Belhaven Hill School

Co-ed Boarding & Day School for ages 4-13
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Our Staff (gallery)

"Staff appear effortlessly to achieve the often mutually exclusive combination of high standards and expectations in a caring, supportive and low pressure environment."

(Parent)

The Belhaven Staff

Teaching Staff

Teaching Staff (ID 1047)

  • Mr Olly Langton
    Headmaster

    Mr Olly Langton

    MA (Hons) History (Edinburgh)
    HEADMASTER

    Olly joined Belhaven as Headmaster in September 2020 having taught at Ludgrove (2005-7) and Radley (2007-20). He is married to Rosie and, together, they ran J Social, a boarding house at Radley for seven years before jumping at the chance to run one of the country's best prep schools. Their three children, Alexander, Cleo and Lettie and Nelson, the Labrador, are all very excited to meet you!

    headmaster@belhavenhill.com

  • Mr John Marriott
    Deputy Head (SLT)

    Mr John Marriott

    BA (UCL), MA (UCL), PGCE (Buckingham),
    MBA (Durham University Business School)
    Deputy Head (SLT)
    Head of English

    John joined Belhaven in 2019, having been at Windlesham House School in Sussex for seven years. He held a range of positions while at Windlesham, including Head of Classics, Housemaster, and Director of Studies. John teaches senior English at Belhaven. His favourite book is The Count of Monte Cristo.

    johnmarriott@belhavenhill.com

  • Mrs Katie Gale
    Deputy Head (SLT)

    Mrs Katie Gale

    B.Sc. Hons (Surrey),
    P.G.C.E. (De Montfort), C.C.R.S.
    Deputy Head (SLT)
    Head of PSHE, Maths & Form 1

    Katie joined Belhaven in 2001 and lives in the North Lodge. During her time at Belhaven, she has taught maths throughout the school, as well as junior science, and now teaches Maths to Forms 1 – 3 along with PSHE.

    Her husband, Mike, was Director of Music at Belhaven Hill before working freelance for ABRSM. They have a son, William, who spent 6 very enjoyable years at Belhaven before moving to Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh and is now enjoying life studying at Glasgow University.

    Katie also coordinates the school activities programme. She currently coaches the 1st Netball, U9 Girls' hockey and U11 cricket teams and is a supporter of Hull City Football Club. When she is not teaching, she has recently been relearning the piano, enjoys travelling to new places, reading and completing difficult jigsaw puzzles!

    katiegale@belhavenhill.com

  • Mr William Townshend
    Head of Geography; Head of Sport

    Mr William Townshend

    B.Sc. (Natal), Higher Dip.Ed. (Rhodes)
    Head of Geography
    Director of Sport

    A native South African, William joined Belhaven Hill in 2004. William lives on site in the South Lodge and has three children who, having been through Belhaven, are now at Strathallan. On winter weekends off, William can often be found refereeing or umpiring local rugby or hockey club matches and in the summer, playing cricket for the Borderers CC.

    williamtownshend@belhavenhill.com

  • Mrs Amanda Parks
    Form 5 Class Teacher

    Mrs Amanda Parks

    B.Ed. (King Alfred's)
    FORM 5 Class Teacher
    Librarian

    One of only four Form 5 teachers in Belhaven's history, Mandy arrived in 2003. She and her black Labs have been a welcoming start to many children's time at Belhaven. Mandy loves walking and camping and in 2019 she completed the Pennine Way in aid of the RNIB. Her hobbies include water colour painting and music and she plays the violin in two amateur orchestras in Edinburgh. Mandy is also the school librarian and she regularly organises author visits and book fairs. She is happy to help children with reading and recommend books to them. She has two grown up sons and a grandchild!

    amandaparks@belhavenhill.com

  • Mr Noel Curry
    Head of Classics

    Mr Noel Curry

    M.A. (Hons.), P.G.D.E. (Edinburgh)
    Head of Classics
    (Lions Patrol)

