Cambridge Delta course. I started Beet as a small tutorial centre on October 1st 1979.

Apart from the school, which is still my greatest interest in life outside family, I enjoy gardening, travel, reading, music, food and writing.

I started as a teacher at Beet in the summer of 1988, on an 8-week contract, fell in love with the school and the people and just kept coming back until they gave me a permanent job! I taught at all levels for several years, then was Vice Principal for 10 years. I have also been lucky enough to travel widely on marketing trips. The best part of my job is meeting students and agents from all around the world.

I have loved the world of English Language Teaching since I became a teacher in 1986. As well as teaching in the UK, I have taught in Turkey, Poland, Egypt and the USA. I have also been a language student myself, so I understand what students experience when they come here.

Each department in this school is important, and each person helps to make this a great school to work and study in. I have done a few different jobs myself, as well as teaching: I have been a secretary, a bookshop manager and as a human resources specialist. But I have also been a waiter, a cleaner, a shop assistant and a factory worker – and every job has taught me something.

My goal as Principal is to do my best to support staff doing all the different jobs in the school – to support their talents and constant efforts to provide a warm, personal, professional and (hopefully!) unforgettable experience for all students.

Outside work, I enjoy walking in the countryside, playing the piano (quite well) and the guitar (really badly), reading and spending time with my family.

I have worked at BEET since 1999, first as a teacher, then as Assistant Director of Studies, and more recently as Director of Studies. I have thoroughly enjoyed each stage of my career at Beet, the contact with students from so many countries provides a unique working environment and I feel privileged to be surrounded by such interesting people – students and staff! In my free time I enjoy riding my bicycle and exploring the Dorset countryside with my family.

I love working at BEET. I came to BEET for work experience whilst at college and never left! My role as Administration Executive is very varied but the best part is the daily contact I have with our students. I enjoy meeting new people and learning about different cultures – I’m very lucky as my role also involves travel to other countries.

Outside of BEET, if the sun is shining you’ll find me at the beach. I spend a lot of time in Spain where I’ve recently taken up scuba diving which I really enjoy.

I am the Registrar at BEET! I have been working here since November 2012 and I process students’ course bookings. You will find me at reception – please do come and say hello, as I correspond with most new students before they arrive! I am from Bournemouth, and I recommend it as a lovely place to study English. I hold postgraduate qualifications in Classics and Philosophy.

I have been working here at the school in different capacities since the age of 16! BEET is very close to my heart and a very special school to be a part of for both staff and students alike. I originally trained as a CELTA teacher, however somehow found my way into marketing which I love! You can find me in reception where I am always happy to help students with anything they might need; I especially enjoy the challenge of assisting with the more unusual enquiries such as locating bungee jumping centres or acting classes! We’re always delighted to talk to students; it’s so nice to get to know so many different people from such interesting parts of the world.

Having lived in France, I understand how daunting it is to come to a different country with a limited knowledge of the language; I believe that it is important to provide as much support as possible to our students to ensure they get the maximum possible out of their stay; many of the staff at BEET have lived abroad and also share this philosophy which is part of what makes us so special!

Outside of BEET I enjoy family life, music, art, cooking, socialising, walking in our beautiful forests and beaches and eating as much wonderful food as I possibly can!

I came to Beet in October 2013 as the Accommodation and Welfare Officer.

Beet is like a home from home family, with a lovely feel good factor along with a great ethos. I work alongside Glen and Mia in Room 3, accommodating students in both homestay accommodation and student houses. I enjoy meeting students and placing them with our homestay families.

There is no other job like this, fun, exciting, hard work but very rewarding! Out of school I enjoy playing Badminton, I trained as a chef straight out of school and enjoy cooking. I also love going for walks along the beach.

I taught History at Collier Row Comprehensive School, English in 2 rural high schools in Papua New guinea (during the 80’s as a VSO volunteer), and later returned to England in 1989 when I made my debut as a Summer teacher at BEET before moving to teach in Eastbourne. I taught in Saudi Arabia from 1992 until 1995 at the National Guard Signals School. I returned to BEET to work full time in 1996 and took over as Social Activities Organiser in 1997. In my spare time I struggle to improve my Spanish, I play golf and I study English pub architecture. Good town, good job, good colleagues and good students.

