RICHARD STEVENSON

Richard has worked in a variety of schools, including day and boarding, single sex and co-educational, prep and senior school, tied prep and stand-alone. After completing his degree in politics, economics and philosophy, Richard headed the science, IT and DT departments in a large independent school. He moved to the position of Academic Deputy Head at Holmwood House before being appointed to headship at Kelly College Prep, then subsequently, Castle Court School in Dorset. During 15 years of headship, Richard re-positioned the schools and restructured the businesses and curriculum, leading to growth in pupil numbers, finances, development and academic achievement. He has been an ISI inspector, taken a lead role in training and has an outstanding track record of mentoring, coaching and appraising for success. Richard is a people person; his ability lies in strategic thinking, the building of teams, growing a business and appointing outstanding people. His excellent understanding of building construction and development as well as his extensive experience in bringing development projects to fruition, on budget and on time, is a worthy addition.

TIFFANY FLEMING

Tiffany began her career in sales and marketing, working for a major national housebuilder. At the age of twenty-two, she became the Sales and Marketing Director for the company and in preparation, worked in every department of the business in order to understand the impact her decisions would have. The experience she gained helped her throughout her 30 years in the industry. This was evident on the client side, then latterly on the agency side of the business, where she worked for the OLIVER Group as a Senior Account Director.

Tiffany’s love of people and unique insight into how to achieve the very best from and for people, led her to coach and mentor numerous leaders entering the industry. Many of her mentees went on to achieve notable and significant success in their own right. Tiffany regularly planned and led successful marketing strategies, during which she forged valuable relationships with her clients, some spanning 15 years. More recently, Tiffany headed the admin team of a large independent school. Excited by the similarities and opportunities between independent education and her previous role, Tiffany brings an important commercial perspective to the business supporting school leaders and governors to realise the very best for their schools.

ALASTAIR RAMSAY

Alastair, an IAPS Head for 19 years, led two very successful independent Prep Schools and has been an active ISI inspector since 2004. He ran a successful boarding house before becoming a Headmaster in 2001.

He guided his schools through seven outstanding/excellent inspection reports, one through a successful merger and led both schools out of perilous financial positions. From falling pupil numbers, when he took over, he transformed the schools to profitable and thriving businesses. He has piloted successful training sessions in industry and education, on subjects as wide ranging as planning for a crisis, managing a school as a business, marketing, and safeguarding children.

Alastair has appraised Heads and sat as an independent member on parental complaints and staff grievance panels. As a Governor at one of the country’s leading FE colleges and having sat on the Herefordshire Safeguarding Children Board, he has extensive and varied boardroom and committee experience. Alastair has travelled extensively in China, recruiting pupils and lecturing on the benefits of a British independent boarding education for foreign pupils.

JOHN GILMOUR

John has 25 years of experience within the Education sector in a wide variety of settings including; State, Independent boys' day, Independent boys' boarding and Independent co-ed day. Leadership positions have included Head of Year and School Data Manager at Swanage Middle School, Head of Pastoral Care at Dumpton Preparatory School, Sole Deputy Head at Castle Court Preparatory School and, latterly, Head at Craigclowan Preparatory School.  

Educated entirely in the Boarding sector, John previously served as an officer in the Royal Navy for seven years. Following his training at Britannia Royal Naval College (Dartmouth), John served at sea on surface ships and HM submarines.

During his 7-year tenure at Craigclowan Preparatory School, Perth, Scotland, John helped to found Craigclowan Xi’an Nursery School in China and was a founder Board Member of Craigclowan Xi’an China. Outside of school, John served on the Board of both the IAPS and SCIS and beyond the school gates has worked as a Board Trustee of the Polar Academy in Scotland and formerly served for 15 years with the RNLI as Second Coxswain of Swanage Lifeboat.

John is an innovative, inspirational, and collaborative leader with a passion for educational excellence and a genuine commitment to building an outstanding educational experience for children, parents, staff, and members of a schools’ wider external community; a people person who loves to work alongside others to challenge orthodoxies and produce exceptional results and outcomes for pupils and schools.

JAMIE HORNSHAW

For the past 29 years, Jamie has worked exclusively in the independent sector, in 11+ and 13+ IAPS Schools, boarding and day. He has been a Senior Leader for over 20 years as a Prep School Head (in the UK at Berkhamsted and overseas in Paris) and Deputy Head in two prep schools, having previously been Head of Department in three curriculum areas and House Master for Years 3-8. 

During the Headship in Paris, Jamie facilitated the merger of the two existing junior schools into a new £16m campus for 560 pupils aged 3-11 on the banks of the River Seine. At Berkhamsted he also worked as part of the Executive Leadership Team (3-18) to redesign the Pre-Prep and Preparatory School structures which included a merger with a neighbouring school and establishing the under 7s and 7-11s on their own dedicated campuses.

Jamie has experience as a primary school Governor and also of a large independent schools’ foundation. He is trained as a team inspector with ISI and holds the NPQH and MEd in Educational Leadership qualifications. In 2019, Jamie qualified as an Executive Coach with the Institute of Leadership and now enjoys developing the best in today’s leaders, however experienced they may be.

