Second Master
Murray Tod was educated at Daniel Stewart’s and Melville College in Edinburgh, before attending Glasgow University to study Scottish History, Politics and Philosophy. He started his teaching career in 1997 at Edinburgh and Glasgow universities, whilst in the early years of embarking on PhD research into the medieval readership of Latin manuscripts, before quickly recognising the benefits of boarding school life at Glenalmond College and Rannoch School in Perthshire (Scotland).
In 2002 Murray moved to Epsom College UK and over the course of the next 15 years he assumed various roles of responsibility: Assistant Housemaster (Fayrer), boys’ Boarding Housemaster (Granville), Acting girls’ Housemaster (Wilson), Head of Department (History & Politics), and lastly Assistant Head (Staff). His connection and bond with Epsomians, old and new, is strong and he is delighted to have joined the ECiM team as Deputy Head (Admissions) in January 2017. He looks forward to forging new links between the sister schools and he arrived at the College with his wife Kirsty (the former Wilson HMM and Senior Housemistress of ECUK) and their daughter Isla, who is enrolled in Year 1 in the Prep School.
Ms Kayla Hart joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) from KIPP Academy in the U.S.A. where she was the Reading Teacher and School Librarian. She has also served as a Spanish teacher, US History teacher and bilingual interventionist. She graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management, International Business, and Business-Spanish. She is presently studying a Master’s in International Relations at Harvard University. Her thesis will address the Western and European presence and dominance in the global university rankings system. She currently and happily teaches History and Politics.
Her political interests consist of international organisations, human rights and ethics, global economics, and global colorism/racism. Her historical interests focus on ancient civilizations and empires especially of Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Ottoman, Western imperialism and its effects on present-day society, and famous political figures such as John F. Kennedy, Margaret Thatcher, and Mohandas Ghandi.
Outside of school, she loves to write music, read, and watch documentaries on various people and subjects. She loves to take long walks and hikes and appreciate the beauty of nature in her spare time. She also enjoys visiting museums and traveling the world. She has traveled to over 40 countries across 6 continents and has truly enjoyed each moment meeting other foreigners and visiting historical sites up close.
Head of Sixth Form
Dr Julia Parker has a degree in history from Cambridge University and a Masters in Museum Studies from the International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies at Newcastle University. She entered the teaching profession 6 years ago after completing her PhD research into the development of Hampton Court Palace during the nineteenth century. She has since taught the English National Curriculum to students aged 13 to 18 in a boarding school environment, balancing her time between supporting the academic development of her students and ensuring their pastoral welfare.
Dr Parker's particular historical interests include nineteenth century museums and conflict in the twentieth century. In Politics she has a particular interest in Human Rights and Realist approaches to International Relations. Outside the classroom, she is a keen rower and competed in the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race whilst at university. She also enjoys sailing, open water swimming and cryptic crosswords.
In the Sixth Form, Dr Parker is very keen to encourage students to look beyond the confines of the A-level syllabus and develop independent intellectual curiosity. She is working with the Sixth Form team to develop the Horizons Programme at the College, which seeks to prepare students fully for life at university and the world of work.
Assistant Head of Sixth Form
Mr Thomas Webster (Tom) joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) as Assistant Head of Sixth Form from Garden International School in Kuala Lumpur where he taught Sociology and Humanities and was Head of Global Awareness Projects. Tom has experience of teaching a broad range of Humanities and Social Science subjects and has held a number of posts including Head of Department and Second in Faculty. Tom also has several years experience as an A Level examiner for AQA. Tom completed his degree in Sociology at Liverpool John Moores University and completed his PGCE at Canterbury Christ Church University.
Tom is particularly interested in political history and issues around globalisation and development. Before becoming a teacher Tom worked in communications and campaigns for a non-governmental organisation and has found this experience invaluable in bringing to life many of the issues covered in the History and Politics syllabus. Tom hopes to help foster a culture of active global citizenship at ECiM having previously facilitated the school council as well as numerous groups promoting volunteering, fair-trade and sustainable development.
Tom loves travel, sports and the outdoors and has previously co-led the Duke of Edinburgh programme and coached a number of rugby, touch rugby and football teams. He lives on campus with his wife Charlotte, the Director of Studies (Learning).
