Leadership Team | Radnor House Sevenoaks | Private School in Kent

Ian Davies

MA, PGCE

Born in Sri Lanka in 1959, Mr Davies went to school in Nottinghamshire, progressing to a degree at Oxford and a PGCE at Cambridge. Starting his teaching career in 1981, he taught for 10 years in the maintained sector, first in a comprehensive school and then in a grammar school, before joining the Leadership Team at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, and then progressing to his first Headship at St Dunstan's College in Catford in 1998.

 After nearly 7 years Mr Davies became Head of Brentwood School in Essex in 2004 and retired from there in 2019. Brentwood School has a similar structure to Radnor House in that it consists of a Junior School, Main School and Sixth Form, and is situated close to London, just outside the M25. 
In 2018 Mr Davies led Brentwood School to an outstanding Inspection Report. Mr Davies was appointed Chair of the Board of Directors at Mount House School in Barnet in 2023, and joined the Board at Radnor House School in 2024.

Out of school, Mr Davies is a keen tennis and golf player, and is President of the Demijohns Cricket Club, the cricket team for alumni of St John's College in Oxford University. He was also Chairman of the Brentwood Theatre Trust for 10 years, and has served on the Admiralty Board and as an ISI Inspector. He was also the Independent Schools advisor to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award for several years.  He chaired the London Division of the Headmaster's Conference twice while serving as a Head. 

Neil Moulding

BA (Hons) FCA

Neil is a qualified Chartered Accountant, with a degree in Economics from Lancaster University.  He has a background in Corporate Finance, Real Estate Banking and Property Development/Operations.

Having joined Radnor House in 2013, he was instrumental in developing the Twickenham operation. He led on the acquisition of what was Combe Bank School in 2015 and spent a further nine years as Finance and Operations Director.  Radnor House Sevenoaks developed almost beyond recognition over that period with Neil leading and delivering significant investments in the estate, infrastructure and staffing.  

As of September 2024, Neil stepped down from his Executive role, and remains on the Board as a Non-Executive Director with specific oversight of Finance and Operations.

He is a sports and fresh air nut, loving nothing more than being in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales, or on a sandy beach with his pair of dogs.

Emil Gigov

BA (Hons) FCA

Emil Gigov is a Partner of Albion Ventures LLP, a leading UK based venture capital investor voted Finalist in the Investor of the Year category at the Education Investor Awards 2012. Emil has spent over 15 years investing in small and medium sized UK companies and working closely with their management teams to achieve long term growth. During that time he has been involved in a variety of sectors, including education, child care, healthcare, technology, leisure, media and engineering.

Prior to joining Albion Ventures Emil spent seven years working for KPMG, the international accounting firm, in their London office. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and has a BA (Hons) degree in European Business Administration. Mr Gigov has two young daughters and spends most of his free time with his family. He is a keen skier and tries to keep fit through cycling and running.

Dr Colin Diggory

Colin Diggory is a former Headmaster, recently retired after 8 years as Head of Alleyn's School (IAPS, HMC), Dulwich, and 11 years as Head of Latymer Upper School (IAPS, HMC), Hammersmith; with 34 years experience of teaching in the independent sector (Manchester Grammar; St. Paul's; Merchant Taylors' Northwood; Latymer Upper; Alleyn's).

After graduating from Durham University with a 1st Class Honours in Mathematics, he achieved his Masters Degree through the Open University and was awarded a Vice-Chancellor Award for Education and Language Studies for his Doctorate of Education. Colin Diggory was a Chief Examiner at A level; an Ofsted assessed Lead Inspector of Independent Schools, and continues to provide thought-leadership for the sector through public speaking and writing. 

Jo was educated at Bromley High School before graduating with a BA Hons in English Literature from the College of St Hild and St Bede, Durham University in 2000, after which she completed the PgDL at The College of Law, Guildford followed by the LPC at The College of Law, London.  She qualified and practiced as a Solicitor with the law firm Schillings in 2005, specialising in reputation management and general litigation, spending an in-house secondment with Jamie Oliver.

After the birth of her second child in 2010, Jo took a career break to raise her children and help her husband David establish Radnor House School in Twickenham whilst studying psychotherapy and counselling. Once her three children were settled at Radnor House Sevenoaks, Jo trained and qualified as a primary teacher, gaining her PGCE and QTS in Primary Schools in the London Borough of Bromley in 2018-2020.  Since 2020, Jo has served as a Non Executive Director at Radnor House Sevenoaks.

In her spare time, Jo enjoys keeping fit, reading, and generally supporting her family and the wider community.

David Paton

BComm (Hons) PGCE MA

As the founding Head of Radnor House, David Paton understands the importance of good teaching and is passionate about improving the life chances of children.  He is a teacher with over 20 years of experience; prior to founding Radnor House he was a senior leader at The Harrodian and Deputy Head of Senior School at Dulwich College.  David continues to support two low-cost community schools in Uganda and is a Governor of two local primary schools in Kent.

