Friendly Staff

Everyone who works at SEA is friendly, fun and easy to talk to.  In this way we make you feel relaxed and at home straight away.  Our teachers are highly qualified and experienced, but what is more, they genuinely care about each and every student.  It is our philosophy that ‘nothing is too much trouble for our students’ and when we interview new staff we always look for people who share in this philosophy.

Many students over the years have commented that they got the confidence they needed to start speaking English because their teachers at SEA made them feel that making mistakes was OK.  At SEA we believe that it is more important to say something, even if it’s not grammatically perfect, than to say nothing at all.  As soon as a student gains the confidence to start speaking, then the teacher can help the student to improve, by feeding in more natural phrases and by correction.  That is when real communication begins.

We look forward to introducing you to our wonderful team; we know you will love them just as much as thousands of our previous students have!

Our Teachers

SEA is not only a great place to study, it is also a great place to work.  For this reason many of our teachers stay with us for years, meaning that you will have time to really get to know your teachers without regular staffing changes, which can be a problem in some schools.

Most of our teachers have a minimum of 5 years teaching experience, so that when we employ new teachers, they are quickly able to learn from their more experienced peers.

All of our teachers take part in monthly Professional Development sessions so that they are constantly upgrading their skills and learning even more fun and efficient ways to help you maximise your progress.

Michael Edwards, Owner & Principal Administrator

Michael (Mick) has been working in the English Language teaching industry for over twenty years.  Originally he was a teacher; now his focus is on ensuring the smooth running of SEA.  This means keeping our students and agents happy, and growing the school so that we continue to be successful whilst never losing sight of our goal: to offer the best experience of learning English in an environment that feels like your second home.

Outside of work, look out for Mick out the back in the surf!

Samantha Milton, Director, Homestay Coordinator & Welfare Officer

Samantha (Sam) has been working in the English Language teaching industry for over twenty-five years.  Now she oversees the Teaching Team, keeping our teachers happy and ensuring the smooth delivery of classes and services to our students. Sam will be the person who welcomes you and tests you on your first day at SEA and she often teaches classes if a teacher needs a day off.  Sam also personally meets every homestay family and takes care of homestay placements.  Our agents tell us this is why we so rarely have problems with homestay at SEA.

At SEA we want you to be happy in every facet of your life; at home, at school, at work and in your social life.  Sam is the person you can speak to if you have a problem in any of these areas.

Outside work Sam loves yoga and is writing a novel for teenagers!

David Trendall, Senior Teacher & Social Program Coordinator

David (Dave) has been teaching English as a second language for over seven years.  At SEA he is one of our regular Cambridge/IELTS teachers as well as coordinating the Social Program, training our famous soccer team ‘The Sea Lions’ and looking after all the teachers and students in his Senior Teacher role.

Amazingly he still has energy for the following pursuits in his free time: performing live music (he plays sitar, mandolin and bass guitar) and writing film scripts and novels!

Michelle Harding, Student Services Officer & Registrar

Michelle is probably the first representative of SEA that you will have contact with.  She will answer you if you send an email and she will greet you at Reception on your first day at SEA (if you have booked Airport Pickup you will of course be met by one of our friendly Airport Pickup Officers).  She has been working in the Australian Education industry, specialising in Australian Student visa cases for over ten years.  At SEA she oversees administration, enrolments and accounting, and supports Dave with Social Activities coordination.  If you have any questions at all she will be more than happy to help you.

Outside work Michelle loves dancing, especially Latin Dance and skateboarding!