Domini Leong

Deputy Headteacher

I have 12 years of senior leadership experience in multiple schools in Bristol and previously as a Head of English, Whole-School Literacy Coordinator and Local Authority advisor for the London Borough of Southwark. I am also a Cohort 15 Future Leader with Ambition Institute and have a MA in Education from King's College, London. I am the South West's regional chair of the BAMEed Netowrk and also contribute to the Race Equality Steering Group on Bristol City Council. Having faced multiple and complex disadvantages in my own childhood, it became clear to me early on in my career that my purpose and motivation for pursuing a career in education is because I want to make a substantial difference to the lives of young people and their families. As one of the first BAME senior leaders to be appointed in a Bristol secondary school 12 years ago, I have made it my mission to use her experience and knowledge to support and lift up other BAME colleagues, so that all young people can see and aspire to role models that look like them. As an enthusiastic sociologist, I am passionate about challenging all forms of inequality having experienced first-hand the power that a good education, and an inspirational teacher, can have on social mobility. I love working at Cotham for the diverse student population that reflects all corners of the world that we live on. I am also excited to work at Cotham for its inclusive ethos and commitment to improving social mobility.

Aimi Potter

Director of  Post 16

I'm Aimi and I'm one of the Assistant Heads at Cotham - I lead our Post 16 provision as one half of the North Bristol Post 16 Centre. I've worked at three very different schools in my career and I joined Cotham as part of the Senior team in 2014. I first got into teaching because of one teacher who believed in me enough as a teenager to help me turn things around after a tough period in my life; at Cotham I get the chance to try to repay that debt daily. This really is a special place to work and I feel incredibly proud to be a leader at an organisation that lives and breathes its commitment to inclusivity, and especially to a positive sense of community for LGBTQ+ staff and students. Diversity is a word that gets used a lot at Cotham, but it's more than just a description; diversity at Cotham is also about the daily work we all put in to make this place feel both safe and ambitious for every one of our staff and students. The student experience of Post 16 is such a short, but incredibly important period of time and we take that responsibility very seriously, investing the time and energy to make sure our students learn to both believe in and achieve their potential, whilst building on those skills that will help them live healthy, happy and successful lives long after they have left us. 

Mary Clarkson

HR Manager

My name is Mary, I am employed as the HR Manager and have been in this role since January 2019. 

My heritage is from an immigrant family from Hong Kong. I was born in this country and raised in an exclusively white, working class area in Cornwall. We were one of the first immigrant family into Cornwall and to the town where I grew up. I was the second sibling to go to university. 

I graduated from university and then obtained professional qualifications in Human Resource management.  Since qualifying I have developed my career in HR; predominantly obtained within educational establishments locally, from nursery schools right up to two Universities.  I love working in such worthwhile and rewarding organisations, who are educating and developing the next generation of adults. This role at Cotham school gives me so much pride in what we do and achieve. Cotham School is a great place to work with a fantastic team of committed and dedicated individuals, who are passionate about education and who make a real difference to the lives of young people.