Head of Department
Mrs Fiona Leather joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) from Greensteds International School in Kenya where she had been Head of Mathematics. Greensteds is a leading East African co-educational boarding school with CIS accreditation on the doorstep of one of Kenya’s National Parks. Before working in Africa she was Curriculum Team Leader of the Mathematics Faculty at Kings Priory School in Tynemouth in the north east of England. She began her professional career in Northumberland on the border with Scotland, and was Second in department for 14 years at Ryton Comprehensive.
A native of South Shields she undertook her BSc Hons in Mathematics & Economics in Manchester and, after travelling, completed her PGCE at the University of Newcastle. She is an avid tennis player and was captain of her local club as well as an experienced skier after living in the French Alps for six months.
She is looking forward to living in Malaysia especially as it will afford her the chance to surf, another passion she has developed. She lives with her husband Craig, the Head of English, and two children who attend the senior school.
Second in Department
Ms Emma Farmer-Wright joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) from Pimlico Academy, London where she taught for 3 years as a Mathematics teacher and a Deputy Head of House in charge of achievement.
Emma has an honours degree in Psychology from Durham University and a post graduate certificate of education from Kingston University, UK.
Emma had helped to develop innovative and challenging schemes of work for Pimlico at all key stages and she is passionate about ensuring that mathematics education is inspiring, knowledge rich and engaging. She has a keen interest in professional development, teaching and learning strategies and literacy in mathematics.
Emma remains excited by the all-round education that ECiM offers and is involved in many aspects of the extra-curricular programme. She enjoys travelling and running as well as coaching hockey, netball and athletics.
Ms. Julia Doorne joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) from The British School of Bahrain, an independent British curriculum school based in The Gulf, where she taught mathematics for 5 years. She has a BA in mathematics from Brighton University, UK.
Prior to this, her varied career included teaching mathematics for 9 years in UK based co-educational day schools; touring schools throughout the UK on behalf of the RAF with workshops aimed at inspiring teenagers in the application of mathematics to real life situations; training teenagers in outdoor pursuits; facilitating workshops for gifted and talented students in accessing their creativity through nature; and working as a live-in caregiver for teenagers.
Julia's major interests lie in A level teaching, with Further Pure, Statistics and Decision Mathematics being her particular joys. Julia lives on campus with her husband, Jeff, with whom she enjoys practicing the Japanese martial art, Ki Aikido.
KS4 Coordinator
Mr Robert Hopkin (Rob) joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) from Endon High School in Stoke-on-Trent, where he taught for 10 years of his 12 years teaching career. Whilst at Endon, Rob lead the Mathematics department for two years and was also Head of Year for nine years, seeing two cohorts of students through to Year 11. Rob has a degree in Mathematics from the University of Sheffield and completed his PGCE at Keele University in Staffordshire, UK.
Rob has always had an interest in the pastoral side of school life and since beginning at ECiM has taken on the role of Key Stage 4 coordinator. He hopes to guide pupils in Year 10 and 11 through their iGCSE’s and help with the transition into the Sixth Form; not only achieving outstanding results, but gaining the skills to prepare them for Higher Education. Rob is also very involved in the sporting life at ECiM, coaching the Under 18 girls' football team, as well as being aiding with the swimming programme at the college. In the classroom Rob is particularly passionate about applying Mathematics with a functional element; to help students to be able to apply the skills learnt in a real life context.
Rob lives on campus with his partner Katie, who also teaches at ECiM, and who shares his interest in travel, hiking and the outdoors in general. One interest Katie does not share with Rob is his love of Port Vale Football Club, who, with them being in the third tier of English football, Rob is not optimistic of catching many of their games live on television in Malaysia!
Timetable Manager
Ms Kasthoorie Kumanan (Kas) joins Epsom College in Malaysia from St George’s College, Weybridge in Surrey where she has taught for 2 years. Kas studied Mathematics at the University of Southampton; part of her degree was spent on Erasmus in Turkey.
Kas has organised Inter-house maths competitions during her time at St George’s as well as coordinating teams for the National Hans Woyda competition. She really enjoys the problem-solving element of Mathematics and loves to pass this enthusiasm onto her students as a means of developing independence and curiosity. Kas also likes to bring maths to life with investigations and visual context.
