Mrs Sophie Mackness - Head of Department
email: sophie.mackness@stcatherines.info
Sophie Mackness joined St Catherine's in 2001. She studied Environmental Science at university as she wanted to continue studying some Biology as well as Geography. Her main interest at University was Glacial and Periglacial Environments and Fluvial Processes although she has since developed a keen interest in Geopolitics and has enjoyed teaching this dynamic part of the A2 course. She enjoys creating practical geographical enquiries and encouraging pupils to plan their own fieldwork investigations. She has led trips to The Isle of Wight, Devon, Dorset, West Wittering, Box Hill, London Docklands, Guildford and Godalming, as well as tours to Iceland. She is known for regularly evaluating and changing the Geography schemes of work, ensuring they relate to the latest geographical research and current issues in the news. Her husband and two little boys are also keen geographers and have been on many fieldtrip reconnaissance visits. She enjoys gardening, hiking, eating out in restaurants, cooking, travelling and reading.
Mrs Amanda White
email: amanda.white@stcatherines.info
Amanda White joined St Catherine’s in 2000, working part-time in the Geography Department. She has always loved Geography and from a very young age it was her ambition to be a teacher. She relishes teaching such a dynamic subject and particularly enjoys teaching the Pollution and Human Health at Risk, research topic at A2 which requires extensive wider reading. She has run a wide variety of trips and always enjoys getting the girls to experience Geography in the great outdoors; although she is not so sure they enjoy her early morning singing on residential trips! In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children and they can often be found at the local sailing club. She also plays stoolball for her local team.
Mr James Reed
email: james.reed@stcatherines.info
James joined St. Catherines in 2018. He studied Environmental Engineering and Resource Management at The University of Nottingham. After spending 7 years as a computer programmer he decided to travel the world for a year, upon his return he decided to share his passion for the natural world through teaching. James really enjoys teaching the Globalisation topic and is also very keen on weather as both topics encourage students to look outwards at the world which is ever changing. Like all good geographers he really enjoys learning beyond the classroom and is a veteran of more field trips than he cares to remember. James’s spare time is spent with his wife and three children and treading the boards each year in a local pantomime.
Ms Sarah Stewart
email: sarah.stewart@stcatherines.info
Sarah Stewart brings a wealth of geographical expertise to St Catherine’s, having led the Geography and Geology Department at The Portsmouth Grammar School (PGS) for many years. Sarah takes great pride in having inspired many pupils to pursue geography-related courses at university.
Alongside her pastoral leadership roles Sarah remains a passionate classroom teacher. She particularly enjoys glaciation, hazardous earth, and current geopolitical themes, and is committed to making geography relevant, challenging and inspiring. She also champions the use of digital technology to enhance teaching and learning, regularly incorporating tools such as GIS, nearpod and other interactive platforms to deepen engagement and understanding.
A firm believer in learning beyond the classroom, Sarah is never happier than when leading field trips overseas and in the UK, helping pupils make real-world connections to their studies. A keen traveller and skier, she wrote her university dissertation on the glacier in Tignes, which she still visits annually with her family. Her teaching is grounded in curiosity, adventure and a deep love for the natural world.
