Experts

Expert online advice for parents from the MyDaughter panel of experts.

Experts

The MyDaughter team of experts comprises heads and senior staff of independent girls schools as well as specialists in fields such as nutrition, psychology, health education and business. All our contributors have a unique insight into raising and educating girls.

Ann Aughwane

Position: Headmistress

School: Burgess Hill School for Girls

Qualifications: BSc (Joint Hons) Mathematics and Education, Loughborough University, Cert Ed, NPQH

Naomi Bartholomew

Position: Headmistress

School: St Catherine’s Preparatory School, Bramley

Qualifications: MA (Hons) Education and International Development, University of London

Jill Berry

Position: MyDaughter consultant

School: Former Head of Dame Alice Harpur School

Qualifications: BA(Manchester) ; MEd (Liverpool)

Nicola Botterill

Position: Headmistress

School: Bruton School for Girls

Qualifications: BSc (Hons), MA, PGCE, NPQH, FRGS, FRSA

Julia Burns

Position: Headmistress

School: Leicester High School

Qualifications: BA (Hons) History, Southampton, PGCE Birmingham

Jill Cochrane

Position: Deputy Head and Head of Pre-Prep

School: St Catherine’s, Bramley

Qualifications: BEd (ord), Leicester University, CertEd, Leicester University, PGCPSE, Open University

Del Cooke

Position: Head

School: Sir William Perkins's School

Qualifications: BSc (Hons) Mathematics, Bristol; PGCE, Nottingham; MBA, Leicester; NPQH

Stephen Crump

Position: Headmaster

School: Hethersett Old Hall School

Qualifications: BA(Hons); MA; PGCE; Diploma in School Marketing

Sarah Dixon

Position: Headmistress

School: Northampton High School GDST

Qualifications: BA (Hons) English and European Literature; PGCE; University of Warwick

Rebecca Dougall

Position: Head

School: The Royal High School Bath GDST

Qualifications: BA (Hons) English, University of Bristol, MA, King's College London, GTP via University of Reading

Jo Ebner

Position: MyDaughter Consultant

School: Thomas’s Kensington

Qualifications: Bed (Cantab), MA (Lon), PGDip (Couns), Cert FT, NPQH

Diana Esland

Position: Head of English

School: The Mary Erskine School, Edinburgh

Qualifications: BA (Hons) English, PGCE

Mike Farmer

Position: Headmaster

School: St Teresa's

Qualifications: BA (Hons), PGCE

Hilary French

Position: Headmistress

School: Central Newcastle High School

Qualifications: MA Oxon MEd PGCE NPQH

Jane Gandee

Position: Headmistress

School: St Swithun’s School, Winchester

Qualifications: MA Cantab PGCE Open

Bobby Georghiou

Position: Headmistress

School: Bury Grammar School Girls

Qualifications: BA (Hons) English Language and English Literature, PGCE English and Drama, MEd, Liverpool, ATCL, NPQH

Marion Gibbs

Position: Headmistress

School: James Allen's Girls' School

Qualifications: BA (Hons), MLitt, PGCE, FRSA

Sue Goff

Position: Headmistress

School: Alderley Edge School for Girls

Qualifications: BA Durham University (Modern Languages -Russian and French), PGCE Oxford University – St Hilda’s College

Wendy Griffiths

Position: Headmistress

School: Tudor Hall

Qualifications: BSc (Hons) PGCE

Pim Grimes

Position: Headmistress

School: St Swithun’s Junior School

Qualifications: BA (Hons) Sussex PGCE Southampton

Jo Heywood

Position: Headmistress

School: Heathfield School, Ascot

Qualifications: BSc Hons (Kingston), PGCE (Kingston)

Karan Hopkinson

Position: Primary Curriculum Leader

School: Derby High School

Qualifications: BEd (Hons) QTS (currently undertaking MA in education with a focus on PSHE)

Sally-Anne Huang

Position: Headmistress

School: Kent College Pembury

Qualifications: MA (Classics and English, Oxford), MSc (Educational Management, Leicester), PGCE (King’s London)

Kathy Jefferies

Position: Former Headmistress

School: St. Catherine’s Preparatory School, Bramley

Qualifications: BSc (Hons) PGCE

Jo Jenkinson

Position: Head

School: Lady Royd Prep School & Nursery, Bradford Girls’ Grammar

Alun Jones

Position: Principal

School: St Gabriel’s, Newbury

Qualifications: LTCL LWCMD

Caroline Jordan

Position: Headmistress

School: Headington School

Qualifications: MA (Oxon), PGCE (Manchester)

Bethany Kelly

Position: Deputy Headmistress

School: Heathfield School, Ascot

Qualifications: BA (Hons) Theology, Durham, PGCE Exeter

Frances King

Position: Headmistress

School: Roedean School

Qualifications: MA (Oxon) MA (London) MBA (Hull) PGCE (London)

