Staff News

Strathallan Staff News

We say farewell to...

Sheldon Drover

Sheldon Drover spent the last seven years being quite literally the big man of the common room. This towering Canadian bought energy, verve and professionalism to the Maths department and, in his guise as Head of Strathallan’s Duke of Edinburgh programme, far beyond it too. Sheldon threw himself into the life of a Scottish boarding school, cutting a dash in a kilt and dusting off the pipes for good measure. He was as supportive of his friends and colleagues as he was of his pupils. The school as a whole will miss his authority, his professionalism, his sense of fun, his absolute sense of fairness and most of all, his contagious philosophy that life is for living. It is that very philosophy which has taken Sheldon, Francesca and their girls to Vietnam on a whole new adventure. We wish them well and can’t wait to see what they get up to.

Rachel Quigley

Rachel was with us for only a year but she certainly made her mark in that time. She bought innovative fun to the Maths department, was a sympathetic and empathetic resident tutor in Thornbank and was an energetic member of the CCF staff. She managed to keep a huge variety of activities going during lockdown but ultimately, the lure of family and friends in the restricted times of the pandemic proved too great for Rachel. We are grateful for everything she offered us and wish her every success as she moves on.

Niall Dickens

Niall Dickens, who spent this year in the PE department and as a Freeland tutor, made a number of important contributions to Strathallan. As husband to a Strathallian he knew exactly what to expect when he and his family returned to the UK to live and work. His wife might not have expected to bump into Mrs Barnes, her former house matron, at the primary school gates but that’s part of the joys of longevity at the school. As a father he must have revelled in the praise lavished on his son Raghallaigh who made such an impression in Riley house. In the senior school he quickly gained the wholehearted approval of those in both the PE department and Freeland, most notably he became one of those chosen as a portrait subject by talented A level art student Muna. Niall’s time with us might have been brief, but it was special in all sorts of ways.

Jed Case

As a newly qualified teacher, Jed threw himself into the wider life of the school; as resident tutor in Ruthven for a year and as a cricket coach as well as all the DT department has to offer, his time with us was certainly busy. This year, with a growing young family, Jed made the decision to move back to Edinburgh and we wish him all the very best as he pursues his career from this new base.

Olivia Streatfeild-James

Olivia, as her name attests, is part of a Strathallan dynasty who for the past few years has worked alongside her mother in the Support for Learning department. She has bought patience and clarity to many pupils who have appreciated her calm demeanour and attention to individual learning styles. Outside of the classroom Olivia contributed widely to everything equestrian at Strathallan as well as lending her artistic talents to theatre wardrobe. After a few years back at her alma mater in a professional capacity, Olivia has moved on to concentrate more fully on her art and her horses. You can find out more about this on her etsy shop — https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/OliviaSJArtist

...and meet our new staff

Kathryn Haddick

Having left the University of St Andrews in 2017, I have since spent my time working as an outdoor instructor on the beach and also as a Geography teacher in Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen. Until now, I hadn’t experienced life in a boarding school and so wasn’t sure what to expect. Yet since moving I have been overwhelmed by the friendliness and kindness of the staff and pupils -with a particular shout out going to the Glenbrae girls for always keeping me right! Throughout the year there have been too many memorable moments to mention. However the highlight of my year has to be the growing Glenbrae House spirit. When they come out with all their banners in support of each other at Inter-house events, they are a force to be reckoned with and it is such a privilege to be part of that. I love anything to do with water sports in the school whether that is kayaking, surfing or paddle boarding and I hope to try and get a surf club up and running next year.

Jessie Ling

I recently graduated from the University of Glasgow and had gone back to my old High school to teach for my probationary year. When the opportunity to teach at Strathallan came up I was extremely excited as I had previously enjoyed working at schools in similar settings. I have thoroughly enjoyed all my experiences in my first year at Strathallan.

Each term has brought its own challenges.

Fittingly my introduction to my first term at Strathallan was quite memorable, given the 3rd form trip to Lagganlia. From jumping into rivers and being pulled to safety by the head of Woodlands house was a pretty good indication of what I could expect from the rest of the year. Spring term was a flurry of exam preparation and coursework deadlines and that took us to the summer term and Strath Worldwide. It has been lovely to see the pupils adapt to the “new normal” and members of staff helping each other out to tackle this enormous challenge. I can’t wait to see where the next year takes us, and what new experiences will come from my new role as a resident tutor.

Rhona Mackinnon

I taught at Perth Grammar School for the last 13 years and have also worked with the SQA Graphic Communication team since 2014. I have two girls aged 8 and 4 and while a busy working a family life keeps me pretty well fully occupied, when I do have any spare time I enjoy horse riding, cycling, going for walks, holidaying and skiing (though there is some room for improvement here.) I joined the DT department midyear and so hit the ground running. Craig, Jessie and Graham, my fellow members of the department, have been great — very supportive as I learn all the Strathallan ways. More importantly, the pupils have been welcoming, friendly and enthusiastic — just what you want as a teacher. In my pastoral role, I spent the first term as a tutor in Ruthven and have now moved to be with the girls in Woodlands. Tutoring in a boarding school is new to me but it’s a role I am enjoying. The whole of my fist year has been fast, full on and fun. I can’t wait to see what the next year brings.

Jim Thompson

After university, I played professional rugby for Edinburgh and London Scottish. After retiring due to injury, I joined King’s Ely School in Cambridgeshire in 2015 as head of rugby and athletics. A few years later, I became director of sport before joining Strathallan in the summer term of 2020. Even though it has been a strange time to start a new job, my first impression of Strathallan is a very positive one. Even though we have not had any pupils in school, it is clear how well supported the pupils are and the wide range of opportunities available to them. Next year, I hope we get back to as normal as we can in regards to sport. That may take a while, but we have to use the time effectively so that when we do get back to ‘normal’, we are ready to kick on and enjoy beating our local rivals again! I will look forward to meeting all our pupils and parents when we return, and I wish all our leavers the very best for future endeavours.

Sarah Tennant

I have 13 years’ experience of teaching Geography and I have worked in schools across Scotland. I am dual qualified in Modern Studies and look forward to highlighting the cross-curricular links that Geography has with many subjects. It has been an interesting time to join Strathallan. I didn’t expect it to be from my kitchen table! I have been made to feel very much part of the team and the Strath family by the support, encouragement, Team phone calls and friendship shown to me by the teaching staff. I have also been welcomed warmly into Thornbank House by Mr Kent and my fellow tutors as well as our wonderful girls. I am hoping that the next academic year holds the chance to get to know the pupils and staff in person. I’m looking forward to the educational challenges and the opportunity to push and challenge my pupils; my own learning and to develop even further as a teacher. The chance to be involved with extra-curricular and a wide range of sports is also very exciting as I’m a sporty person who loves her running, climbing and rugby. I can’t wait to get stuck in.

Rhett Halkett

Hockey coach Rhett joined us this year, with his wife Sarah taking on an administrative role within the school. He made a huge impression; his status within the world of men’s hockey a very welcome addition to an already strong area of the school’s sporting provision. Rhett and Sarah also took up a prominent place within Ruthven house as Rhett took on the role of resident tutor. It’s fair to say that his presence here was a major factor in seeing the house cope so magnificently with the tumultuous events of the year. After a very busy year, Rhett has taken a year out to be assistant coach to the national Dutch Ladies Team during the course of their Olympic campaign: an opportunity clearly testament to his status within his sport. We look forward to his return.