    Noel started at Belhaven in 2008 and during the last twelve years has held a range of positions including Forms 3 and 4 Tutor and Housemaster. He is also Head of Cross-Country and is a keen runner himself. Noel has four children, two of whom are at Belhaven. Noel speaks fluent Swedish, is a keen Leeds United football fan and, having been a brewer professionally before turning to teaching, enjoys brewing and drinking real ale.

    noelcurry@belhavenhill.com

  • Mrs Karen Leitch
    Curriculum & Learning Support Lead

    Mrs Karen Leitch

    BA Business Studies; PGCE
    Curriculum & Learning Support Lead
    English, Maths, French

    Karen joined Belhaven in 2014, having taken a career break to raise her three boys, living for five years in Virginia, USA, during this time. Karen has held a variety of positions at Belhaven, including teaching junior French and Maths. She is now our Curriculum and Learning Support Lead.

    karenleitch@belhavenhill.com

  • Ms Lucy Wimbledon
    Head of Art

    Ms Lucy Wimbledon

    BA Hons (Edinburgh College of Art)
    PCGE Secondary Art & Design (Reading)
    Head of Art

    Lucy started at Belhaven in 2004 and has twins, Rafe and Liv, currently at Belhaven and a younger son Oak. Lucy studied Painting and Drawing at Edinburgh College of Art and then went on to do her teacher training at Reading University. Her interests now are landscape painting, ceramics and printmaking. In her free time Lucy loves sea swimming and yoga. She lives with her three children in Dunbar.

    lucywimbledon@belhavenhill.com

  • Mrs Jane Haddon
    Art, RMPS, DT

    Mrs Jane Haddon

    Joint Hons M.A. Fine Art (Edinburgh)
    PGCE PG Guidance
    Art, RMPS, DT

    Came to Belhaven in January 2011 from St Margaret's School, Edinburgh. She has 2 grown up children.

    janehaddon@belhavenhill.com

  • Mrs Lesley Townshend
    Form 4 Class Teacher

    Mrs Lesley Townshend

    BCom Accountancy & Business Hons (Edinburgh)
    PGCE Secondary (Moray House)
    Form 4 Class Teacher

    Lesley has taken on various teaching roles at Belhaven, starting in 2004, with some time out to have 3 children. Since 2015, she has been a Form 4 form tutor and teacher. Lesley lives on site in the South Lodge. Her 3 children, having been through Belhaven, are now at Strathallan.

    lesleytownshend@belhavenhill.com

  • Mrs Sophie Swift
    Form 4 Class Teacher

    Mrs Sophie Swift

    BSc, PGCE
    Teaching & Boarding Assistant; Sports Coach

    Sophie is very excited to become part of the team in September. As a former student of another Scottish prep school, she remembers visiting Belhaven for cross-country races! She has been teaching for eight years, the last five of which have been at The Banda School in Nairobi. She is going to have to get used to a bit of a chillier climate compared to Kenya! She loves sport, art and camping, and is looking forward to getting stuck in with Belhaven's amazing boarding environment and extracurricular activities!

    sillingworth@belhavenhill.com

  • Mrs Anna McGrath
    Assistant Pastoral Lead, Drama

    Mrs Anna McGrath

    BA Hons, MA, PGCE
    Assistant Pastoral Lead
    Child Protection Co-ordinator
    Drama

    Anna joined Belhaven in 2020 after working both pastorally as a residential tutor and as an academic lead as Director of Drama at Fettes Preparatory School. Prior to this, Anna worked as Head of Drama at Hartland International School in Dubai. Anna trained as an actress at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland before commencing teacher training as part of the Teachfirst programme. Anna is passionate about pastoral care – she led the Girls' Boarding House for 5 years as Housemistress and is now our Assistant Pastoral Lead and Child Protection Co-ordinator.

