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Common Room
TEACHING STAFF ARRIVALS, AUGUST 2021 – JULY 2022
During the period covered by this magazine, August 2021 – July 2022, we have been pleased to welcome the following as new members of the teaching staff at Merchiston, all of whom have quickly become valued members of our community:
EWEN DOBBIN: August 2021 - Teacher of Physics JOHN BUTTERFIELD: August 2021 - Teacher of Mathematics PETER GOLDEN: January 2022 - Teacher of Economics KIRSTY WHITTLE: February 2022 - Primary Classroom Teacher
During the period covered by this magazine, August 2021 – July 2022, we have been sorry to bid farewell to the following members of staff, thank them whole-heartedly for the important contribution which they have made to Merchiston life, and wish them every happiness in the future:
WILL DONKIN
When Will arrived at Merchiston in August 2018, he came from working in an international school in Singapore. I was not entirely joking when I said later that good Economics teachers are hard to find, and that we had to go to the far side of Asia to find one as good as Will! He came as the second teacher in the Economics Department, but after a year he joined the Faculty of History & PPE when Economics joined forces with History and Politics. Will was always selfless in his support for the move to a faculty structure, and he was always keen to find ways in which our subjects could work together fruitfully. He taught some junior History, but was also instrumental in pioneering the new BTEC subject of Entrepreneurship, becoming Lead Teacher of Economics and Entrepreneurship in his final year at Merchiston. He was Assistant Housemaster in Laidlaw North, first by himself and then with the support of Helen, his wife, and also a coach of many sports throughout the School. He left to take up a post in Hilton College, South Africa, his homeland, and we wish him all the best as he moves on to this new challenge.
FRASER NEWHAM
Fraser joined us in September 2013 as a teacher of History and Politics. He immediately distinguished himself as a person of voracious academic curiosity, as well as a highly gifted classroom teacher. His background teaching in China brought an Asian perspective that the department had previously been lacking, and Fraser was able to broaden our horizons on the Pacific sphere of A Level Politics, in addition to teaching the subject of Chinese Culture to our Second Formers. It was thanks to Fraser that we piloted teaching Global Politics at A Level, a subject that he championed and imbedded into the School. It became enormously popular with our boys and it now seems unthinkable that we did not offer it before his arrival. He also brought enthusiasm and expertise to teaching the American Revolution in A Level History, something that can be seen by any visitor from the flags that festooned his classroom. He moved on to become Assistant Head Academic in September 2017 and brought to the role a deeply enquiring mind as well as a lively curiosity. He also pioneered the Cecil Stagg Society for our more able students and Oxbridge applicants, and his were the brains
behind the decision for History and Politics to join forces to form the Faculty of History & PPE. His heart for Asia and his unquenchable desire for a new challenge led him to take up the role of Deputy Head Academic at Harrow International School Appi, Japan. We will miss his dry humour, his ability to cut to the heart of an issue and his unique insights into what makes Merchiston work so successfully.
Simon Thompson, Faculty Head of History & PPE
NATHAN LUNDY
Nathan Lundy left Merchiston at the end of the Summer Term for a new challenge, after being a part of the School community for fourteen years.
Nathan joined Merchiston in 2008, moving from the Northumberland Tennis Club, where he was assistant professional. During his time here, his contribution to our Tennis Academy programme has been immeasurable, from its very beginnings, working alongside Richard Charman, to overseeing its rise to become the Number 1 school in both British and World tennis. As Head Coach, Nathan has masterminded the development of many of our brightest tennis prospects as they move through the School tennis programme and transition onto the US and ATP tour pathways: players such as Jacob Fearnley and Johannus Monday are just two examples of players who have benefitted from his support, time and wisdom. It is clear, therefore, that we will all miss Nathan’s wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise from our School community.
We wish Nathan, his wife, Colette, and daughter, Olivia, all the very best for the next chapter in their lives.
