We are pleased to welcome Mark Taylor to Roedean School as the Director of Alumnae Relations and Development. Hailing from Banff in Aberdeenshire, Mark is delighted to have moved to the Sussex coast and to be living by the sea once again.

Growing up on his family’s dairy farm, Mark managed to escape farm duties to enjoy golf and tennis in the summer and skiing in the Cairngorms in the winter. He attended Banff Academy and went on to study Politics at the University of Aberdeen. He spent a year studying Psychology at the University of Illinois before returning to Scotland to complete his degree in 1996.  After some time working with adults and children with learning difficulties – and a gap-year in Australia – he completed his teacher training at Jordanhill College in Glasgow.

Mark’s first teaching post was at Rugby School where he joined the Politics department. A few years later, he became Head of Department and later Director of Extra-Curricular and External Programmes. He loved boarding school life, taking on duties as an Assistant Housemaster, getting involved with coaching rugby, hockey and tennis, and organising trips to Washington DC and New York.

In 2008, wishing to return to Scotland and relishing a new challenge, Mark joined the staff of The Glasgow Academy’s External Relations office. As Director of Development, he oversaw a successful appeal to help fund a new Science and Technology Building - The Saunders Centre. The transformational difference the building made to school life was rewarding and he is pleased to have played a part in what was a fantastic project. In his time there, Mark also helped to establish a Sixth Form bursary programme in partnership with a leading Scottish Trust.

Mark arrived at Roedean over half-term and wishes to thank everyone for the very warm welcome he has received. We look forward to introducing Mark to members of the Roedean community over the coming months.