Head of School Appointment

Matthew brings a wealth of experience and expertise to Albyn with a career in education spanning three decades, 15 years of which have been dedicated to successfully leading schools in Scotland, England and internationally across both the independent and state sectors.

Matthew read History at Cambridge and after time in industry qualified as a teacher at the University of Durham, later gaining a Masters in Education Leadership from the University of Manchester.  His first teaching post was at Manchester Grammar School from where he moved to Nottingham High School as Head of History and then to St Bede’s College Manchester where he served as Deputy Head for eight years.

Matthew’s inaugural headship was at Dover Grammar School for Girls which received two consecutive ‘Outstanding’ ratings from Ofsted under his leadership. During his tenure, he was also appointed a National Leader of Education by the Secretary of State for Education, working regionally within the UK to raise standards of leadership and governance.

In 2016, Matthew relocated to Glasgow to lead well known Scottish independent school, St Aloysius’ College. He next applied his expertise as Founding Headmaster of Brighton College Hanoi, Vietnam where he recruited and shaped the initial leadership and teaching teams as well as recruiting more than 300 students for the opening in 2023.

Since returning to the UK, Matthew has been engaged as a Senior Consultant with RS Academics advising schools globally on recruitment and governance.  He is Chair of Governors at St Augustine’s Priory in Ealing, West London, and serves as a Member of the Scottish Children’s Hearings which champions the needs and rights of young people and families. Matthew has worked sector wide on the boards of organisations such as HMC, SCIS and GSHA.

Matthew is already familiar with operations at Albyn School, having joined as a governor in 2025. We are excited to appoint such an experienced and passionate Head of School and are confident that the school will continue to thrive under his leadership and expertise during an interim period while the Board conducts an exhaustive recruitment process to identify and secure the next permanent Head of Albyn School.