MICHAEL ABRAHAM

Mike has worked in independent education for much of his career; he has extensive experience of boarding schools and school leadership. At the age of 30, he was promoted to Headmaster at King’s Junior and Housemaster of the chorister boarding house.

He went on to be the Founding Headmaster at Yarm Prep School, growing the school from 0 to 340 pupils, after which he was appointed as Head to three further Prep Schools. He is a former ISI Inspector, now a Governor at four schools and is the longest serving member on the steering committee of the cross association, national independent junior school conference.

Mike retired as a Head in April 2010 and has worked as an Educational Consultant offering advice and support to schools on recruitment, mentoring and appraisal, inspection compliance and marketing.

He has worked specifically in leadership recruitment in independent education since 2011 when he joined TES Prime in London. There he worked in a wide variety of schools from The Hall in Hampstead to the British School in Nicosia. Over the course of the past eight years, he has successfully completed over 90 headship recruitment processes.

LYNNE HORNER

Lynne has been a Head for over 14 years; she began her career in boarding schools and has worked in both single sex and co-educational establishments. Her first headship was Abbey Gate College in Chester where she increased the roll by 20%, managed 2 major capital projects and lead the school through an excellent inspection. After 7 successful years there she was recruited as Principal of Westholme where she has steered the large split site school to full co-education, three successful inspections, a complete curriculum and assessment review and embedded a pupil centred learning ethos. Previously as a Deputy at Rydal School she introduced the International Baccalaureate and used her work on the regional HMC Professional Development group to revitalise staff training and CPD in the school and wider local area. This led to her being one of the first peer ISI inspectors appointed in the 1990s and she regularly carries out inspections across the country and has extensive experience in both compliance and educational aspects. Previous roles on HMC, ISA and GSA committees have kept Lynne abreast of all educational matters, embracing innovation and modelling the highest standards in leadership, strategic planning, recruitment, teaching and learning.

With postgraduate qualifications in educational management and leadership and a strong sporting background Lynne naturally adopts a supportive, ethical coaching style. Staff professional development, change management and safeguarding are her particular areas of expertise. She believes strongly in the importance of continuous improvement and empowering others to strive for excellence. In both her own schools and beyond, she has carried out numerous appraisals and given expert advice on staff appointments in different settings. Most recently she was Chair of the Society of Heads in 2019 and has proudly served on the committee for many years. She is a local authority governor of a state school and actively supports a number of related organisations.

Emotional intelligence, finely tuned interpersonal skills and insightful leadership characterise Lynne’s approach, helping schools to realise their goals and to flourish.

TOBY MULLINS

Although Toby is fulfilling a role within a school at present, he remains a valued member of the team. He has been a Head for over 22 years in a wide variety of different settings. He started his career in boarding schools, was the Housemaster of a large girls’ boarding house at Framlingham College before his promotion to Deputy Head at Churcher’s College. His first Headship was at Seaford College where, in his 15 years, he increased the roll from under 300 pupils to over 600. A three-year spell in the midlands as Executive Principal running two large secondary academies in deprived areas was followed by two short spells setting up two schools in the ‘for profit’ sector.

He has an MBA from London Business School, where he specialised in leadership, new venture development, managing change and project management. He is also a qualified executive coach and works with clients from both the business and educational sectors. He has been an ISI inspector since 2001 and currently carries out both compliance and educational quality inspections.

Toby has been both the Chairman of the Society of Heads and also of the ISC, which he took on at a very difficult time early in 2011, when it looked as though the organisation was doomed, and brought the discussions to a successful conclusion later that year. He is an experienced board member having served on six governing boards, both state and independent, and is one of the trustees at The Children’s Trust, a major charity for children with acquired brain injury.

DAVID SIBSON

David is highly knowledgeable about independent education, having had a long career teaching and leading in the sector. This includes 24 years in senior leadership, many of which were as the Headmaster of two significant schools. Both schools received very impressive inspection reports under his leadership and developed successfully under his headship. He has experience of both boarding and day education and is a well-respected ISI inspector.

David possesses a wide range of management experience including educational, financial, recruitment, and professional development of staff.

After graduating with first class honours from the University of Durham, David started his vocation as an English teacher, a subject which has enjoyed teaching throughout his career. His passion for theatre led him to direct and produce numerous plays. An enthusiastic educationalist, committed to achieving high standards in his own work and that of others, David has always been committed to ensure education is exciting and beneficial. He is passionate about pupils developing greater engagement in their own learning through adopting independent learning skills.

Whilst a Headmaster, David was a very active supporter of IAPS, both as Secretary and Chair of the Wessex District Heads and as a member of the central IAPS Council. Since retiring from headship, David has continued his roles as an experienced ISI Inspector and as a Governor and Chair of the Education Committee at an IAPS school.

VERNON HALES

Vernon’s involvement in independent schools spans 36 years as a teacher, Housemaster, Deputy Head, Headmaster, governor and parent! Recently he retired as Headmaster at Aldwickbury after 18 years, during which time he oversaw an increase in pupil numbers by some 20%, several major capital projects and considerable academic development, along with re-structuring the senior staff teams.