Felicia Kirk

School: St Mary's Calne

Pat Langham

Position: MyDaughter expert

School: Former Head of Wakefield Girls’ High School

Qualifications: BA (Hons), PGCE, MEd

Karen Leahy

Position: Head

School: Talbot Heath Junior School

Qualifications: BA (Hons) London PGCE London MA (Ed) Open

Julie Lodrick

Position: Principal

School: The Mount School, York

Qualifications: MA Ed (Open), PGCE, NPQH

Gillian Low

Position: Head Mistress

School: The Lady Eleanor Holles School

Qualifications: MA (Oxon); PGCE (Cantab)

Jo MacKenzie

Position: Head

School: Bedford Girls' School

Qualifications: BSc, MSc

Sue Marks

Position: Headmistress

School: Withington Girls’ School

Qualifications: MA (Hons) Philosophy, Politics and Economics (Oxon), Advanced Certificate in Educational Management (Leicester), Certificate in Theology (Exeter)

Rosemary Martin

Position: Headmistress

School: St Albans High School for Girls

Qualifications: M.Ed NPQH FRSA

Karl McCloskey

Position: Headteacher

School: The Marist Senior School

Qualifications: BA (Hons) (London), PGCE MA (Surrey)

Jill Milner

Position: Headmistress

School: Walthamstow Hall

Qualifications: MA (Oxon) English Language and Literature, PGCE (Oxon)

Ruth Mercer

Position: Head Mistress

School: The Godolphin and Latymer School

Qualifications: BA (Hons) History, University of London, PGCE, Oxon, Advanced Diploma in Local History, Oxon

Alison Morris

Position: Editor of MyDaughter

School: Former Head of Manor House School

Qualifications: BSc (Hons), PGCE

Heather Owens

Position: Head teacher

School: The Kingsley School

Qualifications: BA (Hons) English, University of Hull, PGCE, University of Sheffield

Caroline Pascoe

Position: Headmistress

School: Truro High School

Qualifications: : BSc (Hons) Microbiology University of Bristol, PGCE Physics and Science Roehampton Institute, MSc Educational Leadership University of Leicester, Currently studying for an EdD (Doctorate in Education) with the University of Exeter, NPQH (National Professional Qualification of Headship), Licentiateship in Youth Training, Qualified Mountain Instructor

Alice Phillips

Position: Headmistress

School: St Catherine’s School, Bramley

Qualifications: MA Cantab

Janet Pickering

Position: MyDaughter Consultant

School: Former Headmistress, Withington Girls' School, Manchester

Qualifications: BSc (Sheffield)

Jane Prescott

Position: Headmistress

School: Portsmouth High School GDST

Qualifications: BSc Hons PGCE NPQH

Gill Richards

Position: Former Headmistress

School: Bolton School Girls’ Division, Bolton (2005-2011)

Qualifications: BA, MEd (University of Wales, Bangor)

Catherine Robbins

Position: Deputy Headteacher

School: The Kingsley School, Leamington Spa

Qualifications: BA (Hons) English and Related Literature, University of York; M Phil Nineteenth Century English Studies, University of Oxford; PGCE University of Warwick

Louise Robinson

Position: Headmistress

School: Merchant Taylors' Girls' School, Crosby

Qualifications: M Ed, BA(Hons) Maths and Computer Science, NPQH, PGCE

Julie Roseblade

Position: Head

School: Prior’s Field, Godalming

Qualifications: BA (York), PGCE (York), MA (London)

Sarah Skevington

Position: Head

School: Blackheath High Junior School

Qualifications: LLB ( Hons )

Barbara Stanley

Position: Headmistress

School: The Abbey School

Mark Steed

Position: Principal

School: Berkhamsted School

Qualifications: MA (Cantab), MA (Nottingham)

Hina Thaker

Position: Head Mistress of the Junior School

School: Northwood College

Qualifications: BA Hons (East London), PGCE (North London)

Isabel Tobias

Position: Headmistress

School: The Red Maids' School

Qualifications: BA Hons – New Hall, Cambridge, PGCE – Cambridge

Jayne Triffitt

Position: Headmistress

School: Woldingham School

Qualifications: MA (Oxon), PGCE (Oxon)

Susan Whitfield

Position: Former Headmistress

School: Notting Hill and Ealing High School GDST (1991-2008), Heathfield School Pinner, GDST (2010-2011)

Qualifications: BA/MA Cambridge University (New Hall). Natural Sciences and Physical Anthropology

Dr Helen Wright

Position: Headmistress

School: Ascham School, Sydney, Australia

Qualifications: MA (Oxon), MA (Leics), EdD (Exeter), PGCE (Oxon) FRSA MIoD

Case studies

Read other families experiences of raising and educating girls. How did they research, debate and decide on the best school for their daughters? Was it the right choice for their daughter and how do they know? Read the real-life stories…

View case studies