Kas is enjoys her first experience of a boarding school and getting involved with all aspects of school life at ECiM. She is very much looking forward to the opportunities to travel around Asia and discover the wonderful cuisine.
Ms Karina Morgan joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) from Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for girls in Abu Dhabi, where she taught for 2 years as a Mathematics Teacher.
Before starting her international career, she taught at the Piggott School, Reading, for 2 years after completing her Postgraduate Certificate in Mathematics Education at Reading University. Karina is from Galway in Ireland and moved to the UK after completing an honours degree in Commerce.
In her spare time Karina enjoys watching sports, particularly Gaelic Football, which she plays. Also, during the school holidays she enjoys travelling to new places and she is very excited to explore South East Asia more.
Mrs Sofie De Pauw joined Epsom College in Malaysia from Durham Sixth Form Centre in the North East of England where she had been living for twelve years. She has worked as a teacher of mathematics at the 6th Form Centre for three years.
She graduated with a Master's Degree in Applied Mathematics Engineering from the University of Louvain, Belgium, in 2002. Sofie has worked for a decade as a business analyst in finance and IT and then decided to change careers and become a teacher as she wanted to share her passion for mathematics. Sofie holds a PGCE from Newcastle University in the UK. She particularly enjoys pure maths and mechanics and is keen to establish cross-curricular links whenever possible.
Sofie is moving with her husband Francois and their two children Alice and Pierre, who will be attending Epsom College. They all come from Belgium and speak French at home. In her spare time, Sofie loves going on adventures with her family and discovering new cultures. She is a decent singer and enjoys paper crafts.
Head of Department
Mrs Véronique Hanique, a native French speaker from Mauritius, joined Epsom College from Smithdon High School in Norfolk (UK), where she taught French and KS3 English for 9 years. Véronique has a degree in English and French as a Foreign Language from the University of Burgundy, France. She also holds a Master’s degree in Foreign Language Didactics from the same university, and she obtained her PGCE from the University of Sheffield, UK.
Véronique leads the Modern Languages Faculty and is currently teaching French up to A Level. She was responsible for the Gifted and Talented provision in the MFL department, and she was the Language Coordinator in the feeder schools and ECiM Prep School. Her experience of teaching in the English National Curriculum also includes EAL, the Academic English Programme and a wide range of Special Educational Needs students. Her experience also includes teaching IELTS to University applicants. Véronique was a member of the Teaching and Learning Committee and her particular interests are independent learning, giving the students the skills to be active learners and assessment for learning techniques. To ensure that studying foreign languages become more relevant and authentic, she lead trips to France and coordinated exchanges with Italian and Mauritian students as well as an Au Pair exchange for her A-level students.
Véronique’s 10 years of pastoral experience includes being a Sixth Form tutor for 3 years. Her role also involved being an Independent study supervisor of the Extended Project Qualification and a Learning Mentor for disengaged students. Currently she is a tutor in Crawfurd House and a Houseparent in Carr House.
Véronique loves dancing, yoga, travelling and spending time with her family and friends. She lives on site with her husband, Fabien Hanique, Housemaster of Carr House, and their two daughters, both of whom attend Epsom College.
Teacher of Spanish and French
Mrs Louise Capon joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) in August 2014 from Crispin School in Somerset, U.K, where she taught both Spanish and French. She has a joint honours degree in both languages from the University of the West Midlands and a PGCE from The University of St. Mark’s and John’s, Plymouth.
Louise is a relatively new teacher having worked in Financial Services in the City of London for over 10 years and then run her own businesses. She has first-hand experience of using languages in the world of work including in France and Spain.
Louise is a passionate follower of rugby and enjoys scuba-diving and skiing. She is currently studying for a Masters Degree in Education and is learning Japanese and Bahasa Melayu, albeit very slowly.
HMM Carr, Teacher of French
Mr Fabien Hanique, a French native speaker, joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) in 2014. Previously, he spent 8 of his 10 years of teaching career at Norwich school (an Independent school in the UK), where he taught Modern Languages (French and German). He has a degree in English and French as a foreign language from the University of Burgundy, France and holds a PGCE from the University of Sheffield, UK.