    annamcgrath@belhavenhill.com

  • Mr Ian Dryburgh
    Head of PE & Sports Coach

    Mr Ian Dryburgh

    BSc (Hons), MSc
    Head of PE, Sports Coach & Junior Science

    Ian joined Belhaven in 2019 andcompleted the Independent School PGCE at the University of Buckingham. An IRB Level 3 rugby coach, Ian coaches the first team at the school.

    iandryburgh@belhavenhill.com

  • Mr Jack White
    Housemaster of Boys' House; Maths

    Mr Jack White

    BSc Hons Economics, PGCE
    Housemaster of Boys' House
    Maths & History

    Jack joined Belhaven in September 2021 from Marlborough College Malaysia, where he was the Assistant Boarding Housemaster and Head of Year 7. Trained as a Secondary Maths teacher whilst working at Barnard Castle School, he made the transition to Prep School teaching and loves the variety that it brings. He is a keen sportsman and outdoor enthusiast and is really enjoying exploring the East Lothian coast with pupils, his wife Vicky and young daughters, Rosie and Grace.

  • Ms Judy Barnard
    Girls' Housemistress; Form 4 Teacher

    Ms Judy Barnard

    B.PrimEd (Rhodes University, Grahamstown)
    Girls' Housemistress
    Form 4 Teacher

    Judy joined Belhaven in September 2025 having moved to the UK in 2023 to follow her daughters as they moved from South Africa. Judy has significant experience in the boarding sector having run the Junior Girls' Boarding at the Diocesan School for Girls in Grahamstown and is looking forward to getting back to the heart of a boarding community! She is a keen runner, a Primary class teacher with a specialism in Art and Design, and is going to be working in support of Form 6 in the mornings before teaching Form 4 in the afternoons.

    judybarnard@belhavenhill.com

  • Mr Jak Purkiss
    Head of English and History

    Mr Jak Purkiss

    MA Hons, PGCE
    English & Humanities

    Jak joined Belhaven in September 2021 and lives in North Lodge. He arrived from London having spent a brief time teaching Key Stage 2 following two years teaching abroad in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a keen sportsman, still playing where possible and particularly enjoys football, cricket and rugby. He is also an avid cyclist and has completed a number of long distance triathlons and running competitions.

  • Mrs Lindsay Grey
    Head of Modern Languages

    Mrs Lindsay Grey

    Head of Modern Languages & Form 3LG

    Lindsay studied French, Spanish and International Relations at the University of St Andrews. Originally from the Highlands, she has spent a lot of time living and working abroad in France, Spain, Mexico and Chile. After university and working abroad, she completed Teach First in the North East of England and has just moved back up to North Berwick after spending four years in London where she was Head of Modern Foreign Languages at an inner-city secondary school. Lindsay is keen sportswoman and loves running, cycling, sea swimming and Munro climbing.

  • Mr David Dawson
    Head of Science

    Mr David Dawson

    BSc, MSc, PGCE
    Head of Science

    David joined us in April 2022 to cover Kay Holliday's maternity leave. During the pandemic he returned to the UK having been Deputy Head (Pastoral), at the new Rugby School Thailand. Until 2017, he was Director of Studies and Housemaster at Fettes College Prep School. He started his career as a land agent managing large private and commercial country estates and property; and as an international manager with Unilever, living in Tanzania and Malaysia. He is married with three adult children.

    ddawson@belhavenhill.com

  • Mrs Emily Brannigan
    Head of STEM

    Mrs Emily Brannigan

    BEng, PGDE

    Head of Computer Science

    Emily grew up in Perthshire and attended Strathallan School where she formed and captained the first girls' football team and was Head of the Marines in the school's Combined Cadet Force. In 2021, she graduated with a first-class honours degree in Product Design Engineering from the University of Strathclyde. She then went on to spend a year gaining experience in schools before starting a PGDE Primary Education course back at Strathclyde. The combination of engineering and teaching blends together in such a unique manner, and she is excited about what the future holds for STEM in primary education. In her down time, Emily enjoys getting out and about in an attempt to tick off more Munros, as well as spending time on her bike and paddleboard. She also enjoys putting her design skills to good use when sewing new products for friends and family to enjoy.

