Meet the Team (Old)

Ingrid Connors

I had an ambition to create an even playing field for all children to succeed. The motivation for this came from my childhood. At a young age I experienced a shift in circumstances at home, going from a life of plenty to struggle. Feeling hungry was not uncommon. I worked hard to succeed and knew the journey would be harder for some of my family who were dyslexic. I could see how easy it would be to fall behind. This sparked a life-long ambition to improve the life chances. Like most teachers, it is what makes me truly happy.

The idea for colour coding started from conversations with my mother, who was Austrian, and her German speaking friends. They talked about the idiosyncrasies of the English language and why so many ways of spelling the same sound made it complicated. I thought about how I used colour in maths to help me learn and how this could be used in language.

I later went to work in research, then in teaching and eventually got to build and test out this idea. I have been blessed by the enthusiasm of the people around me who helped bring this system to life.

Seeing the improvement in results, confidence and enjoyment in learning in schools is a dream come true. We can teach the way children learn. Becoming validated by the DfE was an important milestone. Now we are on a mission to change the world!

Ian Connors

Managing Director

I come to Monster Phonics with over 25 years of experience in primary education, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to my role as Managing Director of Monster Phonics. My background includes serving as Headteacher at three outstanding schools in the UK and internationally, as well as being the Director of Education for one of the largest primary-focused Multi-Academy Trusts in the country. Before taking on this role, I served as Head of Primary for HFL Education, where I supported 500 schools with teaching and learning, curriculum and assessment. I am proud to take on this role at Monster Phonics and am eager to contribute to its continued success.

Tim Peake

Board Director

I was very fortunate for my two daughters to have been taught Phonics by Ingrid, using Monster Phonics. The change in their pace of learning, their love of reading and most importantly, their confidence was transformational. I had spent 3 years witnessing first-hand as a parent, the complete boredom created by the phonics scheme the school used prior to Ingrid implementing Monster Phonics. I could see the potential of Monster Phonics. I wanted other Parents to be able to see their children benefit in the same way mine had. It was therefore a very easy decision for me to invest and spend time in the business. Building a business where everyone shares a passion for helping children, and for making learning fun, is an amazing thing to be involved with. It’s meaningful in so many ways. For the first time in my professional career, I feel proud of what I do. Everyone involved in this business is involved for very personal reasons. We’re all privileged to be able to help Monster Phonics grow. My role is to ensure Monster Phonics remains focused on communicating the importance of making learning fun, placing children’s needs at the heart of what we do, and helping all children realise a higher sense of achievement, by getting as many schools, parents and children to enjoy using Monster Phonics as possible.

Sara Robayo Sarmiento

Financial and Customer Services Manager

Hi Everybody :)

I am Sara and I am the finance and customer service manager at monster phonics. I have a background in Economics and International Business in Madrid.

I joined this fantastic team in May 2020, I am amazed at the excitement and enthusiasm of children learning phonics. I did not know how important phonics is in children’s life. I did not get into reading until I was 14, and since then, I have found another world, I enjoyed reading so much now.

I love all the monsters; however, my favourite monsters are cool blue and Miss Oh No because he is a DJ and she loves dancing like me.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me on [email protected]; I will be happy to help you in your Monster Phonics Journey?

Brahim Arrab

Distribution Leader

Hello! My name is Brahim Arrab. I am native to North Africa, the lovely Morocco! I was born and raised in the Atlas Mountains, but graduated from Marrakech University, majoring in Sociology and Psychology. I am a former hotel manager, with 6 years experience in tourism

In 2013, I met my lovely wife and soon settled in the UK in 2016. I am now a father to two bright boys and there is nothing I love more than spending quality time with my family, whether that’s cycling through forests or playing football in the garden.

I have been working for Monster Phonics since January 2022 as a Distribution leader, and it’s been an exciting journey so far! The team is fantastic with kind and friendly staff. The books that we sell are a real hit with my own children and my eldest has aced his Phonics with the aid of the characters from the books. Thank you Monster Phonics!