Simon Pender, Tennis Academy Director
SHARON TWYFORD
Sharon joined our Merchiston community in 2002, as a fulltime teacher of Physics, after an extensive programme of study and career as an engineer. She completed a Ph.D in Experimental Physics at the University of Glasgow, and went on to work as a Project Engineer for Mitsui Babcock. In 2006, after four years at Merchiston, she gained the promoted post of Junior Curriculum Co-ordinator, and had the responsibility for liaising between Pringle and our senior academic departments to ensure academic continuity between the significant transition years. It was then that she introduced InCAS testing to junior year groups, which is still in place sixteen years on. Sharon went on maternity leave in 2007, to have her daughter, and returned in 2008 as a part-time teacher of Physics.
Over her twenty years at Merchiston, Sharon has been involved in many aspects of our community, including teaching, tutoring, and our activity programme. As a teacher, she has been greatly involved in designing the Junior Science curriculum, delivering revision clinics and extension classes, preparing students for the British Physics Olympiad, introducing the CfE Higher Physics course, implementing long-term science fair projects and leading academic scholarship tutorials, along with many other projects. She has also been our Support for Learning departmental link, has been a member of the Scholarship and Awards Committee, and has been part of our Science outreach initiative. She has had many years of great memories when accompanying A Level Physics students on educational and cultural trips to CERN. In a different capacity, she has been an academic tutor for both the Sixth Form and Junior years. Sharon has also contributed strongly to our activity programme, including being the instructor to the Junior boys for Scottish country dancing, taking the Science Club for many years, and taking Senior boys to squash and tennis.
Sharon’s contributions to the Merchiston community have been endless. She has been dedicated throughout her time here and is someone who you will always find evaluating and improving areas of her work, even when she has perfected it countless times before! She leaves us after two decades at Merchiston as she moves on to continue her career as a Physics teacher at St George’s. She will be missed by our community but we wish her all the best in the next stage of her career and look forward to seeing her at our joint School events in the future.
Hannah Williams, Faculty Head of Science
JOHN BUTTERFIELD
John Butterfield joined the Maths Department in 2021 with a variety of educational experience, having taught at Highgate School, The Perse Cambridge, Manchester Grammar School and George Watson's College. Although part time, he settled comfortably into the rhythm of School life, and brought a wealth of experience in teaching both the GCSE and A Level courses. He has proved to be a very popular teacher, whose lively lessons and real-world applications of the material keep boys engaged; his expertise was particularly appreciated by the UVI Further Maths students, to whom he taught the Mechanics course. John’s enthusiasm for Mathematics is evident to all pupils he teaches and his lessons are full of challenge, balanced with warmth and encouragement.
Alongside School, John is the first Merchiston Maths teacher to run a successful hospitality business; he claims this was started by accident, but it has grown to comprise three restaurants, with a hotel to be added shortly. Indeed, it is this commitment that has gradually reduced his teaching time over the past years, but it is evident that he finds the parallel experiences of business and teaching enriching for both his pupils and himself. We hope that John will be able to contribute to some Maths teaching with us at some point in the future but, in the meantime, we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.
Hannah Williams, Faculty Head of Science
PETER KILN
Peter Kiln joined us as a primary classroom teacher in October 2019 from London, moving up with his wife, Kirsty. Initially, he was resident on campus, but prior to the birth of their baby in February of this year, the couple moved into town. On his arrival at Merchiston, he was immediately thrown in at the deep end as we entered a prolonged period of distance learning, but his students responded to his informative lessons and clear love of Maths, History and Philosophy. Once back in the classroom, it was clear that Peter was an excellent classroom practitioner, meticulously planning lessons and teaching topics in an enormous amount of detail. One student described him as ‘the teacher who knows everything’. Another, asked to describe him in three words, said that he was ‘energetic, interesting and factual’. Outside the classroom, subjects were brought to life with trips to the Colinton Tunnel Mural, Lindisfarne and the Robert Louis Stevenson themed poetry walk. One of the boys’ favourite memories was of him dressed as Tintin on World Book Day. In other areas of the School, Peter helped with tennis, squash, football and cricket.
Alexandra Torrance, Pringle Centre Lead
INTERVIEW WITH MR DANNY ROWLANDS, DEPUTY HEAD WELLBEING
After a number of years as Housemaster of Laidlaw North, in September 2021, Mr Danny Rowlands took up the position of Deputy Head Wellbeing. Ptolemy R, Lower Sixth Former, interviews him about his new responsibilities at Merchiston.