    emilywatt@belhavenhill.com

  • Mrs Hannah-Louise Scott
    Head of Music (Prep School)

    Mrs Hannah-Louise Scott

    BMus + Hons, MMus, PGDE
    Head of Music (Prep School)

    Hannah-Louise joined Belhaven Hill in 2024 as Head of Music for the Prep School. As a keen musician and former pupil of George Heriots School, she went on to study Classical Music at Edinburgh Napier's Ian Tomlin School of Music where she was awarded the Benjamin Hebbert Strings Prize. She consequently travelled to Cardiff (RWCMD) to complete her Masters in Violin Performance, followed by her PGDE at Moray House, Edinburgh University, where she realised her love for working with young people and Music education. Hannah-Louise has taught in secondary schools across Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders, whilst also privately teaching violin and piano. She has assisted in many school orchestras and ensembles, including for the Benedetti Sessions.

    Hannah-Louise plays with a variety of amateur orchestras and ensembles on violin and viola and particularly enjoys improvising with her electric violin on a Sunday with her church's worship band. In her spare time, she enjoys visiting antique and charity shops, spending time with her family, husband and their fluffy Ragdoll cats, Milka and Nougat! Hannah-Louise looks forward to growing and developing the Music Department and Senior Choir – you'll find her in the Music office listening to everything and anything!

    music@belhavenhill.com

  • Mrs Alice Johnstone
    Pre-Prep Lead & Class Teacher

    Mrs Alice Johnstone

    BSc, PGDE
    Pre-Prep Lead & Form 6 Class Teacher

    Alice joined the staff in September 2015 as a junior class teacher. She taught Form 4 for a year then moved to Form 6 where she worked on developing our 6 & 7 year olds. The past 18 months have been an exciting challenge, as we have worked together to create a wonderful Pre-Prep department. This collaboration will help the seamless transition for the children as they move into the Prep school. Alice is joined in Form 6 by her lovely Labrador Cora, who enjoys the attention from the children. Alice was previously a co-director of the junior play and will now be involved with the Pre-prep Nativity play. She is a qualified make-up artist, which has been useful for school productions as well as teaching the children face painting. Alice is a keen skier and netballer and loves going on walks with Cora.

    ajohnstone@belhavenhill.com

  • Miss Leanne Birrell
    Pre-Prep Class Teacher

    Miss Leanne Birrell

    Pre-Prep Class Teacher (Form 7)

    Leanne joined Belhaven Hill in April 2023. After graduating from the University of Dundee, she taught in a small, rural school in Fife for several years. Looking for a new adventure, she made her way to Dulwich College in Shanghai where she spent three years fully immersing herself in the language, culture and traditions. Working in an international setting inspired her to broaden her horizons and begin exploring the world! She has since travelled to almost 50 countries and is always planning her next adventure! She has lived in Dubai for the past three years but is now excited to make her way back to Scotland. When she's not working, you can find her at the beach (come rain or shine), playing netball or padel and catching up with family and friends. She is passionate about photography. She has taught across many year groups, from Early Level/Foundation Stage to Second Level/Key Stage 2. She strives to develop a love of learning in all her students and set high expectations for herself and her class.

    lbirrell@belhavenhill.com

  • Mrs Rachel Gibson
    Pre-Prep Class Teacher

    Mrs Rachel Gibson

    BA (Hons), MScTLT
    Pre-Prep Class Teacher (Form 8)

    Rachel has recently moved to Dunbar and loves the community feel of the town. She is looking forward to working at Belhaven (from Sept 2022) with its close-knit community and extensive opportunities for play-based and outdoor learning. After completing her Masters degree, Rachel took a teaching post in Edinburgh where she was awarded the Probationer of the Year Award for her teaching and learning. In her spare time, Rachel is now working towards a Doctorate which focusses on social justice and pupil voice - areas of education about which Rachel is passionate.

