Staff
Our teachers and specialist coaches encourage students to learn sport in a motivating, happy and safe environment which nurtures a culture of learning, development and bettering yourself in every session.
Through age-appropriate activities, students can experience and comprehend games as they relate to their own stage of physical and mental development. The professionally qualified team provide expertise for students of all ages, preparing them to achieve further athlete development and set high expectations.
Mr Andrew Marsh, Director of Sport
Mr Marsh received a First Class Honours Degree in Sports Coaching and Education Development at Edge Hill University as a sport scholarship student before returning to complete his Masters in Education and NPQSL. He has been teaching for over 13 years and has been coaching sport since the age of 17. He has taught most recently in the UAE at JESS, Dubai, which is one of the Middle East’s leading schools in terms of sporting provision and excellence. Outside of the school environment, he has coached numerous rugby teams having gained representative honours for both England and Great Britain Rugby League in his younger years.
Mrs Laura Goddard, Head of Academic PE
Mrs Goddard has a BSc in Physical Activity, Exercise and Health from Leeds Carnegie and completed her PGCE with QTS in Secondary Education at Liverpool John Moores University. She has been teaching since 2005. Outside of teaching Mrs Goddard is a Level 2 Netball coach and a ‘C’ award umpire, as well as a qualified level 1 cricket coach.
Mr Martin Cooke, Director of Junior School Sport
Mr Cooke studied Sport and Physical Education at the University of Bedfordshire before going on to complete a PGCE at the University of Buckinghamshire. His previous roles include Director of Sport at Great Walstead School and he has a strong football coaching background, having spent time coaching at clubs both in the UK and America.
Mr Matt Sturgess, Head of Rugby
Mr Sturgess pursued Rugby Studies at Myerscough College in the hope of a professional contract. He became part of the Sale Sharks Under 18’s academy, a year later signing a professional contract for Sale Sharks in 2017 – spending three years at the club. He now works with Sale Sharks coaching and delivering the Under 14 and Under 15 DPP. Mr Sturgess also holds a Level 3 Personal Training certificate which enables him to offer high level Strength and Conditioning sessions to our pupils.
Mr Mike Elstone, Interim Head of Football
Mr Elstone played for Fulham’s academy as a striker from 2016 until 2018 after joining them from Bangor City. He has also played rugby for Sale Sharks and has represented Cheshire at Under 16 level. He has also completed his UEFA B qualification and has represented Stockport Town.
Miss Rachel Towell, Head of Netball
Miss Towell came through the Manchester Thunder performance pathway at Under 17 and Under 19 and then went onto represent Loughborough at Under 21s whilst at University as a five year scholar at Manchester Metropolitan. Miss Towell was a training associate at Manchester Thunder NSL for three years and currently plays for Blackpool Netball Club in the England Netball National Premier League. She is a Level 2 qualified Netball Coach with aspirations of completing her Level 3 qualification having been a Head of Netball at Scarisbrick Hall before joining Stockport Grammar School.
Miss Sharon Withington, Head of Hockey and Head of Nicholson House
Miss Withington studied a four year Bachelor of Education Degree (Honours) at Sheffield Hallam University. She has taken SGS to nine National Hockey Finals during her time at the school, which saw one team crowned National Champions in the Under 18 competition.
During her time at Turton High School she coached the Greater Manchester Schoolgirl hockey sides including Kate Walsh (now Richardson-Walsh) who went on to captain the Great Britain hockey side to Olympic gold. Miss Withington has a ‘B’ level umpiring award, a Level 2 Hockey Coaching Award and is currently working towards her Level 1 Football Coaching Award. Currently Head of Nicholson House, Miss Withington has previously held the Assistant Head of Sixth Form and Head of Year roles at SGS, she was also involved in the establishment of the School Council at SGS. She teaches right across the 11-18 age range, including the GCSE in Physical Education and has also delivered Games sessions in the Junior School.
Mrs Jo Maskery, Teacher and Head of Tennis
Mrs Maskery holds a BEd (Hons) from St Paul’s and St Mary’s Cheltenham and has taught PE and Science. In her current role at SGS, she is responsible for tennis, teaching across a range of activities and coaching netball. Mrs Maskery has played netball at English Schools, British Colleges, County and Regional level, as well as playing in the Premier League and is a C Award Umpire.
Mr Matthew Dixon, Teacher of PE and Games and Head of Cricket
Mr Dixon received a First Class Honours Degree in Sports Studies from the University of Central Lancashire. Following this he went on to study his PGCE at Loughborough University. Having taught in a variety of independent school environments, his latest role was Head of Boys PE at Newcastle-Under-Lyme School. Outside the classroom his expertise lies primarily within Cricket and Football where he has extensive experience in coaching the two sports in both a school and club environment.
Mr Hugo Corbett, Teacher of PE
Mr Corbett gained a PGCE in secondary PE from Edge Hill University. He holds the highest coaching qualification in Rugby with the RFU L4. Mr Corbett has vast experience outside of the classroom including; Assistant Coach to North of England Counties U18’s and coaching Cheshire U15’s for 10 years.
Mr Corbett is a key member of the ERFSU as a Cheshire representative, member of the ERFSU executive committee, co-chairman of the competitions sub-committee, responsible for the delivery of the national U15 and U18 schools competitions as well as sitting on East Cheshire CBRDP. He also sits on the North West Regional Player Pathway Group committee, is a Sale Sharks DPP Coach, part of the RFU Player Pathway Consultation Group, Member of the Cheshire RFU disciplinary panel, specialising in youth rugby.
