Talking Heads 2025
Joff Powis and the Senior Leadership Team are delighted to invite parents to our third Talking Heads Forum at Vinehall School.
Introducing our speakers:
Rachel Bailey, Headmistress, Benenden School
Rachel Bailey was educated at Badminton School for Girls and Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls. She read Economics at York University and completed her teacher training at Warwick University.
Rachel joined Benenden as Headmistress in September 2024 from The Royal Masonic School for Girls where she was Head of Senior School. She is an experienced educational leader with a clear track record of delivering a holistic education centred on strong academics while building the confidence, resilience and self-esteem that are so necessary for life and work in the 21st Century.
Rachel is an accomplished musician and music aficionado. She is also passionate about horses and more recently has been developing her creative side learning the intricacies of cake decorating.
Steve Marshall-Taylor, Head Master, Brighton College
Steve Marshall-Taylor graduated from Nottingham University with a First in French and German before completing his PGCE at the University of Cambridge.
He joined Brighton College as Deputy Headmaster (Pupils) in August 2013 from King’s College School, Wimbledon where he had been Head of German, Housemaster and Head of Middle School. He became Head of Senior School at Brighton College in 2019, overseeing the day-to-day running of the College. In August 2024, he became Head Master, and continues to work closely with Richard Cairns who has become Principal and CEO of the Brighton College family of schools, comprising 4 Prep schools, 7 international schools and an academy in East London.
He is a keen sportsman and enjoys triathlon and open water swimming. He has completed several mountain marathons including the Biel 100km ultra-marathon and in 2017 he swam the English Channel in support of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, having lost a close friend to the disease. Steve is married to Mandy and has three teenage daughters.
The Hon TNM Lawson MA, Headmaster, Eastbourne College
Tom (b June 1976) is married to Jessica. They have one girl and one boy: Xanthe (b 2005) and Hector (b 2007) and a boxer dog, Roy. The children currently attend Eastbourne College.
Tom is a lifelong teacher, first at Winchester College from 1998 until 2013, teaching A-level Economics and history, literature, arts and culture through the school’s non-examined humanities course. He became a housemaster in 2005 and Under Master (head of boarding) in 2011. From Winchester, Tom and Jessica moved to Christ’s Hospital school in Horsham where Tom was Deputy Head. He became Headmaster of Eastbourne College in 2016.
Tom was brought up in London and the midlands but lived all his adult life in Hampshire and Sussex. Tom attended Westminster Cathedral Choir School and Eton College before going up to Christ Church, Oxford to read PPE.
Tom is on the board of Cavendish Education Trust and Willingdon Community School and has served terms as governor of two preparatory schools in Kent. His other charitable / previous employment included being on the board of a putative free school, Rivendale School Trust, an intern for the Small Business Committee of the US House of Representatives, researcher for the Social Market Foundation, Westminster, and for the Institute of Community Studies, Tower Hamlets where he conducted research which was the genesis for Tower Hamlet’s Summer University/‘Futureversity.’
Tom’s interests include politics, cars, food and family life. He is a member of HMC and the ASCL.