Please can you talk a little about your career background and why you decided to work in the education sector? Coming from a long family tradition of teaching, I was initially determined to stay away from schools at all costs! After university, I therefore spent a few years as a Police Officer in Lothian and Borders Police before the educational vocation seemed to catch up with me (as many people had warned me it would!). I then went into teaching at the King’s School, Canterbury, spending five very happy years in Kent and gaining my teaching qualification along with a broad range of experience before the opportunity arose to come back north and join Merchiston.
What decided you to work at Merchiston, and in what capacity did you originally join the School? As a climber and a lover of hills and the outdoors, and as a Cumbrian lad originally, I was always keen to move back north. Though not generally a city dweller, I have also always loved Edinburgh. The chance to move to Merchiston, with its wonderful location, sense of community and sporting prowess appealed hugely. I was also at a stage in my career when I wanted to become a Housemaster, and so the whole package was a perfect fit.
What has been the highpoint of your time at Merchiston so far? The highpoint, for me, is always the end of the Summer Term. It probably sounds a little tongue-in-cheek to say that the highlight is seeing the UVI leave the School, but in a strange way it is, because that is often the time when the pupils truly realise what Merchiston has given them and what they have achieved here. The true meaning of this place dawns on many of the Leavers at that stage and it is a special moment.
What motivates you in your work at Merchiston? Helping people. It really is that simple. There are always less desirable aspects to any job and, for me, that is the paperwork, but I always just have to remember that the crux of my role is to help people, whether academically or personally, and that is hugely rewarding.
Why did you decide to move into housemastering and what did you find to be the rewards of working as Housemaster of Laidlaw North? In my time in Canterbury, I had always enjoyed the pastoral side of my role above all others. I also grew up as a Housemaster’s son and so, in that sense, I am a bit of a ‘chip off the old block’.
The rewards of the role are huge, but above all it is a huge honour to be – hopefully - such an influential part of pupils’ lives. To see them in a completely different environment from the classroom or sports field allows a far fuller understanding of who they truly are and that is both a privilege and an opportunity.
What are the key skills needed in your new position as Deputy Head Wellbeing, and how did your work as a Housemaster prepare you for taking on this new role? The three Ps: Patience, Perspective and Perseverance.
Patience is certainly the single most important quality as the role comes with so many different strands and demands, some of which sometimes come into conflict. Housemastering was the perfect preparation for this - the demands are different, but they are just as varied. Please can you talk a little about what you see as the most significant challenges and rewards in your work as Deputy Head Wellbeing? The two are one and the same, as meeting a challenge is its own reward. The single biggest difference between housemastering and my new role is the increased need to work with larger groups of staff, rather than just pupils. Being able to help to shape and direct people’s careers, as well as trying to ensure that the conditions are right to get the very best out of all members of staff, is hugely rewarding.
Have you had to develop new skills and qualities in your new role at Merchiston? A thicker skin! In any management role, it quickly becomes apparent that you cannot please all of the people all of the time and, as someone who naturally wants to do so, this has been a challenge!
Do you find it is possible to maintain personal co-curricular interests alongside the demands of your new work, and what interests do you wish to pursue? It is sometimes difficult, particularly in term-time, but even just a short run in the Pentland Hills can be incredibly revitalizing. When I have a little more time, I love to go climbing, mountain biking or kayaking. Exploring some of the islands in the Firth of Forth in my sea kayak has been great fun over the last couple of years and it is one of the few places locally where I truly feel that I can ‘get away’ for a few hours.
What are your goals in your work as Deputy Head Wellbeing? To help to steer the School through the rapidly changing world of wellbeing, from Covid recovery to mental health and online safety. But my biggest goal is what we call, at Merchiston, the “universal promotion of wellbeing”. I don’t want to just be reacting to problems and wellbeing ‘issues’ - I want Merchiston to be somewhere where the 12 Happiness Habits are completely embedded and where pupils are given maximum opportunity to be truly happy.
What aspect of your work have you enjoyed the most over the past academic year? When you are new in a role, everything has a certain interest and excitement and so I can honestly say that I have enjoyed it all. As I gain further experience, I have no doubt that the most rewarding part of my job will continue to be the contact with the pupils.
Thank you, Mr Rowlands
