Rachel Colbourn, Head of Highfield
Rachel Colbourn joined Highfield in September 2010. She has a breadth of experience in primary schools, both in the independent and international sectors. She has a First Class Honours degree in Education and English and a Master’s degree in Primary Education from Hull University.
Rachel has taught right across the primary age range. She has impressive knowledge and experience both of the early and later years of primary education (what was once called infant and junior school) and of the Early Years Foundation Stage (pre-school and reception classes).
Rachel’s previous role was as Deputy Head of the Primary Department at the British School in Muscat, Oman, a school judged to be ‘outstanding’ in its previous inspection. The British School, like HLC, is for pupils aged 3-18 and, as a member of the whole school’s Senior Leadership team, Rachel contributed significantly to the strategic development of the whole organisation.
A qualified BAGA coach, Rachel helped to run the school’s Gymnastic Club. She has also coached netball. Following her husband’s relocation to her home town of Harrogate, Rachel and Mark (who is also a primary school teacher) and their two daughters are already established members of the wider community.
Rachel works very closely with Alison Collings, the Head of Bankfield, the School’s pre prep section, and Rhiannon Wilkinson, the Headmistress of HLC, to ensure that there is a continuity of progression for pupils across the whole school. Her aim is to establish Highfield as North Yorkshire’s undisputed premier prep department where girls and boys will all flourish and achieve as well as they possibly can, both in the classroom and beyond.