Amy Allen

Consultant Trainer

Having taught for over 20 years, in a range of settings and countries, I have settled back in UK with my four children. I have a background in SEN and am currently a SENDCo at a rural school in Leicestershire. My further education started out with a degree in Psychology, following which I gained Qualified Teacher Status, and then an MA in Primary Education (Special Needs) and am currently studying for a Masters in Inclusive Education. I also have qualifications and experience in a range of areas such as counselling, Behaviour analysis, Drawing and Talking, Teaching English as a Foreign Language and have experience working with, supporting, advising and writing programmes for young people with a range of difficulties. These include dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADHD, global difficulties, autistic spectrum disorders, speech and language difficulties, fine and gross motor difficulties and numerous other areas. Being a single mum of 4 children ranging in ages from 6 to 18, I do not have much time for myself, but I enjoy art, especially glass fusion and travelling, having lived in Asia for 17 years, so return as often as I can. My passion for Monster Phonics is simple really. The use of colour and characters, bring the teaching and learning of synthetic phonics to life and make it enjoyable and strategic. There are a range of resources which make it easy for teachers to pick up and use and the consistent use of the characters and colours make it easy for the majority of students to pick up, and even those who find learning phonics more challenging using other strategies, seem to persevere with it more and pick it up quicker than I have seen with other programmes. I really enjoy being part of this dynamic team and would be happy to share my knowledge with you.

Claire Simms

Consultant Trainer

Hi everyone, I’m Claire. I am currently a Year 1 teacher in a school just outside Cannock, Staffordshire. As well as being a class teacher I am also Key stage 1 Lead, phonics Lead and ECT mentor, a role that I’ve enjoyed for a number of years. I\’ve been teaching for 16 years in Primary settings and taught across all key stages, prior to this worked in America teaching Music. I first came across Monster Phonics when a friend got in touch and asked if I’d it. I was currently searching for a new scheme to implement in school and I was instantly hooked. We took the 15-day free trial and never looked back. I am passionate about phonics and it has been a pleasure to see how the children and staff have embraced the scheme so positively. The scheme itself offers so much support for both experienced staff and staff new to the profession. The children are so engaged and our results have increased. I am proud to be part of the Monster Phonics team and I look forward to supporting your school to embed the Monster Phonics Programme. Outside of school, I like spending time with family and friends as well as attending live music events. I also enjoy playing a range of musical instruments. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at [email protected]

Sam Rivolta

Consultant Trainer

My name is Samantha Rivolta and I have been a teacher for over 20 years. I have worked in a range of settings and taken on many roles including being a member of the Senior Leadership Team. I have been a Deputy Head; Head of School; Early Years leader; Newly Qualified Teacher and teaching student mentor. I have also been the English, Phonics and Maths lead. It’s been a very busy time. My passion, however, remains with Early Years and KS1. I thoroughly enjoy working with the younger children as they begin their academic journey. Their enquiring minds and eagerness to learn is very rewarding and I love to see children embracing all the awe and wonder that surrounds them and Monster Phonics fits in perfectly. Monster Phonics was introduced to me in its infancy, and it was clear that the structure, the colours and the characters were going to be a success. The multisensory approach encourages all learners to participate in Phonics sessions where they quickly make the links to become successful readers and writers. I have seen the positive impact Monster Phonics has on results and attitudes to learning. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and enthusiasm for the scheme and all it has to offer.

Hanna Stechenko

Illustrator

I started to illustrate Monster Phonics books in 2019 just after I'd completed a course in commercial and children's illustration in Odessa, Ukraine. I was keen to try my new skills in practice. The Monsters captivated me and became my favorite project! Each story is sweet and funny, it takes me back to my childhood, it fills me with warmth and a sense of security. Our country has been going through difficult times since 2014, there is a war and bad news. Monster Phonics has become a lifeline for me, my psychological support. I am very grateful to everyone who created this.

Meet the Team

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