Fabien has a wide experience of teaching European Languages (French, German, Spanish and English as a second language) in the English National Curriculum in both primary and secondary. He truly believes that learning languages as well as the culture and traditions of the target language countries is the best way to open the mind of the leaners as well as increase their opportunities in life.
His first House at ECiM was Granville, where he was the Assistant Housemaster for one year. In September 2015, his started his new role as Housemaster of the Transition House, where Prep School and Junior boys reside. He feels that it is a real privilege to look after them, follow their progress and see them thrive in lessons and on the sports fields.
Fabien is a strong believer in an all-round education; this is why he has played a key role in the Community Service programme of his former school and has supervised the preparatory work and the expedition of Duke of Edinburgh Awardees at Epsom College in Malaysia. He also has experience in delivering the Oxbridge course and organising a popular annual exchange and residential trips to France and Germany.
Fabien's particular interests are current affairs, travelling and independent learning. A keen sportsman, Fabien was in charge of fencing in his previous school and now enjoys coaching basketball and football.
Fabien lives on campus with his wife Vero, Head of Languages, and his 2 daughters who both attend Epsom.
Director of Studies (Learning), Teacher of Fr
Mrs Charlotte Webster joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) in August 2014. She has a degree in French from the University of Liverpool and a PGCE from Liverpool JMU.
Before joining ECiM, Charlotte was Head of MFL and had taught languages in British schools for 8 years, as well as teaching English in France for two years. She is committed to bringing languages to life for pupils and making their language learning experiences authentic and exciting, and believes that in today's global society, learning a second or third language is more important than ever. She thoroughly enjoys organising cultural days at school, as well as taking students on trips abroad.
Within the classroom, Charlotte is particularly interested in peer assessment and effective group work, as well as looking at twentieth century French history and French cinema at A Level. In her role as Director of Studies (Learning) she is committed to maintaining the highest standards in teaching and learning across the College and making sure that the students at ECiM have the best possible learning experience.
Charlotte lives on campus with her husband,Tom, who teaches in the History and Politics Department. Outside of College life, Charlotte has many interests such as trekking, scuba diving and cooking the dishes that she discovers in her travels around South East Asia and beyond.
Mandarin Coordinator
Mrs Wen Li Leighton joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) from Harrow International School in Hong Kong. Epsom College is Wen Li’s fifth school and the second boarding school in her teaching career. She has a degree from the Central University of Finance and Banking in Beijing and her PGCE is from Goldsmith’s College in London, UK.
Wen Li, a native Mandarin Chinese speaker, has taught Mandarin Chinese to students in the UK, in Beijing and in Hong Kong. She has taught beginners as well as (I)GCSE and A level curriculum. She enjoys using ICT in her teaching to enhance student’s learning experience.
Wen Li is committed to making Chinese learning as enjoyable as possible and she enjoys sharing Chinese traditional philosophy, culture and art with her students. During her teaching assignment in Beijing, Wen Li organised and enjoyed Chinese cultural trips for her school and also ran a language and cultural summer school to students from overseas.
Wen Li lives with her husband, Mark, and two teenage daughters. She enjoys many kinds of sports, especially swimming, hiking and dancing. She does Chinese exercise regularly.
Teacher of Mandarin
Ms Peng Yuanzhen, a native Mandarin speaker, joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) from Rafflesia International School where she taught Mandarin for 2 years. Ms Peng has a masters degree in teaching Chinese as a foreign language from Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou, China. She started her career as a Mandarin teacher at SHS-Ateneo dear Cebu, Philippines and moved to Malaysia with her husband.
Ms Peng has taught throughout the 3-15 age range and has worked with both native and non-native Mandarin speakers. She believes that developing an interest in the Chinese culture is just as important as teaching the language. She takes great effort to make lessons interesting. She likes to encourage students to become self-learners.
In the past, Ms Peng has organised Chinese cultural activities such as paper cutting and mask painting and hopes to continue offer these as a co-curricular activity of ECiM. She enjoys sharing Chinese culture, Zentangle, yoga and reading traditional Chinese medicine books.