Alastair is a graduate in acting from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. He also has an RSA cert. TEFL from International House London and a RSA Dip. TEFL from ITTC Bournemouth.

Alastair trained as a drama teacher at Roehampton and subsequently as a TEFL teacher in London and Bournemouth. He worked for ten years in Spain running his own language school in the Pyrenees. On his return to the UK he trained to be an actor at the RWCMD in Cardiff, winning the BBC Carleton Hobbs Award for radio acting. He subsequently spent two years on the BBC radio drama company at Broadcasting House. Alastair has also performed in numerous stage plays in London. Manchester, Southampton and elsewhere. He has also made several TV appearances. He has a long association with BEET Language Centre and is an examiner for Trinity College London in ESOL and Speech and Drama.

I have been working at BEET Language Centre since 2000 and have been in this profession since 1984. Throughout all this time I have thoroughly enjoy working in the dynamic working environment of teaching English as a foreign language. Every day presents new challenges to students and teachers alike, every day is like a new chapter of a book with unexpected, exciting turns on every page!. My hobbies include a wide variety of sports, such as cricket, football, golf, running and table tennis, while I am also very keen on salsa dancing, which I help my students to learn as part of BEET Language Centre’s social programme.

I started working as a teacher at BEET in 2000. Since then I have also taught in Finland, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia but was always happy to return to BEET when I came back to England. Although the school has grown a lot and there have been many changes, the atmosphere has always been professional, friendly and comfortable for both teachers and students.

After a year at the University of Caen, I moved to London and then went to Spain to do my CELTA with International House in Valencia. I have also lived and worked in Berlin, Japan, India, Australia and Bali.

I ran my own import/export business and designed and produced leather accessories for 7 years after which I returned to the UK for family reasons. I have enjoyed working at BEET for the last 7 years during which I have gained the Cambridge Diploma. I particularly like teaching Business English and doing exam preparation courses and helping a wide variety of foreign students to further their careers and be able to communicate internationally.

I’ve been working at BEET since 2009, and love working at such a friendly school. The relationship between members of staff and staff and students alike makes for a positive working environment where all can learn and enjoy a great social life at the same time! I can’t imagine working in a better school. Of course, living next to the sea is an extra bonus!

I have worked at BEET for almost 10 years in total and enjoy meeting students from all over the world. During this time, the school has seen many changes, especially with regard to technology used in the classroom. BEET has been one of the leading schools to adopt new ideas and methods in its teaching and this makes it a very interesting and motivating place to work. The school also has a very good atmosphere, both for teachers and students, and this is the main reason why I enjoy working here so much.

I’m a teacher and I’ve been working as part of the BEET team since 2005. I absolutely love it here; the teachers are all so talented and there is always a lovely warm, friendly atmosphere in the school. I enjoy helping my students achieve their immediate personal goals and seeing them come closer to realising their dreams. When I’m not at work I love getting out into the beautiful Dorset countryside or having a quiet stroll along the beach.

I have been working at BEET since 2009 and have thoroughly enjoyed it, teaching general English from pre-intermediate to advanced levels as well as IELTS and FCE exam courses. I also taught EFL in France for a year on leaving university many years ago. In between I spent time as a geography teacher in a state secondary school. In my spare time I have engaged in activities like running and kayaking and, more recently, cycling and yoga.

Hi, I’ve been teaching since 1998 and teacher training since 2003. I’ve also been a Director of Studies and I’m now an examiner for the Cambridge Delta. I’ve lived in a few countries, in Southern and Eastern Europe, South America and South Africa, and I love travelling around and meeting people from different areas of the world. I think I’ve visited over 50 countries now, and hope to see many more. I’m very interested in how language is used and how people learn languages, so I did an MA on these subjects. However, I also love music, books, fine art, illustration, kayaking and cooking, so, if you’ve got any great recipes from your country, let me know!

