Richard brings with him over 25 years of experience in teaching and throughout this time he has always maintained that building connections with students is the mainstay of any effective educator.

Richard begin his teaching career and pastoral care responsibilities as a boarding master in a school in Western Queensland. It was in this role that the he learned that listening and showing genuine care is essential for enabling students to feel safe, secure and that they can succeed. From Western Queensland Richard moved to London where he worked as a Special Needs Teacher in the borough of Westminster. In this role he worked with the children of refugees who fleeing war and famine, children of incarcerated partners and children whose mothers were addicts during pregnancy. This was a humbling experience and showed Richard just how important education is to freeing people from poverty and changing their lives for the better.

From these early experiences Richard formed his belief that knowing your students and your subject content is the cornerstone to being a successful teacher and this belief has taken him to both Government and elite independent schools in England and Australia where he has held both curriculum and pastoral management roles.

Richard joined the Australian International School as Year 7 STRIVE Teacher in 2011 and has served in the role as a Head of Year since 2012. Throughout his time at AIS Richard has taught Mathematics, Science, English as Another Language and worked as an Additional Studies Teacher. Richard is very committed to developing wellbeing programs that provide students with skillsets that transcend the needs of secondary school and are of use for their entire lives

Richard is committed to being present in the students’ lives as they to and fro around the school and he spends as much time as possible connecting with students as he wanders the halls and corridors stopping to chat, greet or farewell students each day.

Richard is joined by his wife Catherine who is a Music Teacher in the ELV and his daughters Grace and Tess who both attend AIS. The family enjoy travelling and spending time visiting their extended family in four corners of the globe.