Meet Our Instrumental Tutors

Our instrumental tutors bring a wealth of professional experience to South Chingford Foundation School. Each tutor is an expert in their field and dedicated to helping students develop confidence, technique and a lifelong enjoyment of music. Lessons are available on most orchestral instruments, as well as piano, guitar, drums, voice, and more.

Mr H Christelis – Guitar

BA in Jazz Performance, Composition, and Theory – Middlesex University

Mr Christelis has over 15 years of experience helping students of all ages develop their musicianship and creativity. His lessons cover a wide range of genres and playing styles, focusing on the key elements of music, melody, harmony, rhythm and composition. Alongside teaching, he performs and records professionally as a guitarist and composer.

Miss S Sheane – Piano and Flute

BMus (Hons), Graduate Certificate in Piano Performance – Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Graduate Certificate in Piano Performance: Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Postgraduate Certificate in Music Education and Performance – Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
ATCL (Merit) in Piano Performance – Trinity College London

Miss Sheane is an experienced flute and piano teacher who has taught in schools and music institutions across the UK and Ireland. She specialises in developing motivation and musicality, preparing students for ABRSM and Trinity College London examinations. Her lessons combine technical skill with creativity and confidence building.

Mrs S Manovski – Singing, Piano and Songwriting

Bachelor of Music (Hons) – Academy of Music & Sound
Bachelor of Music Performance – Australian Institute of Music
Bachelor of Popular Music – QLD Conservatory of Music

Mrs Manovski is an internationally recognised songwriter and singer with extensive touring, recording and teaching experience. Her lessons are tailored to each student’s goals, from beginners to advanced performers. She specialises in contemporary performance, songwriting and music theory, and brings global industry experience to her teaching practice.

Miss T Kelly – Voice and Songwriting

BA (Hons) in Music Performance and The Industry - Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Miss Kelly is an experienced vocalist and passionate music educator with a strong background in live performance, developed through four years of study and nearly two years of teaching. She began singing at the age of eight and has since grown as both performer and songwriter. As the lead singer and songwriter of her own band, she has spent the past four years performing across London venues.

Her enthusiasm for teaching continues to develop. She has taught across multiple schools in South London, led choirs and hosted session-singing workshops for aspiring vocalists. Her lessons focus on helping students understand their unique voices and build confidence through technique and expression.

Notable highlights include recording and song writing at Abbey Road Studios and supporting Trinity Laban’s Battle of the Bands. She is delighted to be teaching at Chingford Foundation School, sharing her passion with dedicated young musicians.

Miss R Rayner - Drums and Percussion

BA (Hons) Music Industry Practice – Musician
Route - The Academy of Contemporary Music

I am an independent session drummer and percussionist with extensive experience in worldwide touring and studio recording. I hold a BA (Hons) in Music Performance, which has provided a strong foundation for my professional work across a diverse range of musical settings.

TV credits include: The Graham Norton Show, The Voice UK Final - Judges Performance, The 1975 - At Their Very Best Live at Madison Square Garden, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, BBC Live Lounge, Later… with Jools Holland, and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Album credits include: The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy, The 1975 - At Their Very Best - Live From Madison Square Garden, and The 1975 - Live from Gorilla.

Global tours include: The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy, Hozier - Unreal Earth Tour, The 1975 - At Their Very Best, and SIX: The Musical.

Beyond session work, I am deeply committed to music education. Teaching allows me to share my experience and passion, helping to inspire and support the next generation of musicians within the wider music community.

Mr D Smyth - Teacher of Piano and Guitar

PGCE in Secondary Music Education from University College London
Artist Development Graduate of Access to Music
BA (Hons) from Falmouth University
British Kodaly Academy Foundation Certificate.

I am a lifelong musician and songwriter who has spent the past few years training and developing as a music educator and facilitator. I am predominantly a guitarist but also grew up playing classical piano and teach all the way up to Grade 8. I am passionate about harmony and have recently trained in the Kodaly music method which utilizes aural learning skills to help students embody musical knowledge. I love to sing and always use my singing voice in lessons to model musical ideas and to help internalise musicianship. I have my own practice as a singer songwriter and composer, and love to help develop students’ own creative musicianship, whether through songwriting, composing, performing or simply playing for pleasure. I always like to know what types of music excite students, and tailor my lessons towards them.

I look forward to working with the students of Chingford Academies Trust and helping to shape our future musicians!

Dr A Tran Ngoc - Teacher of Violin

BMus & Musicology; MA in Music & Musicology – Sorbonne University (Paris, France)
Violin Performance Diplomas – Conservatoire of Aulnay-sous-Bois (France) & Monaco Conservatoire (Monaco)
PhD in Linguistics & Musicology – University of Nice Côte d'Azur (France)

Dr Tran Ngoc is an experienced and accomplished violinist and musicologist. She holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Music and Musicology, as well as several violin performance diplomas, and completed her PhD in 2023, focusing on the effect of musical experience on speech perception.

She has extensive experience performing as a classical violinist in theatre, chamber music, and orchestral settings, and is also an active traditional Irish fiddle player, regularly leading music sessions in London.

A dedicated and passionate educator, Dr Tran draws on both her performance background and academic research to deliver a holistic, student-centred approach to music teaching. Her experience ranges from working with very young children to adults of all ages. She is committed to nurturing a love of music in all her students, adapting to their needs and interests to help them achieve their full potential. Beyond music, she enjoys visual art and spending time outdoors.

Miss M Ibrahim – Violin

Bachelor of Music (Hons) in Performance – Royal College of Music
Master of Music in Performance – Royal College of Music

Miss Ibrahim is a highly distinguished violinist who has established herself as a sought-after presence within the classical music scene. With a decade of experience teaching violin across private, institutional, and educational settings, she is a dedicated and inspiring teacher deeply committed to music education. Her teaching philosophy emphasises musical curiosity and creativity, helping students develop strong technique while discovering their own artistic voice. Lessons are carefully structured to balance technical development, musical expression, and performance skills, often incorporating listening, studies, and sight-reading to build well-rounded musicianship.

Her students have achieved outstanding success, earning Distinctions across ABRSM and Trinity examinations, as well as scholarships and competition prizes such as the Youth Music Centre Concerto Prize and the North London Festival. Above all, she aims to nurture a genuine love for music and inspire students to find joy and self-expression through their playing, building skills and confidence that extend far beyond the instrument itself.

Mr M McQuillan – Bass Guitar and Double Bass

BMus (Hons) in Jazz – Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Mr McQuillan is an electric and double bassist who has performed at venues including St Martin-in-the-Fields, Pizza Express Jazz Club and Worcester College, Oxford. Mark’s teaching focuses on connecting students’ ear to the instrument and internalising fundamental technical and musical knowledge. Mr McQuillan has taught a range of abilities and tailors lessons and material to a student’s individual needs. He is also a prolific songwriter and bandleader, performing regularly with his band Testaments.

Join Our Music Community

Our instrumental tutors are part of a vibrant department that supports students across all year groups. Whether a student is taking their first steps with an instrument or preparing for performance exams, our tutors guide them every step of the way.

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