Esther Wright

MA, MA (Hons), PCGE

Graduating from the University of St Andrews in  Ancient History and Archaeology, Esther initially stepped into leadership in a post degree sabbatical role as Vice President of the Students Association. Finally cutting her student ties, she entered the digital world of Direct Marketing, where she worked for a number of high profile agencies and latterly managed client accounts for Dell EMEA and Asia Pacific regions.

Realising that her passions lay more with History, in 2007 Esther decided to follow the family career path into teaching and took up a PGCE with History specialism at Canterbury Christ Church, joining Radnor House Sevenoaks in 2009 as Year 4 class teacher. In 2012 Esther took up the post of Deputy Head of Prep, and Head of Prep and Nursery in 2013, and from 2017 to 2024 was Head of Student Support across the whole school.

Lottie Owen

BSc (Hons) MA PGCE

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After graduating from the University of Leeds with a BA degree in English Literature and Language, Lottie was selected to join the competitive and rigorous Teach First Graduate Programme. Following the two-year placement, achieving an MA in Leadership and Management alongside her PGCE, Lottie joined Bradford Grammar School as a teacher of English and Drama and Head of Higher Education for three years. From here, Lottie took on the role of Head of English and the Assistant Head position of Head of Scholarship and Academic Excellence at Wetherby Senior School in London for five years. Lottie enjoys exploring the great outdoors with her young family, attending the theatre and discussing literature with friends at her book club.

George Penlington

BA, Dip Teaching

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Graduating from Otago University, New Zealand, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History, George completed his teaching qualification at the Christchurch College of Education, New Zealand. He started his career at New Plymouth Boys’ High School (NZ), teaching English and Art History. He was also the Arts Coordinator and a boarding master.

Moving to the UK, George briefly taught English at Hurlingham and Chelsea, before taking up a permanent position at Bearwood College in Wokingham. There for 13 years, he was an Assistant Boarding Housemaster, a Day Housemaster, Head of the Prep School, and, for the final seven years, Academic Deputy. 

Sian Pettitt

MA Cantab

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Sian has an MA from Emmanuel College, Cambridge in Modern and Medieval Languages. After an early career in banking and several years in Public Relations, she moved into teaching. Her previous schools include L’Ermitage International School in Maisons  Laffitte, France, and Sevenoaks School.  She loves music, sport and spending time with family.

Scott Milne

MA (Hons), PGCE

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Scott graduated with an MA in Economics from the University of St Andrews. Following a postgraduate gap year post in a prep school in the Midlands, he undertook a PGCE before spending his formative teaching years at Clifton College in Bristol. He then moved to London, firstly at Alleyn's School and then as Head of Economics and Head of Sixth Form at Eltham College. Beyond work, he is a keen choral singer, an avid football fan, and enjoys days out in the Kent countryside with his young family.

Michael Salvage

MA, PGCE

After graduating from the University of Leicester with a BA degree in History, Michael embarked on a career in the civil service, before answering the call of teaching, a career which runs throughout his family. Michael completed his PGCE at Canterbury Christchurch University before working in the Kent grammar system, where he was head of history. During this time he completed his MA in leadership and management for education. He then moved into the independent sector and has been at Radnor House since 2016. Michael enjoys walking his dogs in the countryside, cooking (especially baking), gardening, reading, exercising as much as possible and trips to the opera.

Mike Godwin

BA (Hons)

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Michael Godwin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Primary Education (English specialism) from Manchester Metropolitan University and completed his NPQH at University College London. Since qualifying in 2007, Michael has gained extensive experience in education, starting his career as a senior leader at two schools in Manchester before moving internationally.

In 2018, Michael joined Harrow International School, Bangkok, as Deputy Head of the Lower School. During his four years there, he focused on students from Toddlers (18mth olds) to Year 5, while also driving teaching and learning initiatives and character development across the entire school.

Since joining Radnor House Sevenoaks in September 2022 as Deputy Head of the Prep School Michael has focused on developments in teaching and learning as well as curriculum developments. Michael has now stepped into the role of Head of the Prep School. He is passionate about holistic education, particularly how it supports both academic achievement and character development, and how a varied curriculum can help students make the most of their educational journey.

Outside of work, Michael enjoys spending time with his wife and son. An outdoor enthusiast, he can often be found paddleboarding, water skiing, hiking, or exploring National Trust sites. He is also an avid sports fan, especially of his local team, Stockport County.

Claire Anders

Director of Finance & Operations

Claire joined Radnor House Sevenoaks as Director of Finance and Operations in July 2024, bringing with her a wealth of experience across a variety of industries, including Media, CADCAM software, Asset Management, and Independent School Finance. A qualified Chartered Accountant, Claire holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Masters in European Economic Integration from the University of Kent at Canterbury.

With extensive business partnering experience gained in senior financial roles, Claire is committed to supporting the school’s strategic vision and ensuring the continued success of its operations and financial management.