Mr Anton Hanson, Teacher of PE and Games, Teacher i/c Athletics, and Head of Warren House
Mr Hanson has completed a degree at Sheffield Hallam University and whilst he was studying in Sheffield he played senior rugby at Manchester Rugby Club. Mr Hanson joined SGS in 1994 and has gone on to be Head of Year and Head of Warren House and heads up the GCSE PE within the Middle School.
Mrs Katrina Wilkinson, Teacher of PE and Games, Head of Warren House and Teacher i/c Athletics
Mrs Wilkinson studied Anatomy/Physiology and Sports Science at Liverpool University before moving to Bath University to complete her PGCE Course in Education. She worked in Bath and Taunton for six years before moving to SGS. At SGS she has taught English and GCSE and A-level PE in addition to core PE and Games. She coaches netball at the Under 12-16 age group and has been involved in the success of teams in national competition. She is a Form Tutor in the Middle School and she is also Head of Warren House. She is responsible for girls’ athletics in the Senior School during the Summer Term and her squads have enjoyed success in English Schools’ Competitions over many years.
Mr Chris Wright, Teacher of PE
Mr Wright holds a BA Hons in Physical Education with subsidiary Mathematics at Liverpool University and has a PGCE from Birmingham University. Joining SGS in 1988, he went on to be Head of PE & Games from 1990 to 2019 and now leads in the admissions department at the school.
Mrs Abigail Downing, Teacher of Dance
Mrs Downing has had a passion for dance since a young age, she has performed with local youth theatre companies as well as touring the UK and Europe with The New English Orchestra. She achieved a BA Hons in Theology and Religious Studies at Cambridge University and went on to complete a PGCE at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Mr Rob Bowden, Teacher of PE
Mr Bowden trained at Leeds Metropolitan University and Exeter University and has taught PE for over 20 years. He teaches A-level PE and coaches the sports of rugby, football and cricket. In 2016, Mr Bowden was named Captain of the England Men’s 40s team that plays in the European Championships.
Miss Jo Pepper, Swimming Coach
Miss Pepper holds a BA in Primary School Teaching specialising in Physical Education from St Martin’s College, Lancaster. She has additional qualifications from the Amateur Swimming Association as a Swimming Teacher and completed courses on working with early years, as well as those with disabilities. Miss Pepper has over 22 years’ teaching experience. She has swam competitively from a young age, competing at County level.
Mr Dave Jones, Swimming Coach
Mr Jones is a qualified swimming Teacher with the Amateur Swimming Association. He has over 20 years’ experience teaching and coaching all age groups and abilities and is a qualified personal trainer specialising in functional style training for all sports.
Mrs Ashleigh Coster, Netball Coach
Mrs Coster is a UKCC Level 2 Netball Coach and has been coaching in schools and Bramhall Netball Club for the last six years. She has experience coaching in all age ranges from Year 3 through to Sixth Form.
Her passion for Netball began in primary school where she went to her first practice session and loved everything about it. This passion continues through coaching, getting as many children involved in the sport, inspiring and developing youth. She also holds Level 2 diploma in Instructing Fitness and Exercise and Level 2 Diploma Adolescence Active Leisure.
Mr Adam Hughes, Head of Outdoor Education
Mr Hughes has a BSc Hons in Human Movement Science and Physical Education from the University of Liverpool and has over 20 years’ experience working in the Outdoor Education industry. His passion for developing and teaching technical skills led him to achieve a number of Professional Outdoor Awards. He holds the highest climbing and mountaineering award in the UK, the Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor Award (WMCI), as well as Level 3 Inland Kayak Coaching Award, Level 3 MIAS Mountain Bike Leader Award.
He has ran a successful climbing guiding business, as well as running the National Governing Body Award to teach others how to instruct.
Mr Mike Pinder, Teacher of Outdoor Education
Mr Pinder has a degree from Birmingham University and a PGCE from Manchester Polytechnic. He has 10 years’ experience as Head of Departments in North West schools and, after deciding to swap a classroom for the outdoors, now holds qualifications in instructing, teaching and coaching in activities as diverse as caving, mountain biking and offshore powerboat driving; as well as climbing and mountaineering.
He has also managed some of the premier climbing walls in the North West and advises for Cumbria County Council. Mr Pinder also held senior positions with the British Mountaineering Council and the instructor awarding body, Mountain Training.
Miss Lauren Alford, Multisport Coach (Junior)
Miss Alford gained her BA (hons) in Physical Education and School Sports in 2017 at Edge Hill University. She has had a passion for sport since a very young age when she competed for East Cheshire Harriers Athletics Club at county level. Through school and college she has participated in many sports from netball, athletics and football and currently plays for Hyde United Women’s Team in the Greater Manchester Women’s Football League.
Mr Matt Anderson-Delahoy, Multisport Coach (With Hockey)
Mr Anderson-Delahoy received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sports, Health and Exercise Science at Bangor University. Since graduating in 2020, he has coached alongside his previous role as a teaching assistant at Sedbergh School and has now taken up a dedicated coaching role at Stockport Grammar specialising in hockey. Outside of the school environment he coached multiple teams at university during his time there, as well as local hockey teams after graduating.
Mr Francis Yates, Multisport Coach (With Cricket)
Mr Yates has played and coached Cricket in Australia for two seasons. He is an ECB Level 2 Coach with four years’ experience coaching for Cheshire Cricket Board as a County Age Group Coach. Mr Yates is also an Old Stopfordian having attended SGS from 2008-2016.