Marianne Dark
Headteacher

Marianne Dark was born in Bristol, in the south west of England and educated at the University of Leeds, where she took a degree in English and History. She later pursued her Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at Trinity and All Saints College.

Her first teaching post was at a secondary school in Leeds. She taught English for four years before obtaining her Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA). In 1998, she was offered a teaching position in Milan, Italy, where she taught English to both children and adults for two years.

During a trip to Malaysia in 1999, she met many Malaysians and was overwhelmingly touched by their kindness and warmth. The sheer excitement and energy of Kuala Lumpur was too hard to resist and she decided to move to Kuala Lumpur the following year.

Marianne joined Lorna Whiston in January 2002 and was appointed Deputy Headteacher in 2006. In addition to teaching children at Lorna Whiston, she has had the wonderful opportunity to meet students and teachers of Malaysian schools through our Outreach programmes. In May 2009, she was a presenter at the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) Conference where teachers, trainers and curriculum developers from the Ministry of Education attended. She was also actively involved in training the staff at Stemlife Berhad on Business Writing Skills.

Marianne is honoured to be the newly appointed Headteacher as “Lorna Whiston is special to me because of the enthusiastic staff, committed parents and motivated students.” She hopes to share her passion for language, literature and learning with her students and provide them with countless opportunities to grow. She is looking forward to the challenges of this new role and hopes to continue to build and develop her relationships with the children and parents of Lorna Whiston.

Jill Coombs
Deputy Headteacher

Originally from Devon in South West England, Jill earned a Master’s Degree (M.A.) in Theatre Arts from Goldsmith’s College London University. She also obtained a post graduate certificate in education (P.G.C.E.) in English and Drama and a B.A.(Hons) in Expressive Arts.

Jill has spent her professional life working in both education and theatre arts. Her career has spanned the U.K. and internationally the U.S.A., Spain, Japan and presently Malaysia. She has work experience with different age groups in both the private and public sectors. Positions in education in the public sector include being a guest lecturer at various universities in the UK. She was also Head of Drama at a secondary school in London for six years. In Japan she taught in a private international preschool whilst studying Japanese culture and Zen Calligraphy.

Jill has worked with various international theatre companies that went on tour. She has also debuted in an independent film produced in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Her most recent TV credits include choreographing and acting in ‘The Inspector Lynley Mysteries’ series for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

After several holiday visits to Malaysia from Japan, Jill discovered Lorna Whiston Study Centre, where she found the positive and creative approach to teaching students was in line with her own ethos. She managed to secure employment in 2006 and soon became Speech and Drama Coordinator. She is now delighted to be given the opportunity to take on the role of Deputy Headteacher.

Kay Bailey
Teacher

Kay grew up in West Africa, only moving back to the UK when she was 18 years old. She graduated from University of Exeter, UK with an honours degree in Education and French. After arriving in Asia in January 1994, she began her teaching career at Lorna Whiston Study Centres in Singapore.

In July 1997, Kay moved to Malaysia to establish the Lorna Whiston Study Centre in Kuala Lumpur and to assume her position as Headteacher. Since then, she has enjoyed exploring many Asian countries as well as the Peninsular Malaysia. Being an avid sports enthusiast, she is constantly drawn to the beautiful beaches on the East Coast.

Although still using her maiden name, Ms. Bailey became Mrs. Harrington on 11th April 2002, and she and her husband welcomed Josh in March 2006. Although Kay stepped down as Headteacher in June 2008, she is still a regular face at the centre as she teaches the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Full Time class as well as covering other classes from time to time.

Kay gets to enjoy the best of both worlds now - teaching the lovely students at Lorna Whiston and spending quality time with her 4 year old son.

David Bremner
Teacher

David grew up near Aberdeen in Scotland. He worked in various jobs around Scotland before being recommended for a position at a private nursery and Out of School Care. He became the Out of School Care Coordinator within a few months and this experience affirmed his decision to work as a teacher. He moved to Glasgow and studied at Strathclyde University for four years to complete his B. Ed. (Hons) in Primary Education where he specialised in Music as well as Philosophy with Children.

This is David’s first teaching job after graduating and he is thoroughly enjoying Malaysia, particularly the food. He is very excited to see all the culture of Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia has to offer and will be making the most of his holiday time to do so.

