top of page
MANAGEMENT TEAM
Our Directors
Marianne Siegfried-Brookes
Founder and Managing Director
Marianne founded the German Academy in 2015 as a non-profit organisation with the aim of offering active German to everyone through lessons, events and a large German-speaking community.
Marianne has an MSc in Secondary Education from the University of Zurich and an MBA from the University of Warwick (UK). She can look back on more than a decade of management experience in the UK, Sweden and Switzerland, setting up and organising various Saturday Schools, Kindergartens and language initiatives. She is deputy head at the VDSS (Association of German Saturday Schools UK).
Anne Honsel
Teaching and Learning Director
Anne has been director at the German Academy since 2015. After studying German and literature, Art and Textile Design at the universities of Osnabrueck, Vienna and Heidelberg, Anne completed her teacher training in Aachen. She continued her studies with a Masters in Teaching and Learning at the University of Leicester.
Anne focuses on the development approach to learning and the role of teacher as an mediator. Creativity and sensitivity to the needs and interests of the child are the focus of her work at the German Academy.
Frauke Shiells
Director and Exams Officer
Frauke joined the German Academy in 2015 where she currently looks after the exams office. After completing her degree in Language Teaching at the University of Giessen, Germany, she has gained a wealth of experience in both teaching as well as co-ordinating and conducting GCSE, A-level and telc exams. As one of the German Academy’s telc examiners licensed to assess all six levels (A1-C2) she has also contributed to many years’ of telc exams taking place in Leicester and is always dedicated to making the exam procedure as smooth as possible.
Our Admin and Finance Team
Maria Steel
Finance Manager, DBS checks
Maria has been teaching at The German Academy since 2020, in person and online. Since 2021, Maria has focused on teaching German to SEND children and has developed her own reading program. This program aids in the SEND children's development, who often require an alternative approach to learning how to read and write.
Simone Schrader
Admin Manager
Simone was born and raised in Meissen, a picturesque town in Saxony, Germany and moved to Winchester after finishing her A-levels in 2007. She joined the DSS Leicester team in early 2022 after relocating to Leicestershire. She has worked as a helper, teacher and ONLINE teacher, and leads the annual German summer school. With experience in teaching at colleges and private schools, as well as a background in customer service and accounts, Simone brings a broad skill set to the team. She has two daughters who are growing up bilingual and is planning on moving to Dorset in 2026.
Our Digital Team
Adam Brookes
Digital Manager
Adam was among the first students at The German Academy and later briefly worked as a teaching assistant at the Saturday School in Leicester, while regularly supporting the Academy with filming and photography.
Raised in a bilingual household, he completed his German A-level at just 14 and has since pursued various German-speaking professional roles. With a degree in Computer Science and experience running his own digital companies, Adam now acts as the Digital Manager for The German Academy, overseeing the website and contributing to digital media efforts.
Winstanley House, January 2020
bottom of page