Meet the Team

Principal

Gavin McLean

Gavin has a MA Double First Class Honours in English and History from the University of Aberdeen. He joins Wolsey Hall from Hudson Global Scholars, a renowned provider of online and distance learning solutions for schools worldwide.

With a distinguished career in the field of international education, Gavin’s journey began as a publisher for notable companies, including Macmillan. Subsequently, he assumed the role of spearheading international business development at National Geographic Learning. Later, his career evolved towards the realm of online education, with key roles at Edmentum and, most recently, Hudson Global Scholars.

He is a passionate advocate for online education and joins Wolsey Hall Oxford with a wealth of experience and a commitment to academic excellence.

He brings a unique blend of leadership, educational innovation, and a profound understanding of the evolving landscape of online learning.

Head of Secondary

Ruth Young

Ruth is an experienced school leader and teacher who is also a trained British School Overseas inspector and COBIS Peer Accreditor. Before joining Wolsey Hall, she worked in Secondary schools in the United Kingdom in a variety of roles including Advanced Skills Teacher. She moved overseas to Cairo and worked as Head of MFL and Assistant Headteacher of Upper School in an UK curriculum international school. This led to becoming Secondary Principal at a British International School in Thailand. She is committed to providing engaging and inspiring courses and outstanding support for Wolsey Hall students, ensuring that they are able to achieve their academic goals and develop a passion for learning.

Head of Primary

Christine Armstrong

Christine has decades of experience in Primary education and has held both teaching and leadership posts in the UK, and internationally. Before joining Wolsey Hall, Christine was the Primary Headteacher of a British International school in Bangkok. As a qualified teacher Christine puts the needs of students at the heart of her decision-making and is passionate about developing the whole child: academic development, social development and personal development.

Christine holds an MBA from Oxford Brookes University and is a trained school inspector.

Schools Relationship Manager

Christina Hitchcock

Christina’s international background includes spending a year in both France and Germany as part of her BA degree as well as working in Japan, China, Taiwan and Poland teaching English as a Second Language to students of all ages and levels.

Returning to the UK in 2009 she completed a Masters degree in Education with Applied Linguistics and developed her career in education which has included admissions, student welfare and international student recruitment, allowing her to travel to even further parts of the globe.

School Progress Supervisor

Lucy Nicholson

Lucy specialises in helping students to choose IGCSE courses to support their goals and future plans.

Lucy completed a BA in English before going on to work at Oxford University Press and Manchester University Press for several years.

A level Supervisor of Courses

Rachel Waring

Rachel studied English Language and Literature at Oxford University and has a Certificate in Further Education teaching.

She has been teaching A level English for over 12 years. Her work in education has given her varied experience of both the pastoral and the academic. She has worked as a Learning Support Tutor, Student Services Officer and Course Leader in Further Education; a Residential Warden in an international boarding school; an A level Examiner; and Head of English and Faculty Leader in an independent sixth form college.

A level Supervisor of Courses

Nicky Waring

At University Nicky opted for a joint degree in Geography and Computer Science. Having gained a first class BA (Joint Honours), she remained at Keele University and completed a PGCE in Geography and Mathematics. For the last 26 years, she has taught Secondary (Key Stage 3), GCSE, and A level Geography. During this time, Nicky also taught Secondary Level Mathematics, Information Technology and Computing.

IGCSE Supervisor of Courses

Jane Marshall

Jane achieved a First Class Honours in Applied Physics, and then a PGCE from Southampton University. She was inspired by her own Physics teacher at school, and taught at the Girls’ Grammar School in Bournemouth amongst other Secondary Schools.

She worked at an Independent Boarding School where a significant number of pupils required special needs teaching. It was here that she began to teach Mathematics as well as Physics.

IGCSE Course Editor

Liz Wickens

Liz graduated from St Andrews university with a degree in English Language and Literature and an ambition to pursue a career in journalism. After a couple of brief forays into print with HarperCollins (travel books), she found her way instead into publishing and worked for 20 years at GL Assessment (formerly nfer-Nelson) as an editor, working mainly on educational assessments.

Liz is also co-chair of governors at her local Primary school and enjoys playing the piano in her spare time.

Lower Secondary Supervisor of Courses

Jess Wyer

Jess studied Applied Biology at Bath University. After getting her honours degree, she worked as a food Microbiologist then whilst involved in research at Oxford University she authored several scientific papers as well as obtaining a Diploma in Counselling.

Jess then trained as a teacher and gained her Diploma in Education and Training at Cirencester College, teaching A level Biology and IGCSE Biology in an outstanding Science department.

Lower Secondary Supervisor of Courses

Elena Roveglia

Elena has a BA in European Languages and an MA in Translation with Language Technology. After achieving her PGCE from Exeter University, Elena taught in several state and independent schools in Southwest England. After 16 years as Head of Languages, Head of House and examiner for GCSE, Elena achieved her CELTA certification. She then moved into the international circuit and took up the role of teacher trainer for an independent school group in Kazakhstan. This led to a further two years in Asia, where Elena worked as an ESL/Academic English specialist at an independent school in Beijing. In her spare time, Elena enjoys baking cakes, reading, and going for long walks along the coastline near her parents’ home in West Wales. She also enjoys visiting her husband’s family in Italy.