Teacher of Mandarin
Mrs Chunlian Greenfield joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) from Abingdon School, an independent day and boarding school in Oxfordshire UK, where she was head of Chinese for KS3/4. Chunlian has a 1st class degree in English language from China, and obtained a PGCE from the Institute of Education, University College London, UK. She has been an examiner for Cambridge Mandarin IGCSE speaking since 2014.
Originally from Chengdu in China, Chunlian has been living and working in the UK for the past 8 years and she has worked in 3 schools in the UK, including Abingdon School, Reading boy's school and Queen Anne girl school in Berkshire. Epsom College is her first experience of an International school in Malaysia and she is enjoying it immensely.
Chunlian lives with her husband Josef who works as a university counsellor and they have two young children Andreya and Jean-Paul; Andreya attends Epsom's Prep school. Outside school life, Chunlian enjoys flowers, the seaside, gardening and music.
Prep Mandarin Teacher
Mrs Ava McElhinney, a native Mandarin Chinese speaker, joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) from Kazakhstan where she taught Mandarin and English. Ava has a Master’s degree in Educational Technology and TESOL from the University of Manchester, UK and obtained a Chinese teaching qualification from Taipei Language Institute.
Originally from Taiwan, Ava has been living and working abroad for the last 4 years. She started her career as an English lecturer in colleges in Taiwan. Ava joins Epsom College in Malaysia as the Prep school Mandarin teacher and she will provide support in Senior School lessons.
Ava’s teaching philosophy is to inspire students to find enjoyment in learning and become lifelong learners. She believes that the best learning takes place without students realising it. Ava gains a great sense of satisfaction from and is motivated by helping students develop their language skills.
Ava lives with her husband, who is currently the Year 5 teacher. They have travelled to over 20 countries in the last 5 years. She loves travelling, playing badminton, trying exotic food and learning new things.
Teacher of Bahasa Malaysia
Noriza has an honours degree in Islamic Studies from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia(UKM). She has taught Malay as a Foreign Language and Islamic Studies for 18 years.
Epsom College is Noriza's 3rd international school; she has taught a range of students from 7-17 years old . To complement her full-time teaching, Noriza has been employed as an Examiner for IGCSE Malay as Foreign Language which has enriched her own classroom practice.
During her teaching assignment in a previous school , Noriza organised and enjoyed taking students out of campus to give them the opportunity to apply what they have covered in class and experience the real world.
Noriza, a busy mum with her husband and six children, lives out of campus. She enjoys cooking and travelling.
Director of Music, AHMM Granville House
Mr John Mann joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) in 2016 from St George’s College, Weybridge in Surrey, UK, where he held the position of the Head of Strings. A keen violinist, John has studied with Professor Sergei Fatkulin (a former teacher of Maxim Vengerov) in Madrid, although his formal musical education was received at New College, Oxford, where he specialised in academic pursuits of Romantic Music and performance.
John has been classically trained, but he has a keen interest in other styles, particularly funk and jazz. Whilst living in Surrey he spent time playing both keyboard and electric violin in a number of bands, and has taken initiatives during his career to set up outreach opportunities to satisfy his passion for community music making. Always keen to provide performance opportunities for pupils of all abilities, John has set up new concert platforms and competitions in each of the schools he has worked in, and is keen to accompany pupils wherever possible in the spirit of collaboration.
In September 2016, John took on the responsibility of AHMM Granville, a pastoral role that he greatly enjoys. John is taking on the additional responsibility of Director of Music from January 2017, and is looking forward to building on the excellent tradition of music making that has been established in this vibrant community of talented and developing pupils.
Head of Strings
Miss Kimberly was educated in a highly regarded music specialist boarding school, Wells Cathedral School (UK), in her early years of musical studies. Subsequently, she graduated with a Bachelor of Music from Indiana University (USA) followed by a Postgraduate Certificate in Primary Education (PGCE). During her time in the United States, Miss Kimberly was trained in the famous pedagogy programme founded by Mimi Zweig, which based its philosophy on nurturing the physical, the psychological and the musical abilities of a child using key ideas from the Suzuki method.