    rgibson@belhavenhill.com

  • Mrs Rebecca Macdonald
    Pre-Prep Teaching Assistant

    Mrs Rebecca Macdonald

    Pre-Prep Teaching Assistant

    Becky joined Belhaven in September 2021. She is originally from the Highlands of Scotland but moved to Edinburgh to complete her first degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. She later went on to study Early Years Education and gained experience working as a Teaching Assistant in an international school in Italy. Becky loves running, beach walks and coffee stops, so thinks that East Lothian is where she is meant to be!

    rebeccamacdonald@belhavenhill.com

  • Miss Marian Lloyd
    Head of Music (Pre-Prep)

    Miss Marian Lloyd

    MA (Hons), PGDE
    Suzuki Violin Levels 1-3
    Pre-Prep Music Lead


    Marian started teaching violin in 2005 working privately, as well as for Highland Council, Midlothian Council, and Cargilfield Prep School. Marian qualified as a Primary classroom teacher in 2011 but decided to focus on instrumental teaching after missing it too much. Marian spent 3 years training as a violin teacher with the Suzuki method and loves the depth of knowledge this training provides. Marian started at Belhaven in 2022 as a strings VMT and, having worked in the Pre-Prep since it launched in April 2022, she is now the Music Lead for Forms 8-6. When not listening to Brahms string quartets at maximum volume, Marian can be found in the garden training her sweet peas, dead-heading roses, and talking to her chickens.

Learning Support

Learning Support (ID 1054)

 

Non-Teaching Staff

Non-Teaching Staff (ID 1048)

Key Contacts

POST NAME EMAIL

Chair of Governors

Mrs Camilla Gray Muir 

 chairofgovernors@belhavenhill.com
Headmaster

Mr Olly Langton 

 ollylangton@belhavenhill.com

Headmaster's Wife

Mrs Rosie Langton

 rosielangton@belhavenhill.com

Deputy Head Academic

Mr John Marriott 

 johnmarriott@belhavenhill.com

Deputy Head Pastoral / Child Protection Co-ordinator 

Mrs Katie Gale 

 katiegale@belhavenhill.com
Bursar Mrs Isabella Bennett bursar@belhavenhill.com

Admissions’ Registrar and Development Officer

Mrs Olivia Reynolds 

 admissions@belhavenhill.com

School Nurse 

Mrs Angela Brennan

 nurse@belhavenhill.com

Housemaster of Boys’ House

 Mr Jack White jwhite@belhavenhill.com

Housemistress of Girls’ House

Ms Judy Barnard

 judybarnard@belhavenhill.com

Head of Learning Support

Mrs Karen Leitch 

 karenleitch@belhavenhill.com

School Secretary

 Mrs Nicola Brunton
Mrs Tricia Mulroy		 secretary@belhavenhill.com

 

The Governors

The Governors of the School are its trustees for the purposes of charity law and its directors for the purposes of company law.

Governors are identified and appointed by the Board of Governors, which aims to achieve a balance of skills and experience appropriate to the running of the School: in particular educational, financial, commercial, parent representative, property and marketing.

Governors serve for three years after which period they may be elected for a further three-year term, except for the Chair and Convenors of any committee set up by the Board, who remain eligible for immediate re-election on retiring while in office or within three years after.

The Governors meet at least three times a year and consider the strategic planning for the School, oversee the running of the School and receive regular formal reports from the Headmaster and others (as appropriate) to ensure the School is running effectively.