I’ve been working at BEET and ITTC since 2006 and have been an English language teacher since 1998. I have taught English in Spain, Poland, South Africa and Argentina and love meeting new people and learning new things. I have been a teacher trainer since 2004 (on the CELTA, Delta, ICELT, overseas teachers and ELT Management courses) and I have trained teachers in South Africa, Spain, New York and Libya, and, of course, at ITTC in Bournemouth. When I’m not teaching, I like to travel, read, cook and play badminton, as well as avidly follow the highs and lows of the English cricket team.

I have been teaching since 1993 and have worked in France, Spain, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and the UK in Oxford and Bournemouth. I enjoy all aspects of teaching, particularly the variety: exam classes, business, young learners, overseas teachers and other specialised courses. I have been a trainer since 1998 working primarily on both full and part time CELTA and DELTA courses. I really like the creative side of our job, making materials and sharing ideas for making the classroom a more exciting place to be. I have worked for ITTC since 2000.

In my free time I run a club for families with twins and triplets here in Bournemouth and I am a school governor. I love cooking and going to Zumba classes. I have twin girls and a boy and my husband is Italian.

I did my CELTA course at ITTC in 1991 and have been away and come back on several occasions. I’ve taught and trained in New Zealand, Australia and China, and have been back at ITTC since 2007. I spend about half my time teaching and the other half training – a good balance, I think.

I am also a regular member of the Bournemouth English Language Teachers cricket team, and am famed for batting very carefully. Watching me bat has been suggested as an ideal cure for insomnia.

Born in 1967, I grew up in North London in the 1970s and 80s and was really keen on sport at school and college, playing football, basketball, volleyball and cricket for all the team When I was 16, I moved to the south coast, where I took up windsurfing and water-skiing. At the age of 19, I went to Portsmouth University, graduating in 1990 in German & French: History, Politics & Language. After travelling independently many times to western and central European countries, and then working as a teaching assistant in Senegal and Germany, and a watersports instructor in the south of France, I decided in 1991 to learn to teach English. I completed the Cambridge CELTA course at International House in London, and soon took my first teaching job in Indonesia, which gave me a wonderful opportunity to travel around South-East Asia. Two years later, I was teaching general and business English in Madrid, Spain, where I stayed for two years. After short spells teaching in London and Chester, I arrived in Bournemouth in 1995, completed my Cambridge Delta at ITTC, and began a thoroughly enjoyable career with ITTC and later BEET Language Centre. Most of my time is now dedicated to training and developing teachers on CELTA and DELTA courses, and as well as this, I also run monthly teacher training workshops for teachers from over twenty schools in Bournemouth, and am a regular Cambridge examiner for PET, FCE, CAE and BEC exams.

When I’m not working, I love spending long evenings and weekends with my wife and daughter – exploring the local countryside and coastline of the region on foot and by car, mountain-bike and kayak. Dorset has some amazing scenery and wildlife (birds, mammals and reptiles) and I’m passionate about the natural and local history available here. I try to take a driving holiday to France every year, as well as a holiday to one of my favourite destinations – Spain, the USA and Cornwall. I love to cook at home and have dinner with friends (I try to experiment with different nationality dishes), I grow my own fruit and vegetables and I watch lots of history and wildlife documentaries on the BBC whenever I can. Another thing that I spend time doing is studying languages on the Internet. At the moment, I’m using various podcasts and apps to improve my French, German, Spanish and Italian and I’ve just started trying to learn Arabic too. Finally, I enjoy watching films at home, particularly political thrillers and historical dramas or biopics – and I’m always listening to the newest and classic rock and Indie bands from the UK and the US. I just wish there was more free time in a day! I really look forward to getting to know you during your stay at BEET.

I’ve been an English language teacher since 1998 and have since worked in the UK, Spain and Turkey. I have been at BEET and ITTC since 2005 where I’ve taught all types of classes and trained many types of people on the various teacher training courses. Working in such a multi-national environment is the thing I enjoy most about my job; I love meeting and working with different people from all around the world!