In her past experience as a performing musician and educator in the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), she focused her efforts on enriching the educational aspect of the education department of the orchestra. She was a key instructor for the youth orchestral programme from the day it started. Her role included auditioning new members, coaching ensembles and large groups on their parts for their upcoming orchestral performances and lastly, forming chamber groups and supervising their progress over the years.
During her active involvement in the MPO’s outreach programme over the years, she has participated in many community projects that include coordinating groups, planning the musical schedule, and performing for many underprivileged groups.
In her free time Miss Kimberly has organized many charity concerts, often featuring up to 25 young musicians playing different musical instruments, which have raised sizable funds for multiple charities.
As an educator in music, it has always been her passion to cultivate interest for music in the younger generation. Miss Kimberly believes music has an incredible influence on students’ discipline, creativity and motivation.
College Head of Learning Support
Ms Ilona Wroblewska
College Head of Learning Support
Ms Ilona Wroblewska joined Epsom College in Malaysia in August 2016 from Baldragon Academy in Scotland, where she worked as a Special Education Needs (SEN) teacher for 7 years. She is an experienced SEN and Computing teacher, possessing a Master’s Degree in Educational Pedagogy and a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science in Education from The Silesian University in Poland.
She has over 15 years of experience in both Polish and British schools and has taught in Primary, Secondary and Special Schools. At Baldragon Academy her responsibilities included creating differentiated materials & implementing strategies in classes to enable pupils with ASN to access the curriculum effectively, compiling IEPs (Individual Education Profiles) for pupils with ASN and setting realistic targets, liaising with EAL staff and delivering ESOL course to bilingual pupils from National 2 to Higher Level. She also took an interest in extra-curricular activities such as working with groups of pupils with ASN towards Dynamic Youth Awards during their weekly Outdoor Education sessions.
Ilona is bilingual in Polish/English and especially multicultural, allowing her to identify with many students of different cultures, languages or ethnic backgrounds. Her interpersonal skills help her to recognize educational problems and use her initiative to correct them pro-actively. She wants all children to be successful learners and works to create a classroom atmosphere that is stimulating, encouraging, and adaptive to the varied needs of students. She is accustomed to working in a multicultural environment that emphasizes inclusion.
In her free time Ilona enjoys trekking, climbing and skiing; however, in Malaysia she is looking forward to going scuba diving instead of on skiing holidays in future years.
Director of Sport
Mr Steve Brenchley joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) from Abingdon School, UK where he taught Physical Education and Biology. He also led extensive and highly successful hockey and tennis programmes, with a number of teams and individual players achieving national honours. Steve coaches school performance teams in other disciplines and has himself played representatively in five different sports.
Having been educated at the University of Birmingham reading Sport and Exercise Science, Steve spent time as a professional tennis coach in Europe and has managed in the health and fitness sector before moving into education. Alongside teaching, he was previously employed as a lecturer and tutor to students on the University of Buckingham's Physical Education PGCE course.
HMM Propert, Head of Key Stage 3
Mr Ian Squires joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) from Shrewsbury International School (SIS), Bangkok. As a founding member of SIS, Ian has a wealth of experience in developing a new institution, using the English curriculum in an international context.
At Shrewsbury International School, Ian had pastoral responsibility as a Head of Year, was a member of the Senior Leadership Team and the Senior SENCo (Special Educational Needs), and prior to that, he was the Head of Physical Education. At ECiM he takes this experience into his role as the Housemaster for a senior boys' house.
Originally from Plymouth, Ian studied Sport and Science in Nottingham, before completing a PGCE through Exeter University. He has also completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Difficulties in Literacy Development and is a registered specialist teacher and assessor of Dyslexia through the British Dyslexic Association.
Prior to his time at Shrewsbury he lived and worked in Sheffield and Rotherham, working at Thomas Rotherham Sixth Form College, teaching PE and A level Biology. He also worked at St Bernard's Catholic High School.
Alongside this he worked for the Football Association as a B license coach, delivering coaching at county level and coach education courses throughout the borough.
Married with two young children, Ian is an active sportsman and remains a particularly passionate football fan. He is also a keen boxer, enjoys keeping fit and is learning to play the guitar alongside his son.
