The Senior Leadership Team

George McMillan: Executive Principal

Mr McMillan is the Executive Principal of Harris Greenwich, Harris Ockendon, Harris Falconwood and Harris Avery Hill (future opening) and is a National Leader of Education (NLE). Originally from Glasgow, he graduated from Aberdeen University with an MA in English Literature, and then from Edinburgh University with a PGCE and a burning desire to teach.  Mr McMillan taught English for five years at a secondary school in Edinburgh serving one of the most deprived areas in Scotland, latterly having a whole school remit in charge of promoting positive behaviour.  Shortly after moving to London in 2006 he joined the Senior Team at Harris Academy Chafford Hundred and was part of their journey from ‘Requires Improvement’ to Outstanding in every area. 

Mr McMillan took over the leadership of what is now Harris Academy Greenwich in 2011.  Within three years, the school achieved ‘Outstanding’ status from Ofsted.  It has since been awarded Outstanding again in 2022, has been judged ‘World Class’ twice in a row and is consistently in the top 15% of schools in the country for progress.

Although he divides his time between his three schools and other NLE responsibilities, Mr McMillan remains a highly visible and active leader at Greenwich.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jack Docherty : Head of School

 

 

 

 

 

 

Originally from South London, Mr Docherty graduated with a First in Biochemistry from the University of Bath. After spending a few years in the medical research field, he realised that his passion lay in the classroom and qualified to teach through the Teach First programme.

Mr Docherty joined Harris Greenwich in 2011 and was part of the team that took the school from ‘Special Measures’ to ‘Outstanding’. He worked as a Lead Practitioner and Head of Science before being appointed to Assistant Principal, where he led teaching, learning and staff development.

He joined Harris Ockendon in September 2020 as Vice Principal where he played a big part in driving the rapid school improvement there. He returned to Harris Greenwich in June 2022 as Head of School.

 

Dan Sofianos: Vice Principal

After graduating from the Queen Mary’s University of London with a degree in Drama, Mr Sofianos discovered his passion for education while teaching in Hong Kong. Inspired by this experience, he returned to the UK to pursue a career in teaching, qualifying as an English and Drama teacher through the Institute of Education.

Over the years, he has held a range of leadership roles, including Head of Department, Advanced Skills Teacher, Specialist Leader of Education, and Assistant Principal. He holds the National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL), the SENCO Award, and is also a qualified coach, supporting both staff and students in their professional and personal development.

Now serving as Vice Principal, Mr Sofianos is immensely proud to be part of the Senior Leadership Team. He is deeply committed to the holistic development of young people, believing in the importance of nurturing the ‘whole’ student. He is equally passionate about building strong, meaningful links with the wider community to enrich the educational experience and foster a sense of belonging for all.

    

Ellie Ghazi-Noory: Assistant Principal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs Ghazi-Noory has been with Harris Greenwich since 2012. Originally from York, she graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Geography, Business and The Built Environment from the University of Nottingham. After spending some time working with school children in The Friends’ School, Hobart, Tasmania, she quickly learnt that her passion lies in the classroom and qualified to teach through the Teach First programme where she gained her MA in Leadership.

 

Before her appointment to Assistant Principal, she was Head of Humanities and has thoroughly relished the opportunity to be part of the journey to Outstanding with Harris Greenwich. Mrs Ghazi-Noory is immensely proud to be leading on Low Attainers for the Academy this year, something she is greatly looking forward to.

 

 

 

Veejay Miller: Assistant Principal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Miller was born and raised in South-East London and continued his early studies here until he attended St Mary’s University, where he graduated with a BA honour in Sport Science. From his experience working at Tower Hamlets Pupil Referral Unit in 2015, Mr Miller found a passion for working with young people.

He then moved to Harris Academy East Dulwich Boys where he trained to become a PE teacher and continued teaching for 6 years. Here he had additional responsibilities which included Pastoral Leader, Head of Year and Head of House. Mr Miller moved to Ark Acton Academy as the Director of Sport and was part of the team who took the school from ‘Special Measures’ to graded ‘Good’ by Ofsted in 2023. Realising his passion for developing behaviour, Mr Miller was then promoted to Associate Assistant Principal focusing on behaviour and culture. In 2023, Mr Miller joined Harris Academy Greenwich where he is incredibly proud to be leading Key Stage 4 focusing on behaviour, culture, and outcomes.

 

Abi McKay: Assistant Principal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ms. McKay graduated from Queen Mary’s, University of London with a degree in English. After discovering her passion for working with young people, she joined the Teach First Leadership Development Programme in 2013, teaching English, and completed a Masters in Educational Leadership at The Institute of Education, University of London. Her passion and enthusiasm for English and equipping students with academic and social behaviours lead her down the pastoral care and behaviour pathway in three inner-London schools. 

Ms. McKay has a wealth of experience in pastoral care and leading behaviour initiatives in schools following a career that has seen her lead key stage 4 cohorts as a head of year and whole-school classroom behaviour as a Lead Practioner, prior to becoming Assistant Principal at Harris Academy Greenwich. 

Ms. McKay currently oversees student behaviour and pastoral care across the academy and is passionate about equipping young people with the academic and social behaviours they need to excel both in and after school life. 

 

Hannah Thorncroft:  Assistant Principal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Originally from West Yorkshire, Ms Thornton graduated from the University of Manchester with a First Class Honours degree in English. She found her passion for teaching working with children in South East Asia and later qualified to teach through the Teach First programme. Ms Thornton taught in Salford and East London prior to joining Harris Academy Greenwich. During this time, she gained her MA in Leadership in Education with a specific focus on curriculum design and the power of knowledge. Before becoming an Assistant Principal, she was Head of English, leading the department and students to success through adversity during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ms Thornton is a firm believer in the power of education for social change and is determined in her commitment to work towards ending educational inequality. 

 

Kim Barclay:  Assistant Principal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Growing up in Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, Kim graduated from Queens University with a degree in Sociology, Cultural & Media Studies. After spending a number of years being an events organiser, she ended up travelling for two years before eventually coming back to Northern Ireland where she started working with Alternative Provisions. It was during these years that Kim found her passion for working with teenagers and their families.  Kim made the move to London in 2015 where she started working in Harris Academy Greenwich. Alongside her role as Pastoral Manager for the past eight years, Kim also ran our Alternative Provision and LAC remits working successfully alongside many different provisions, schools, social workers and other external agencies ensuring every child has the best chance at being successful. Kim is passionate about behaviour and looks forward to leading the school in this.

 

Harry Bailey: Assistant Principal

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the local community, Mr Bailey grew up in Middle Park and went to Eltham Green School.

He studied at the Royal Veterinary College whilst working in a veterinary practice and taught in a Land Based College as Head of Department before moving to Harris Greenwich in 2015. From here he gained a BA (Hons) in Education and Professional Training. Mr Bailey has vast experience in pastoral care and is a teacher of Science. Mr Bailey’s main passion is the welfare of students and to ensure they feel safe in order for them to reach their full potential within education.

Mr Bailey is currently the Designated Safeguarding Lead and oversees Provision and line manages the SEND team.