Meet some of our teachers

Friendly and supportive

Our team are trained to help students achieve their goals. We support students in their learning and motivate them to do their best.

Internationally qualified

We are the world’s English experts. All British Council teachers hold professional teaching qualifications including CELTA, DELTA, PGCE, MA TEFL, TYLEC. They have extensive experience teaching both adults and children. Our teachers receive ongoing training throughout the year to keep them up-to-date with the latest teaching methodologies.

Experienced and up-to-date

The British Council has been helping students around the world for 80 years and our teachers know the latest methods, techniques and technologies for teaching real life English.

Jamie Gibbings

Director English Language Services
Jamie began his teaching career in Japan in 2000. He has previously worked for the British Council as a Senior Teacher and Director of English Language Services in both Singapore and Taiwan. Here in Japan Jamie works with our team of Senior Teachers and Coordinators to support teachers and ensure the quality of our courses.

Alex Caughey

Qualifications
BA (Hons) German, CELTA,DELTA Masters in Applied Linguistics

About you
I've been an English teacher since the millennium and I've worked in Vienna, Osaka, Singapore and Hong Kong. My hobbies are swimming, soccer (although in England we call it Association Football) and skiing. Japan is the best place in the world for skiing because there are a lot of resorts and the snow conditions are superb.

Andy Drought

Qualifications
MA Advanced Japanese Studies,DELTA,CELTA,BA (Hons) in English linguistics and Psychology

About you
I’ve been teaching since 1997 and worked in the UK and the Czech Republic before coming to Japan. I originally became a teacher to travel the world for a couple of years, but here I am in Japan more than 14 years later! Outside work I enjoy learning Japanese, reading, sports, and travelling.

James Caulfield

Qualifications
BA in History, CELTA, MA in Applied Linguistics

About you
I’ve been teaching and living in Japan since 2001. My hobbies include reading, fiction and non-fiction, watching films and travelling. Last year I started studying Latin, but my motivation has dropped recently! I love History, and enjoy visiting museums when I get a chance.

David Cruse

Qualifications
PGCE, Trinity CERT, DELTA, MA in Applied Linguistics and TEFL

About you
I’ve been teaching English since 2001. I’ve taught mainly in the UK but this is my second time in Japan. I really love it here, especially Tokyo, although it means I’m away from my main hobby – playing the euphonium in a British brass band. In Japan, I’ve replaced euphonium playing with travelling to new places and trying new dishes.

Esther Ratcliff

Qualifications
CELTA, DELTA,BA (Hons) English & Spanish

About you
I have been an English teacher for eleven years. I have worked with adults, teenagers and young children in Spain, Portugal and Japan. I am also a trained Cambridge ESOL examiner for a range of International Cambridge exams. Outside work I like knitting, crochet, visiting new places and eating out whenever I can.

Craig Simons

Qualifications
Diploma of Education, Certificate in TESOL, Diploma in TESOL

About you
I first taught English in Vietnam for a year, then did short stints in Korea and Australia (my home country) before settling in Japan more than 10 years ago. I enjoy playing chess and Scrabble on my iPhone and having swordfights with my son.

Luke Weaver

Qualifications
CELTA ,BSc (Hons) in Sports Science

I’ve been teaching English since 2007 and have worked in Japan, Australia, England, The Czech Republic and Poland. I have a CELTA and a BSc (Hons) in Sports Science. My hobbies include playing all kinds of sports (mainly football), travelling, as I love to experience new places and cultures, and watching films.

David Munday

Qualifications
CELTA、a BA in Politics and MA in Global Security at Keele University, UK.

About you
I enjoy exploring new places in Japan and struggling to learn Kanji and conversational Japanese. I’m an avid boxing fan and enjoy going to the gym regularly.

James Lamont

Qualifications
BA, MA (with Distinction), CELTA

About you
Hi, I’m James. I was born in Nottingham, UK, and grew up in London. I really enjoy teaching and living in Japan. My hobbies are playing the piano and visiting museums here in Tokyo. I look forward to working with you!