Ms Collinson grew up in Algeria, Morocco, France, and the UK, completed her degree in German and French at Exeter University, and her PGCE at Oxford University. After teaching these subjects in the UK for many years, Ms Collinson moved into international education, first Ghana, then Romania. She has learned Spanish and Romanian in her spare time.

She has a keen interest in visiting diverse cultures and places of historical interest, as well as drawing on students' own language backgrounds and cultures in her classroom teaching. Ms Collinson likes hiking and continues to travel the world in her own time. She also running foreign school trips. In her last two schools, she has played a significant role in coordinating charity projects.