There are three permanent Committees of the Board; the Finance Committee, the Charity & Governance Committee and the Education & Welfare Committee.  Each of the three permanent Committees reports to every Board meeting and meets at least three times a year.  In addition, the Charity & Governance Committee has delegated powers to form a Nominations Committee (to oversee appointments of senior staff) and a Bursarial Awards Committee (to oversee the making of annual Bursarial Awards on behalf of the School.)  There is also a Marketing Committee and a Health & Safety Committee, each comprising Governors with relevant expertise who report to, and act under, the direction of the full Board of Governors.

The position of Governor is entirely voluntary and is unpaid.

Mrs Amanda Swanson - Chair of Governors; Finance Committee

Amanda was brought up in Ayrshire and educated at Wellington School in Ayr. She has a BSc (Soc Sci) in Business Studies and French from Edinburgh University. She began her career in investment management in Ivory & Sime in Edinburgh as a graduate trainee, and subsequently worked for Walter Scott and Partners in Edinburgh, Morgan Stanley in London and New York, and Kempen Capital Management UK Ltd before leaving in March 2000 to start Euronova Asset Management UK LLP in which she is the Managing Partner. She was a Governor of Loretto School Musselburgh, from 2006-2016, and was Chair of Finance and Vice Chair of the Governors. She lives in East Lothian and is married with three grown-up sons, two of whom were educated at Belhaven.

Mrs Sophy Campbell – Chair of the Safeguarding Committee; Education & Welfare 

Educated at Downe House, Sophy has a BSc in Biological Sciences from Edinburgh University, (incorporating two years studying medicine at Guy’s & St Thomas’s in London.) Following graduation she spent eleven years teaching science and maths at Hill House School in London. She was a member of the Senior Management Team at the School and had responsibility for a large year group. Subsequently she has held a number of voluntary positions, including chairing the management group for The Gate, (a pregnancy crisis centre in Westminster), sitting on the PTA at Broomwood School in London and more recently helping with riding therapy at Muirfield RDA. She was Chair of the Belhaven PTFA for four years before joining the Board of Governors in July 2022. Sophy is married, lives in East Lothian and has two children who were pupils at Belhaven.

Mr Charles Ross-Stewart – Charity & Governance Committee; Finance

Charles was educated at Belhaven and Winchester and has an LLB Hons from Edinburgh University. Charles qualified as a solicitor in Scotland and then went on to work and re-qualify as a solicitor in England before moving to work in Legal & Compliance roles in the banking industry in London for over 20 years. He retired from full-time employment and returned to live in Edinburgh in 2019. He now focusses on part time risk management consulting and charitable work. He is married with two grown-up children.

Mr William Gunson – Chair of Education & Welfare Committee, Safeguarding Committee

William was born in New Zealand and educated at King’s College in Auckland, and Auckland University. After a legal career in New Zealand, he and his wife moved to Paris to teach at the Sorbonne, then to the UK, where he read for an MPhil at Oxford. He taught French and Classics at Charterhouse, before moving to teach at Oundle School. While at Oundle, he taught Modern Languages, was Housemaster of Laundimer, served as Lay Chaplain, and co-founded the Trivium/Quadrivium programme. In 2023, he moved to Radley College, where he is now one of the College Chaplains, teaches French, and coaches Cricket and Hockey, alongside holding an RAF commission with the CCF.

Mr Tom Trotter - Chair of the Belhaven Centenary Campaign

After attending Belhaven, Tom went to Oundle School and then obtained a BSc Hons in International Agriculture, Land and Business Management from the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester.  Tom began his career as a recruitment consultant for financial services firms before joining Bedlam Asset Management in 2004. In 2008 he joined Kepler Partners LLP at its launch, establishing a business focused on the Alternative Investment Market. He is Senior Partner, a Board Member and Chief of Staff.  Tom is married and his children are pupils at Belhaven.  He also manages a small working farm in the Scottish Borders.

