Sasha Kelly-Haynes
Harlow,Essex
Summary
An accomplished Director of Sport and football coach with extensive experience across schools and sports organisations in multiple regions. A former elite footballer for Tottenham Hotspur FC Women and West Ham United FC Women, I have overcome personal barriers, including disability, to build a successful career in education and sport. With 13 years’ experience in education, I have held senior leadership roles including Director of Sport, Head of Physical Education and Head of Year. I currently coach a girls’ football team, am completing the UEFA B Diploma, serve as an FA Talent Reporter within the England Women’s pathway, and am a published researcher in Paralympic sport.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work history
Director of Sport
Bancroft's Prep School
Woodford Green, Redbridge
10.2024 - Current
- Oversee, plan, deliver, and quality assure the Prep school's sporting programme.
- Take overall responsibility for the department’s development plan, ensuring that it is relevant within the realms of modern day sport.
- Oversee aspirational and elite athlete development programmes as well as ensuring that there remains a ‘sport for all’ philosophy. Work with all sports staff to allow the opportunity for children to develop their skills to the best of their potential.
- Continue to develop increased extra-curricular opportunities for all ability teams across the entire sports programme.
- Oversee the training/induction of sports graduates and trainee teachers.
- Review staff CPD and organise opportunities for staff.
Talent Reporter - Position Specific (No. 9)
The FA
06.2025 - Current
- Talent reporting on Number 9's across the U15-U16 England girl's pathway.
Emerging Talent Reporter
The FA
08.2024 - Current
- Assist with the identification of players for England Women's Teams through a variety of live matches and video observations.
- Knowledge of the criteria that players need to meet to be considered for England team selection on the pathway from U14 upwards.
- Produce clear and accurate reports on prospective and current England players, in line with the Women's Technical Directorate talent reporting framework.
- Attend regional and national CPD events.
Head of Girls’ Games
Bancroft’s Prep School
Woodford Green, Redbridge
04.2021 - 10.2024
- Oversaw the Girls' Games' programme and taught across Years 3 to 6.
- Driving force behind introducing football to the Girls' Games curriculum and extra-curricular programme.
- Ensured that both elite sport and 'sport for all' were developed and promoted within the Prep School through Games and PE.
- Introduced an inclusive assessment framework into the PE curriculum - ‘Know, Show, Glow’.
- Introduced a co-curricular PE intervention programme to facilitate progress within PE.
- Led the planning and delivery of two ski trips, a sports tour and numerous sports trips to watch live sport.
Head of Physical Education
Mark Hall Academy
Harlow, Essex
04.2019 - 04.2021
- Led the way in raising attainment and student progress for PE across the Academy.
- Planned and implemented interventions targeting underachieving pupils at exam PE.
- Introduced a new exam pathway (NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Health and Fitness) at Key Stage 4 and trained staff to deliver this course effectively.
- Mentored a NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher).
- Planned and implemented a bespoke CPD programme for the PE Department.
- Liaised with primary school links and the school games organiser within the borough with an aim to get primary school children participating in sport at our school which has state of the art facilities, thereby inspiring them.
Head of Year
Heathcote School and Science College
Chingford, Waltham Forest
09.2017 - 04.2019
- Responsible for the pastoral care of a Year group, including safeguarding officer, behaviour, attendance, well-being and academic achievement.
- Ensured effective communication lines between teaching staff, pupils and parents.
- Managed a team of form tutors.
- Experienced planning and teaching Key Stage 5 (A-Level PE and BTEC Level 3 Sport).
Head of Physical Education
Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy
Hackney, City of London
09.2014 - 09.2017
- Set up the PE Department in a brand new Academy.
- Created the entire PE curriculum for Key Stage 3 and 4, and trained staff to deliver this effectively.
- Gained invaluable experience in management of a budget, resourcing and timetabling.
- Aided staff recruitment, including mentoring of new staff.
- Established a strong link with the Rugby Football Union, introducing the All Schools Programme to both PE lessons and extra-curricular clubs.
- Developed a grass roots rowing session and created a pathway for talented rowers through the development of a Rowing Academy.
Football Coach
Islington Football Development Partnership
Islington, City of London
10.2008 - 09.2013
- Aided the development of initiatives to help increase the participation of girls'/womens' football across Islington borough including ‘Soccaskills’, school holiday camps, and ‘Pay and Play’ sessions.
- Mentored primary school teachers to become knowledgeable and confident in delivering girls' football as part of their curriculum/extra-curricular programmes.
- Mentored newly qualified coaches, completing a needs analysis and offering 1-1 support through joint planning, observations and feedback prior to and during the delivery of a girls' football programme.
- Awarded ‘Coach of the Year’.
Disability Provision Officer
Herts Sports Partnership
Hatfield, Hertfordshire
10.2008 - 09.2013
- Aided the delivery of community sport in a bid to achieve the Herts Sports Partnership mission: ‘more people, more active, more often'.
- Obtained funding for Hertfordshire from their principal funder, Sport England as the strategic lead for sport and physical activity in Hertfordshire.
- Aided the delivery of CAADs (County Athlete Assessment Days), a Playground to Podium event which was designed to identify and nurture disabled people with the potential to be elite athletes.
Education
Schools Direct Teacher Training - Teacher of Physical Education - Education
Middlesex University
City of LondonBSc (Hons) - Sport and Exercise Science
University of Hertfordshire
HatfieldA-Levels -
La Swap Sixth Form
City of LondonGCSE -
La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary School
City of LondonSkills
- In-depth knowledge of a range of different sports, and in particular girls'/womens' football
- Awareness of current sports issues, and in particular barriers to participation
- A proven leader
- Initiative, desire to succeed and the ability to motivate others
- An ability to find, train and mentor staff, coaches and volunteers
- Excellent organisation, administration and IT skills
- Competency in maximising available budgets and ensuring resources are used
- Effective communicator including excellent listening skills
Additional Qualifications
- Currently Undertaking UEFA B Diploma
- UEFA C Diploma
- Level 1 in Coaching Football
- The FA Coaching Disabled Footballers Award
- National Talent Identification and Scouting
- Introduction to Talent Identification in Football
- The FA Online Safeguarding Children
- The FA Concussion Guidelines
- The FA Sudden Cardiac Arrest
- QTS - Physical Education
- Designated Safeguarding Lead (Safeguarding Level 3)
- How to Coach Disabled People in Sport
- First Aid Qualified
- Full Driving License
Publications
Pack, S., Kelly, S. and Arvinen-Barrow, M. (2016). “I think I became a swimmer rather than just someone with a disability swimming up and down:” paralympic athletes perceptions of self and identity development. Disability and Rehabilitation.
References
Available on request
Timeline
Talent Reporter - Position Specific (No. 9)
The FA
06.2025 - Current
Director of Sport
Bancroft's Prep School
10.2024 - Current
Emerging Talent Reporter
The FA
08.2024 - Current
Head of Girls’ Games
Bancroft’s Prep School
04.2021 - 10.2024
Head of Physical Education
Mark Hall Academy
04.2019 - 04.2021
Head of Year
Heathcote School and Science College
09.2017 - 04.2019
Head of Physical Education
Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy
09.2014 - 09.2017
Football Coach
Islington Football Development Partnership
10.2008 - 09.2013
Disability Provision Officer
Herts Sports Partnership
10.2008 - 09.2013
Schools Direct Teacher Training - Teacher of Physical Education - Education
Middlesex University
BSc (Hons) - Sport and Exercise Science
University of Hertfordshire
A-Levels -
La Swap Sixth Form
GCSE -
La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary School