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“I feel like I was literally born to be an educator,” she explains. “I don’t remember wanting to do anything else in my life and that was probably due to a combination of inspirational forces – from a supportive family environment to superb teachers.”Bermuda's relationship to the UK is significant as a British Overseas Territory and so Angela and her peers grew up in a truly international environment, with families from other countries being assimilated into island culture. With a wide family network and a unique perspective on life, Angela felt from an early age that she wanted to become involved in education.“My father was on school boards and event planning committees, so I was always aware of school business, activities and infrastructure needs,” she says. “My mom was an enthusiastic and creative Girl Guide Leader and eventually, the Island Commissioner for Girl Guides.”Initially Angela was ready to pursue a career as a speech-language pathologist (speech therapist). Her own journey is one of wide international experience, having been to boarding school at St. Johnsbury Academy, an independent school in Vermont in the US, and then living in Canada for ten years during which she studied at Mount St Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She has also worked and travelled extensively in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.“I always wanted to be a speech pathologist, but my parents warned me against specialising too early, so I took a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics, and came back to Bermuda to work in a government-created role as a speech language pathologist assistant. I worked in the public school system with children who had speech and language concerns,” she explains. “Through this, I developed skills around managing children's behaviour and mentoring students who were having difficulties in school.”After helping children who were struggling in a classroom environment, Angela was encouraged by a mentor to become an educational therapist, something she had not considered but which she embraced as a great opportunity.  She had already been planning to go back to university to get her second degree, which she did, attaining a BA in Child Studies, followed by a master’s degree in educational psychology, majoring in behaviour management.After completing her further degree, she returned to take up a job as an educational therapist helping children who were transitioning to different school environments. From there, her skills were recognised, and she moved rapidly up the career ladder.“I progressed from being an educational therapist to working as the director of a school for children who had moderate to severe behavioural problems,” she says.

Working to help children become their best

Once again, serendipity played a part in her career path. After spending several years redesigning an alternative school programme and helping many children adjust to the school environment, she left to pursue a PhD.While she was working on her PhD, she started an anti-bullying programme at her son's school and was able to reduce incidents of bullying by 70 per cent. As a result, she was approached by a parent who asked Angela if she would work with her child who was having learning difficulties in school. The mentoring was successful, and Angela’s reputation spread by word of mouth. Soon many parents were engaging her services to intervene on their child’s behalf in school. Eventually, the school saw how successful Angela’s interventions were, and brought in their own team to help support the children. This left Angela looking for new opportunities.“I was sad to go,” Angela explains, “and they did want to consult with me about how I implemented my programme, but I felt it was time to move on. Their decision gave me the boost to think about my next career steps, and I put all my energies into writing an all-inclusive programme that I could incorporate into a new independent preschool.”

Building a foundation for tomorrow: the journey and vision behind Chatmore

Having taken some time to reflect on her ambitions, in 2001 Angela commenced the journey to opening the doors of her own school. In 2004 with huge support from the community, Angela raised $275,000 to start Chatterbox Preschool which had an emphasis on language development for three-four year olds, and a strong ethos around family and literacy-focused objectives.During that time she experienced a series of events that were deeply challenging. Angela discovered that many of her ideas had been used to plan the creation of a rival school in the local area, which had secured millions in funding.“As a result, I lost trust in people and the idea of professional ethics.  It was a tough time,” she explains. “I really had to draw on my faith, resilience and determination to rethink my plans and rebuild my trust.”Undeterred, in 2007 she opened Chattertots, and then in 2011 she launched Chatmore Preparatory School for boys. The school, now known as Chatmore British International School, is a co-educational school with an inclusive ethos.

A love of people and education

Angela sees education as more than a formal transmission of knowledge - it is the cornerstone of empowerment, belonging, and potential. Angela’s vision for Chatmore School was to create a learning environment that prioritised neuroscience-based education, open-mindedness, and a familial sense of belonging.One of the inspirations for setting up Chatmore was her frustration with the existing school system which was not serving her own son well. She had decided to home school him, after he was criticised by his teachers for “asking too many questions.” This pivotal moment sparked her desire to create a school that values curiosity, embraces diversity in thought, and provides an adaptable framework for all learners. Her son now has a successful career in finance in the UK.“I like to question and to challenge the status quo,” she explains. “That is the way I look at my students as well. If they are curious and asking questions and challenging the status quo, they are potential leaders.”Chatmore is home to a vibrant community of learners who reflect both local and global diversity and offers an environment for families arriving in Bermuda to be able to navigate new school routines and the complexities of local culture while still juggling all the details of a relocation.“With international business as a main industry for Bermuda, we are accustomed to having international families residing in Bermuda,” she says.Angela managed the school through lockdown when it switched to online learning. Thanks to her training in strategic thinking and policy writing, skills she learnt while working as a policy analyst in the Ministry of Transport, she is helping her daughter, who is now Chatmore’s Director, to plan the future of the school over the next decade. 

Family first – Angela’s personal and professional values

Angela feels strongly that her passion for education and bringing out the best in children is what drives her life’s purpose.“I look for the sparkle in everybody and in everything, whether I am mentoring, coaching or taking part in a discussion. This career journey has demanded grit and vision. It has made me stronger, strategic and very insightful,” she says.“I’ve been able to combine motherhood and my career because I have a mantra of “family first” which I share with my staff and school families. I live by the principle that we all take care of each other. That is the ethos of Chatmore British International School. We are all working towards the same purpose.“I love to be productive, and my whole career has been aligned with my purpose of being innovative, leading and supporting other people and children to become their best and to sparkle.”

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