Starting his prep school career as Head of Geography and Physical Education at Papplewick, Vernon then broadened his professional and personal horizons by moving to New Zealand, where he was promoted to his first Deputy Head's post. He then returned to England as Deputy Head at Elstree School.

Away from his own schools, Vernon served on the IAPS Sports Committee and acted as the prep school representative on the RFU for 10 years. He is Chairman of Governors in an IAPS prep school and is a governor at another, and he is a trained ISI inspector.

Vernon now works as an educational advisor and consultant, relishing the opportunity to use his experience supporting school leaders to develop themselves and their schools.

DAVID FAULKNER

David has held significant roles in the sporting world. As part of the FA, he was Head of Performance – Women’s Professional Game and was Team Leader for the Team GB Womens Football team at the Tokyo Olympics. Prior to that he demonstrated his passion for sports leadership performance and system development during his role as Director of Sport, at Millfield School, Somerset between January 2013, and March 2017.

The skills David demonstrated in post are the proficiencies he is looking to identify in our candidates: exceptional leadership, excellent communication skills, self-awareness and outstanding performance. In addition, David seeks to replicate his ability to develop and implement a vision via a clear and well-constructed strategy.

In his position as England and Great Britain Performance Director, between May 2005 and December 2012, David’s responsibilities included the development and implementation of the vision and strategy for performance hockey in England and Great Britain, and the planning, programming, co-ordinating, monitoring, and evaluation of all England and GB team and athlete programmes. The results of the international teams speak for themselves with Olympic, World and Commonwealth medals.

CATH BUFTON-GREEN

Cath is a proficient and successful school leader with over twenty years of experience in state, independent, single sex and co-educational schools. She is a strategic thinker with an eye for detail and high standards. She is passionate about staff development and has enjoyed coaching and shaping teachers and leaders to be their very best. She aims to inspire, challenge and empower those that she works with, to make a positive difference for themselves, their schools and their pupils.

After just 10 years in education, Cath secured her first Headship at Surbiton Junior Girls’ School, leading the school through an excellent ISI inspection in her first year. Three years later, she was appointed into the dual role as Head of both Surbiton Junior Girls’ School and Surbiton Boys’ Preparatory School. During her 6 years in this role she successfully brought each school’s teaching and learning practices together, created an Executive Leadership Team, grew the school roll and led the schools through three excellent ISI inspections. Cath’s third Headship was at Chandlings School where she restructured the middle leadership model, redesigned the curriculum, introduced a digital strategy, developed outdoor learning, and steered the school through an excellent inspection.

Cath is a people person; she is approachable and empathetic and believes in a collaborative and authentic style of
leadership and school development.

PHIL GARNER

Phil has worked in both state and independent schools in the UK and in the USA. As a headteacher for 15 years and an Ofsted and ISI inspector, Phil has a wide range of experience in a variety of school settings. More recently he has undertaken a number of interim positions as headteacher, assisting schools in navigating complex challenges.

He was head at King Edward's School in Bath leading the transformation to full co-education. In 2000 he took over at Ascham House Prep School in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne and, through a merger, became the founding head of Newcastle School for Boys, a very successful 3-18 day school. He was one of the founding directors of the West Newcastle Academy Free School and is now a director of the Queen's Hall Arts Centre in Hexham and Chief Executive of the Independent Schools Portal.

Phil has run a number of Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and other senior staff recruitment processes and is regularly invited to speak at leadership conferences.

LUKE HUCKLE

Luke is a filmmaker and editor who specialises in concept creation, on-location filming and editing for social content through to broadcast ready film. He is an experienced Editor, Director, Camera Operator, Director of Photography, Sound Recordist and Photographer.

In 2013, Luke created a video department within a successful national, multi-site advertising agency which grew into a core department for the business. With a degree in Video Production, and a grounding in client services and account management, Luke’s experience has led to many successful film and content campaigns for a variety of clients. Luke specialises in creating online/social media and Sky adsmart/Video on Demand content.​

Luke is experienced in budgeting and quoting for a wide range of projects and understands the need to work within tight deadlines and even tighter costings. He is also available for stills photography, with a focus on location and architectural photography. Luke is happy to edit your existing content or create footage on your behalf.

LOUBELLE FLEMING

Digital Marketing Specialist and Content Strategist

Loubelle offers marketing consultancy, specialising in digital content creation, strategy and management. An expert in social media marketing, SEO and CRM, her expertise lies within Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn promotions, together with email campaigns and open web growth/visibility.

Specialising in Social Media Marketing, Loubelle is available for digital content creation, strategy and analysis - skilled at making these a cost neutral marketing option with an impressive ROI.

Loubelle has worked in advertising and marketing since 2001, in roles that include Account Manager, HR Coordinator, Copywriter and Social Media Manager. Working with companies from various sectors; including national housebuilders, Unilever and Google, Loubelle has spearheaded successful projects across different platforms and is available to help independent schools to make the transition from mediocre marketing to cost effective, successful, targeted marketing that is not only measurable, but most importantly, meaningful.