Mr Hew Bruce-Gardyne – Chair of the Finance Committee

Hew was educated at Belhaven and Winchester College, before reading Engineering at Oxford University. He cut his teeth in London as a Strategy Consultant before moving back to Edinburgh and into the IT world 20 years ago.  He was the CTO of Registers of Scotland, a department within the Scottish government that maintains records related to land, property and other legal documents, and is now Co-Founder and Head of Business Intelligence at TVSquared, a “big data” company focussing on TV Advertising. He was previously a Governor of George Heriot’s School in Edinburgh. He is married to Lucinda, creator of 'Genius Gluten Free', and they live in Edinburgh with their three  teenage sons.


Mr Ed Harvey-Jamieson – Charity & Governance Committee

Ed was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and has an MA in Modern Languages from the University of St Andrews.  He has an MBA from the University of Edinburgh and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland and the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment.  From 2008 to 2022, he worked as a private banker for Adam & Co in 2013 in various roles, becoming Executive Director and COO.  Taking a break from banking, Ed served as Interim Bursar and Estate Manager at Belhaven for six months in 2022, before joining Barclays Bank in 2023.  He now leads the Barclays Wealth Management and Investment business in the East of Scotland.  Ed is a Director of Woven Whisky, which he co-founded in May 2021.  He is married and lives in Edinburgh with his family. 

Mr Cameron Wyllie – Education & Welfare Committee

After attending George Heriot’s School, Edinburgh, Cameron followed his Masters in English Language and Literature at the University of Edinburgh with a distinguished career in education.  He holds a PGCE with Distinction from Moray House and a Dip. Ed from Edinburgh University. He  began his teaching career at Daniel Stewart’s in 1980 and was appointed Principal Teacher of Guidance there in 1989.  He returned to George Heriot’s School as a Head of English in 1991 and retired in 2017, having held both academic and pastoral roles and ultimately become Principal.  During his 27 years at Heriots, Cameron wrote two children’s musicals for the Drama department and was responsible for leading the School’s debating activities.  Teams from Heriot’s were UK Champions on four occasions. He was the Scottish Schools’ Debating Coach in the 1990s and served as an international judge in schools’ competitions thereafter.  Since retiring from teaching he has written on education for the Scotsman and other publications, has a blog and has published his memoirs.  He has served on the Education Committee of the Royal Blind School and as a trustee of the David Hume Institute and the English-Speaking Union (Scotland).  He lives in Portobello with his civil partner.

Mr Colin Wright – Property Convenor and Governor on the Health & Safety Committee

Colin was born in Dubai, UAE.  He holds a BA Hons in Architecture from Hull University, an Institute of Value Management Certification and Institute of Risk Managers Certification and FSA Compliance and Anti Money Laundering Certification.  He has pursued a career in property, focused on strategy and development of projects in the UK and the Middle East. Between 2004 and 2006 he worked for Mace International, seconded to Majid Al Futtaim Developments, for whom, as Development Manager he worked on delivering the Mall of the Emirates and Ski Dubai.  From 2006 to 2008, Colin worked as General Manager of Kenmore Property Group developing and implementing their strategy in the Middle East.  Between 2009 and 2011 he established the first regulated Islamic Real Estate Investment Trust.  Following this he became Chief Operating Officer and later Chief Investment Officer of Select Group, overseeing numerous significant acquisitions before joining Macintyre Group in 2016.  He is joint shareholder of this Dubai-based Asset Management company which manages and develops real estate in the UAE.  In his free time, Colin enjoys climbing, conquering a number of the world’s highest peaks.  He is married with two children, both educated at Belhaven.

