Senior Leadership Team | Independent School

Mrs Sarah Richardson

Position:

Head

Career:

Sarah has a wide range of significant experience at leading independent schools. After graduating in history from the University of Kent and completing a PGCE at Christchurch College, Canterbury, Sarah taught history and politics as well as coaching hockey teams. Sarah taught at The Perse School in Cambridge for nine years prior to joining Mount…

Mr Jonathan Cooper

Position:

Senior Deputy Head

Qualifications:

MA (Hons) History - University of St Andrews
PGCE - Bristol University
Chartered Leader in Education - Chartered College of Teaching

Career:

Jon has held a number of roles at independent schools. Having graduated with MA in History from University of St Andrews, followed by the PGCE at Bristol University, Jon began his beginning his teaching career at The Portsmouth Grammar School. He moved to Redmaids’ High School in Bristol and there held a series of roles…

Mrs Nisha Nathwani

Position:

Bursar and Clerk to the Board of Directors

Career:

Nisha held senior executive positions at some of the largest global banks including HSBC and ABN Amro. She has extensive experience of capital markets and investment banking. She was a lead producer of revenue in European equity sales for two of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds. Since 2008, she has been using her banking…

Mrs Natasha Hillcoat-Hyde

Position:

Assistant Headteacher - Head of Lower School - Director of Sport & Co-Curricular Activities, Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

Qualifications:

MA Sports Development
PGCE in Secondary Physical Education
BA Leisure & Sports Management

Career:

Following her degree, Natasha taught at Baston School, Farringtons School and Immanuel College where she undertook the roles of either Head of Girls’ PE or Head of Department. Before joining Mount House she was Head of Year 11 Girls Boarding, Second in PE and the Duke of Edinburgh Co-Ordinator at Hockerill Anglo-European College in Bishop’s…

Mr Craig McCormick

Position:

Assistant Head - Academic

Qualifications:

Gordonstoun and King Edward VI Grammar School
BA (Hons) in History and Politics at the University of New Brunswick
MA Brock University, Ontario, Canada
PGCE University of East Anglia

Career:

Craig taught in the maintained sector for nine years, moving to Mount House School from Dame Alice Owens School in 2015 to teach history. He was Head of Sixth Form from 2016-21, overseeing a rapid increase in A Level performance. Main Responsibilities Co-ordinating the UCAS process and overseas university applications Overseeing the operational aspect of…

Ms Patrice Smyth

Position:

Assistant Head (Pastoral), Whole School Mental Hand Wellbeing Lead, Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

Qualifications:

BSc (HONS) – Sport and Exercise Science – Loughborough University
PGCE – Secondary school Physical education

Career:

Following her degree, Patrice dabbled with the notion of becoming a physiotherapist and spent some time as an athletic director in the US. She worked primarily with young people with complex social, emotional and physical disabilities. It was during this time that it dawned on her that her passion lay in working with young people…

Mr Gerrard Crosby

Position:

Deputy Head Pastoral and Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Qualifications:

King's College London BA Classics

Career:

Gerrard has spent his career up until now working in one school – Finchley Catholic High School – a school he also attended as a student. After graduating from King’s College London in Classics, Gerrard then went back to Finchley to work as a TA for one year, before completing his teacher training through the…