Get to Know Us

Ellie Cottrell is the founder and Headteacher of River House Academy.

Ellie taught for 11 years in Norwich, England where she worked with students with a wide range of skills and abilities. She enjoyed finding innovative ways of engaging learners so that they reached their full potential: academically, creatively and socially.

Having two children of her own, Ellie is clear that a rounded education must offer a balance between academic achievement and creative expression.

This balance is the defining strength of River House Academy.

Prior to her journey in the education sector, Divya worked as a Chartered Accountant with leading Indian and multinational banks in India. She discovered her love for working with children when she volunteered at educational institutions during her weekends off from her corporate job. It was in 2015 that Divya found her calling and transitioned into the education sector on a full-time basis.

Having joined River House in 2018, Divya has since completed her Master of Education in Advanced Teaching, further enriching her pedagogical knowledge and skills.

Divya firmly believes in cultivating strong relationships with her students. Through open discussions, active listening, and creating a supportive atmosphere, Divya ensures that her students feel heard, understood, and valued. Throughout the years, this approach has allowed her to foster deep connections with her students.

Divya loves Maths, cooking and technology – a rather strange combination – which she brings into the school community. She incorporates technology into her Maths teaching which leverages student learning and equips them with digital literacy skills. When she is not teaching Maths, she conducts cooking / baking classes with students in the school which allows students to dive into culinary arts and also gain an important life skill.

Akhilesh Kumar is a compassionate, student-minded secondary-school educator, with 3 years of experience in teaching mathematics and science to teenagers from Year 7 to Year 11 (Ages 12 to 18). He worked with Teach for India, a non-profit organization, to offer the less privileged a chance to educate themselves. He also brings six plus years of both social entrepreneurial and corporate management experience.

He believes in a multi-dimensional classroom setting where students can explore, experiment, discover, and learn in a variety of ways. His vision of the learning space is to offer a wide variety of academic inputs, which involve visual, auditory, and experiential methods. Acting as a facilitator rather than in the traditional sense as a knowledge provider, he allows students to discover their own voice, their own interests, and their own point of view so that they can take ownership of their lives with awareness and with confidence.

Ananda (Andy) holds a Master’s degree in English, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Education and has been teaching English language and literature, both as first and second language, for over 12 years across various curriculums including IGCSE.  

Keeping in the spirit and motto of River House Academy, Ananda believes in imparting knowledge and instilling confidence in every child while making academics more interesting by incorporating games, performances, music, interactive storytelling and classroom discussions for a multi-sensory learning experience, thereby empowering students to develop effective communication, reasoning and leadership skills.

Being a student of arts himself in various disciplines through his life, he believes in honing the intrinsic creative fervor in students that help them expand their horizons of self-expression and aspirations.

With an experience of 10 years in teaching and a Master's degree in Economics, Paromita brings a unique blend of skills to her classroom.

She believes in empowering students to take ownership of their learning. She's passionate about creating fun and engaging lessons that cater to all age groups. In her lessons, students are encouraged to explore their potential through hands-on activities and creative expression. Her classroom is a vibrant learning space brimming with visual stimuli and resources for reading, art, stimulating games, and music, fostering exploration and growth in every child. Paromita's goal is to nurture confident, well-rounded learners who are ready to embrace the world.

Vani brings over two decades of dedicated experience to education, with a deep passion for fostering growth and learning. Her diverse background includes roles as a hostel warden, teacher across pre-primary and primary levels, school coordinator, and work with the core team of an IGCSE school.

Raised in Nepal, Vani returned to India in 2012 to further her career in education. Her teaching journey began under the Nepal Board, providing a strong foundation in local educational practices. Transitioning to the International GCSE Board allowed her to integrate global standards with local contexts, enriching her approach.

Vani is committed to incorporating technological advancements, fostering global citizenship, and nurturing emotional intelligence in her teaching. She is dedicated to evolving with the educational landscape, ensuring her students are well-prepared for an interconnected world.

Varun brings nine years of dedicated experience in fostering both academic and personal development. Currently a valued member of the River House Academy team, Varun previously served as a class teacher for Grades 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 at a Waldorf-inspired school. His experience extends to teaching Hindi to adults as a foreign language.

Varun is passionate about creating a learning environment that is both compassionate and nurturing, where students can thrive intellectually, emotionally, and socially. He believes in a holistic approach, using art, storytelling, games, and meaningful interactions to make learning engaging and accessible. Varun deeply values the innate curiosity of young learners and strives to cultivate it in every lesson.

Ginni is a passionate teacher who believes that learning should be a joyful and holistic experience.  

Ginni is a qualified teacher who has a rich experience of teaching children of various age groups. Other than all her practical experiences in the field of education, she believes that becoming a mother has deepened her understanding about how children learn and grow. 

Ginni loves cooking and dancing and uses these outlets to express herself as well as explore cultures. Dance especially brings a lot of joy into her life and she is very enthusiastic about spreading this joy with her students by incorporating dance movements into her classroom, making it a vibrant and dynamic environment where everyone feels valued and inspired.