Hon Hamish Baillie – Finance Committee, Chair of Belhaven Investment Committee

Hamish was educated at Glenalmond and Trinity College, Dublin.  He worked for Ruffer LLP from 2002, before leaving to pursue other interests in 2022.  He was made a partner of Ruffer LLP in 2006, the youngest in the firm’s history,  was a member of the UK Wealth Leadership & Strategy team and founded and managed their Edinburgh office.  From 2011 to 2022, Hamish was Lead Manager of Ruffer Investment Company Ltd, which was Ruffer’s flagship investment vehicle.  Under his leadership its value rose to over £1 billion.  From 2009 to 2020, he was a Board Director of Ruffer (Channel Islands) Limited.  In 2022, Hamish joined the Board of Mid Wynd International Investment Trust as a Non-Executive Director and in 2023, he took on a Non-Executive Director’s role in the Biotech Growth Trust.  From 2011 he has been a Trustee and the Head of the Investment Committee of Thirlestane Castle Trust.  Interested in ecology and conservation, Hamish is a fluent French-speaker and plays the bagpipes.  He is married to Christelle, who chairs Belhaven’s PTFA.  The family lives in East Lothian and their children are pupils at Belhaven.

Mrs Emma Greville Williams – Chair of Charity & Governance Committee

Emma was brought up in Edinburgh and educated at St Leonard’s in St Andrews.  She has an MA in Jurisprudence from St Hugh’s College, Oxford and qualified as an English solicitor over 30 years ago.  Since then, Emma has practiced as a corporate lawyer in the City and in Edinburgh, latterly in knowledge management/training roles.  She taught on the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice at the University of Edinburgh for over 10 years and between 2015 and 2019 had a full-time academic post in the University of Edinburgh Law School, running the Diploma, managing the tutor team and being a personal tutor to students.  Emma currently works part-time as a Practice Development Lawyer for the Corporate team at Brodies LLP in Edinburgh.  She is a Trustee of the Lamp of Lothian charity.  Emma lives in Midlothian and has three grown up children, all of whom were pupils at Belhaven.

Mr William Goldsmith - Education & Welfare Committee

William Goldsmith has a career spanning almost twenty years in boarding education and leadership. He has a degree from Durham University, teaching qualification from Reading and a Masters in Education from the University of Oxford. Now in his third headship, he is currently Head of Packwood School, Shropshire. Prior to this role, William was Head of St George’s School, Windsor Castle and St Leonards Junior School, Fife. He has also taught at Ludgrove School and Highfield Prep, Hampshire. He has a background in emotional learning and mental health, as a qualified mental health instructor. His professional interests include curriculum development, character education and outdoor learning. William is a board member of IAPS, ISEB, and, in 2027 will be the Chair of the Boarding Schools Association. He is a founding fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and Royal Society of the Arts. William is married to Catherine, originally from Edinburgh, and they have a house in St Andrews

Mrs Nicky Hawkins - Chair of the Marketing Committee

Nicky was educated at Epsom College and The University of Dundee. She has a career spanning nearly 30 years in communications and marketing for a diverse range of clients. Before setting up her own marketing consultancy, Nicky was Managing Director Scotland for Trimedia International (now Grayling). For five years she lectured on the Communications Degree at Edinburgh Napier University. Nicky currently works as Head of Marketing in a high-growth business leading the strategy to build the brand, generate leads and drive revenue through the development and execution of omnichannel marketing campaigns. Nicky is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the Chartered Institute of Fundraising. Nicky lives in East Lothian and has two sons, one of which was a pupil at Belhaven.

Iain Smith - Education & Welfare

 

Governing Documents

Belhaven Hill School Trust Limited is a company limited by guarantee and a registered Scottish charity governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association (Charity number: SC007118; company number: SC041034).

As a charity, the School is subject to review by the Office of the Scottish Charities Regulator (OSCR), to ensure that it meets the relevant charity tests and continues to deliver public benefit. This is a rolling process, and the School was last (successfully) reviewed in 2013.

Contact

While the Headmaster is the most appropriate initial contact for most issues or queries, the Chair of Governors can always be contacted through the school office, by post, at the address below

The Chair of Governors,
Belhaven Hill School,
Belhaven Road,
Dunbar,
East Lothian EH42 1NN,
Scotland

or by email:

chairofgovernors@belhavenhill.com

 

 

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