David enjoys keeping active and particularly likes to go mountain biking, surfing, climbing, running and snowboarding. He is very excited about all the new adventure possibilities that working in Malaysia will open for him. In his less active time he enjoys watching films and reading, particularly children’s books.

Pat’s teacher training was for junior and secondary levels. She started her career by teaching History and Geography in a secondary school. She later switched to juniors and has then taught all levels from kindergarten onwards.

She gained her TEFL Certificate in England and has since worked in international schools in Kuwait, Singapore and Malaysia. She worked at Lorna Whiston Study Centres in Singapore for nine years before commencing at the Study Centre in Kuala Lumpur in January 2002.

She is now working part-time at the centre and is enjoying the opportunity to pursue her hobbies.

Barbara-Anne Mulhearn
Teacher

Barbara-Anne’s genuine love for children drove her to teach. It was always her lifelong dream and passion to teach young children. She holds a Diploma in Early Childhood Education from the London Montessori Centre and is trained in various teaching methods such as the Sunshine Reading Programme, Letterland and Musikgarten. Being a compassionate and nurturing teacher, she has taught young children for the past 15 years.

Barbara-Anne is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Curtin, Australia. She is also working toward her certificate in TESL (Teachers of English as a Second Language).

Barbara-Anne has a diverse ethnic and cultural background. Having an English father and a Malaysian born mother, she spent her childhood travelling and living in foreign countries.

When she isn’t busy being a mother to her 15 year old daughter, she enjoys having coffee with friends and going to the theatre. She also loves curling up with a good book, sketching and experimenting in the kitchen.

Jennifer grew up outside of Pittsburgh in the United States. After completing her Bachelor of Arts (Anthropology) and Bachelor of Science (Biology) at the University of Pittsburgh, Jennifer then went on to complete a Master of Arts (Education).

She taught in Minnesota before moving to England to live. After a short stay in the UK, she and her partner took the opportunity to work in Kuala Lumpur. Before joining Lorna Whiston Jennifer taught in Kuala Lumpur at an international school.

Jennifer and her partner love taking trips to the many beautiful beaches around Malaysia whenever they can. But her favourite weekend getaway is to the highlands for the cool air and amazing views.

Gordon is from Melbourne, Australia and is an experienced Infants/Primary Teacher. He studied Infants/Primary education at the University of New England in New South Wales. He later gained a post-graduate qualification in Literacy and Teaching English as a Second Language at Victoria University in Melbourne.

Gordon has enjoyed working in Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore and now for the second time in Kuala Lumpur. His interests include children's literature, travelling, jungle trekking, cooking and the arts.

He first joined Lorna Whiston's in 2003 where he worked with a variety of classes from early childhood to senior primary. Until recently, Gordon was teaching in a tuition centre in Singapore that focused on reading and writing techniques and good children's literature. Gordon decided that he felt more at home in Malaysia and enjoyed the Lorna Whiston teaching philosophy.

Teau Seabourne is an experienced educator, trained and qualified as a Primary school teacher in New Zealand. Teau has taught at all levels of the New Zealand schooling system including a lectureship at the Auckland College of Education for two years in the School of Education and two years in the Early Childhood Sector. She has a Bachelor of Education degree and a post graduate degree in TESOL.

Teau was seconded to the New Zealand Ministry of Education as an education advisor in Maori Education and became a foundation member of the Pacific Islands Education Advisory sector of the Ministry of Education New Zealand. She then moved into consultancy work for the Ministry on nationwide and regional education reform projects from 1989 to 2003. These projects included a management and leadership training programme and the implementation of curriculum and school policies in the southern group of the Cook Islands. A major aspect of the projects was to involve parental participation in the education of their children and to develop community awareness of the new changes in the school curriculum.

Teau moved to Kuala Lumpur at the beginning of 2004 to be with her husband who was posted to KL. She joined Lorna Whiston as a full time teacher and on completion of her contract, she took an opportunity to teach in Moscow, Russia. She taught as the Foundation Coordinator for Rosinka Primary school, part of the British International School of Moscow from 2006 – 2008.

She has returned to Lorna Whiston and is enjoying the familiar surroundings of the school, staff, parents and children and loves being back in the warmth of Malaysia and its wonderful people.

Sue has been a Primary School Teacher for twenty two years with a special interest in Literacy. She graduated from the University of Birmingham in 1975 with a Certificate in Primary Education. She taught in Wales for seven years teaching Welsh amongst other subjects.

Sue also taught Adult Literacy lessons to enable parents to help their own children in developing their reading skills.