Tutor Services Manager

Gemma Langley

Gemma grew up in Wales surrounded by stunning scenery. Her love of her surroundings and a desire to understand and conserve them led her to do a degree in Marine Biology at Swansea University. This led to a career in conservation from Gower, Wales, to Maui, Hawaii. During this time she had the privilege of sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with school groups, youth associations and the general public. Gemma taught Science in Secondary schools and thrived on seeing pupils achieve their potential. She is a long-standing Tutor with Wolsey Hall and now not only does she support students, but also the Tutor team.

Tutor Support Supervisor

Heidi Watkins

Heidi studied Mathematics at the University of Birmingham, where she also completed the Post Graduate Certificate in Education. She has been helping students study Maths for over 20 years, and is an established tutor at Wolsey Hall Oxford, having worked here for several years. In addition to tutoring students, she provides support to our Tutors, and is involved in quality control to help Wolsey Hall Oxford maintain the high standards that we are all proud of.

Tutor Services Manager

Ed Morris

Ed undertook a four-year teacher training degree, graduating in 2001 with a QTS with English qualification. Since then, he has been teaching across the Primary age range. Ed played a large part in the development of PE and School Sport in Blackpool between 2002 – 2006, and then led Science, English and Maths in Lichfield. He is here to supervise our Primary Level Tutor range. Ed is passionate about helping Primary Level students feel supported and motivated by their Tutors.

Emma Conroy

I took my undergraduate degree in History at Liverpool University and followed this with a PGCE in the subject, later completing an MSc in Education at the University of Oxford. My lifelong love of learning continued more recently with the completion of a Graduate Diploma in Law from Nottingham Law School. This latter course of study was completed by distance learning, which has given me a first-hand appreciation of the unique requirements of those studying remotely rather than in a classroom environment.

I have over 20 years of experience in teaching GCSE and A level History and Government and Politics at Secondary schools in Derbyshire, Oxfordshire and London. During this time, in addition to classroom teaching, I have had the responsibility of being both Head of History and Head of Sixth Form. More recently, I have held a role as an examiner for GCSE and A level History.

Andrew Merrick

I am an Economics graduate and qualified teacher with over 30 years’ experience. I have delivered a range of Social Science subjects including Business Studies, Sociology and Law, but my focus has always been the teaching of Economics. Since 2001, I have been Head of the Social Science Faculty and sole teacher of GCSE/A Level Economics at a large secondary school on the Isle of Man. I am also an Assistant Examiner for Cambridge Assessment International Examinations, with over 10 years’ experience of marking A Level and IGCSE papers. Finally, I have provided A Level Economics private tuition for many years, guiding and supporting many students to exam success.

My main motivators in teaching are to inspire students to share my passion for Economics and the insight it gives them into the workings of the modern world, and to help students prepare for success in examinations by providing them with formative, developmental feedback and guidance.

Duncan McCulloch

My career in education began in Leeds, England in 2004, where I gained my PGCE. Following this, I did further training and placements near Vancouver, Canada, before teaching in Scotland for seven years. I also took on a pastoral leadership role during this time. I then moved into international education and have been both a head of department and faculty coordinator in schools in Germany and Belgium. My principal subject is geography, but I have also taught combined social studies to lower secondary and environmental systems to upper secondary at IB level. In addition to this, I am an external examiner for A-Level and IB, have had a study guide for ‘Urban Environments’ published and act as a course advisor and revision course leader. My goal is to make sure every student can achieve to the very best of their ability, which is one of the reasons I have been gaining further experience in the online world in recent years through both group and 1-1 tutoring.

Rebecca Welsford

I completed my undergraduate degree in History at Oxford University. I left Oxford with a very keen interest in the Middle Ages and developed this by doing an MLitt in Medieval History at the University of St Andrews. During these years of study, I decided that I wanted to become a teacher to inspire a love of History in young people and develop my own knowledge and understanding of the past. I did a PGCE at Cambridge.

Since then, I have spent 15 years teaching in girls’ schools in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, including nine years as Head of History. I have enjoyed teaching a wide range of periods in British, European and World History and helping students develop skills, including evaluating historical sources and structuring arguments. Leading foreign trips has also been a high point of teaching, particularly taking students to visit Berlin and Krakow to support their work on aspects of 20th-century European History.

Hannah Dixon

I have experience teaching Mathematics across the entire ability range from age 11 to 18. I am familiar with both CIE and Edexcel exam boards up to higher-level IGCSE and have been an examiner for Edexcel Higher IGCSE since 2012. I find this useful when teaching as I know what examiners are looking for in the steps used to solve problems. I find teaching very rewarding and am passionate about sharing my knowledge and enthusiasm for Mathematics with my students!

Sarah Keeler

I started my career teaching in secondary schools in Bristol and North Somerset in the UK. My main teaching subject is English, but I have also taught Media and Film Studies and Psychology. I am also a tutor for Thinking Skills at AS Level. I have been working for Wolsey Hall since 2014 and I thoroughly enjoy helping students across the world.

I have a degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Bath, but I also obtained a conversion degree in English alongside my PGCE. I am also an examiner and mark papers for English Language GCSE.

Caroline Thomson

As part of my degree course, I spent the year working in France as an English Language Assistant in a French Lycée. I lived in Périgueux in the Dordogne, the home of truffles and foie gras, which I can highly recommend for a visit. I taught students of different ages from 16 to 24, mostly studying for the International Baccalaureate. This experience inspired me to become a teacher of Modern Languages.

I took my PGCE at the University of York and trained at schools in Scarborough and Richmond in North Yorkshire. Following this, I started working at Horbury School near Wakefield for eight years. During my time as a teacher, I ran trips abroad to France and Germany which was a wonderful experience.