AHMM Wilson House
Steph Barker joined Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) as a teacher of Physical Education from Wycombe Abbey School, High Wycombe, in the UK, where she held the same position for 4 years before heading off on her next adventure to Malaysia.
Steph grew up in a variety of places across the USA, but during her time in Virginia she developed a love for lacrosse, playing in goal for both women’s and men’s lacrosse, before going on to study Spanish and Russian at the University of Denver, where she still holds the record for the number of saves made over her lacrosse career there.
Steph moved to the UK to work at Uppingham School to lead their lacrosse programme and work in the PE department, as well as being a Resident Tutor in a boarding house, before teaching Spanish in the Modern Languages department. After three years, she departed for the University of Edinburgh where she completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Outdoor Education, before joining Wycombe Abbey School, where she also lead the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award programme. She also helped to coach the Women’s Lacrosse England U19s and has coached the Women’s Lacrosse Netherlands’ national team.
Steph is an enthusiastic runner and has completed four marathons, including London and Edinburgh, and six triathlons. She still enjoys playing lacrosse whenever she gets the opportunity, but is always prepared to give other sports a go, including playing more football and hockey since arriving in the UK. She loves outdoor pursuits, including snowboarding, climbing and hiking, and has completed her Mountain Leader Award.
She lives on campus with her husband Jon, who is the Head of Geography, and her dog, Inky.
Round Square and Co-Curricular (CCA) Co-ordin
Mrs Suzanne Kuster is in her third year at ECiM. Suzanne has a BA Honours (Political Science and Physical Education) from York University, Toronto and a two year Diploma in Exercise Physiology from George Brown College. Her teaching diploma is from the Toronto Mont Institute.
Suzanne teaches PE and Sport from nursery up to Year 9 and coaches many of the girls' sporting teams. She is an active participant in many sports and believes everyone can find that one activity they love to keep them healthy and fit in years to come. Suzanne also co-ordinates the extensive CCA programme and our Round Square programme.
Epsom College is Suzanne's third Round Square school on a third continent. She taught for 10 years at Bayview Glen in Toronto, Canada; 8 years at Abbotsholme in the UK and now ECiM. She brings her vast connections to over 100 independent like-minded schools to organise student exchanges, conferences and service projects.
She is also the proud mother of 3 wonderful children, her youngest graduated from ECiM and earned herself a place studying at Manchester University in the UK. Her other 2 children have graduated from Cardiff University and Cardiff Met University and are embarking on very successful careers.
Sports Manager
I am the Sports Manager at ECiM. I have represented Malaysia at Hockey having competed in the Los Angeles Olympics, winning 135 caps over a 12 year period. It is a great privilege to work at ECiM and be involved with a dynamic sports department and staff room.
Head of Rugby
I started to play rugby when I was 11 years old, and was selected to continue my secondary education at Bukit Jalil Sport School before I graduated from University of Technology Mara (Sport Science & Studies). I was represented Malaysian Varsity Team (Masum) three times in World University Championship, Sea Games 7s and I had other opportunities to represent the Malaysian Team at prestige games such as Commonwealth Games 2010 and Asian Games 2010. I am also currently captain for COBRA RC and Men Senior - Malaysian 15s Team where I have just been promoted to Asian Rugby Championship (Top Division)
I think and believe that every child deserves to get an outstanding exposure to sport and rugby that helps them to maximise their potential to build a positive character and be the best they can be.
PE Teacher/Sports Coach
I studied sport management at UNISEL and have recently left the Malaysian Rugby programme after playing in the SE Asian Games. I have represented Malaysia on the Rugby field playing 7's and Touch Rugby and have also represented KL state on the track running 100, 200m and 400m. I look forward to helping all the students at Epsom develop and my own coaching, having gained qualifications in S and C, coaching and refereeing. I will also continue to coach the state Rugby women's teams
PE Teacher/Sports Coach
I studied Sport Science for 3 years at UMS (Major: Coaching ,Minor: Sports Management). I represented Malaysia in the SEA Games 2017(Rugby). I also played netball, futsal, football, handball, athletics and in other sports teams.
I always look to try new sports. I hope as a sports science graduate my experiences will help Epsom in developing its sports programme.