She and her family re-located to Oxford in 2000 where she taught in two Independent Schools. She has 3 grown up children who live in the UK.

In her leisure time Sue likes traveling and sampling local cuisine. Since arriving in Malaysia, Sue has visited Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand and has enjoyed the warmth and friendliness shown to her husband and herself by all.

Nectar Anne began her teaching career in 1997, teaching visual arts, her great passion in life. She completed her degree in Visual Arts and her Post- Graduate Studies in Education at the University of Western Sydney. Nectar then went on to complete her Post- Graduate Certificate in Arts Management at University of Technology Sydney.

In 2005, she travelled and worked in Europe, teaching high school arts and design. This period of time enabled Nectar to not only develop her professional skills but also her knowledge and understanding of other cultures and of international standards in teaching and classroom practices. Upon her return to Sydney, Nectar resumed her Visual Arts teaching career, where she was regarded as one of the most respected teachers, by both her colleagues and students.

This is Nectar’s first trip to Malaysia and she feels extremely lucky to be in the company of highly experienced and accomplished teachers. Nectar’s other interests include salsa dancing, sports cars and fitness and training.

Nectar's openness to travel and new experiences gives her a more perceptive and tolerant outlook on professional and interpersonal skills. Nectar is looking forward to a year of excitement and adventure at Lorna Whiston and she hopes that Malaysia will give her the inspiration to pursue her creativity and make a difference.

Jenny Strachan
Teacher


Jenny Strachan is an experienced educator and author who has worked extensively in both the educational and corporate fields.

After teaching Drama, English and Art at the prestigious Kincoppal-Rose Bay Convent in Sydney, she moved to the tertiary sector and taught at Sydney Institute of Technology. She was appointed Teacher In Charge of Communication for Nepean College of TAFE. She then went into business on her own and, using her speech and drama skills, became one of the most successful consultants in her field in Australia. In 2006, she was appointed Director of the English Language Centre at the newly established Australian International School Saigon, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Jenny discovered Malaysia via holidays in Penang and when doing a series of training presentations in South- East Asian cities; she presented in six Asian countries. She decided then that Malaysia was where she wanted to be. Out of the classroom, Jenny likes nothing better than a night at the theatre or a slow stroll around an art gallery. She has already explored the pleasures of KLPac and the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas and has found a new treasure trove in KL's Islamic Arts Museum.

Janet Teo
Teacher

My first career was as a School Dental Therapist in primary schools, teaching general hygiene and providing Dental Treatment for school children. Later I enrolled in a Bachelor of Education to become a primary school teacher and also had a great interest in Special Needs. I graduated in 2002 as the top graduating student in the School of Education for that year, and also received a University Award for being the highest graduating student in English and Literacy Studies.

I then taught in a primary school in Brisbane and also supported students with Special Needs and Learning Difficulties through an inclusive education policy. I really enjoyed taking my students on camp each year to support their growth in Personal Development. Being away from the classroom confines gave the students new opportunities to communicate with each other, and their teachers, at a different level. One of my highlights teaching Year 6 was when a group of my male students won the State Finals in an annual competition called 'The Reader's Cup'.

My husband, who is of Chinese parentage, spent a large part of his childhood in Malaysia. He introduced me to the 'Malaysian way of life', and this is where my love affair with Malaysia began... its people, environment and cuisine fascinated me.

Jeanette Wright
Teacher

Jeanette grew up in South Wales in the United Kingdom and later moved to London. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Literature with Education at the University of Hertfordshire where she also trained as a teacher.

Before joining the team at Lorna Whiston, Jeanette spent some time working and living in Qatar in the Middle East teaching at an International School. She enjoyed learning about the Arabic way of life and sampling the wide variety of international food available there.

Prior to studying as a mature student, Jeannette worked part time as a Personal Assistant in a Graphics Design Studio and was a full time mother to her two children, Rebecca and Katie. Both of her daughters were members of the Hertfordshire Gymnastics Squad and Jeannette became involved in their hobby by training as a gymnastic coach and county judge. Bother of her children are now teachers in the UK.

This is Jeannette’s first visit to Malaysia and she feels privileged to join the team at Lorna Whiston. Her favourite pastimes include swimming, travelling, listening to music and reading. Jeannette is especially looking forward to the opportunity of travelling in Malaysia, sampling the cuisine and discovering the Malaysian way of life.