Debbie left Keele University in 1998 and started her career as a retail graduate management trainee with Sainsbury’s. She enjoyed managing people so much she pursued a route into a HR team in a store. Whilst working as an HR manager she gained a postgraduate diploma in HR with the CIPD. A long career followed with rich experiences in the field but was made redundant after 19 years, as Sainsbury’s transformed retail HR. This opened another door for her to change her work life balance and join the team at Fraser Youens House.

In the summer holiday of 1997 she travelled throughout Canada and met a British chap in a customs hall in Seattle, little did she know he would end up as her husband and father of her two young daughters Nieve and Jessica.  After marrying in 2002 their love of travel continued for 10 years, skiing in Canada, exploring New Zealand and the Caribbean to mention the highlights. After a brief pause whilst the children were small they have recently returned to this passion most recently visiting Lake Garda last year with the children.

Debbie is a local person who was born in High Wycombe and has lots of family members in the area. When she is not travelling she is a busy mum who runs, bakes and gardens but enjoying growing flowers especially and is a Governor at Holmer Green First School and Pre-School.

Chris completed his PGCE at Durham University and joined RGS as a Geography teacher in 2018. A keen sportsman, Chris grew up in leafy Kent, playing district cricket for Ashford. He also enjoys table tennis and football; playing for the RGS staff team is the highlight of his week! A competitive chess player, a fierce political debater and the coach of the “Fives” team, Chris is a superb addition to the boarding team. Already part of the boarding community as a boarding tutor, Chris has also helped support the day boarders with their prep. He is a keen Geographer who is passionate about sharing the love of his subject and enjoys nothing more than taking a group of his students out on field study trips to places of geographical significance including Devon, the Lake District and Buxton. 

Sarah lives in Fraser Youens House along with Jon and their two young daughters. Sarah is a primary KS2 teacher and prior to changing her career to teaching, worked in the corporate events and conference industry in London. She studied International Politics and Strategic Studies at Aberystwyth University and a few years later completed her PGCE at Oxford Brookes. Sarah has travelled around the World, is an enthusiastic runner, has fulfilled a childhood aspiration of running the London Marathon and more recently ran the gruelling Boxing Day Chevin Chase Race. Sarah’s top priority in boarding is to create a warm and friendly environment for the boys while they are studying and living away from home. 

After seven years at Hornsea School and Language College James went on to study Natural Sciences for four years at the University of Cambridge before staying a further year to complete his PGCE. He returned part time to complete his Master of Education. He started working at RGS in 2010 as a Teacher of Chemistry and has been a Boarding Tutor since 2012. James is the Subject Leader for Chemistry and is also involved in U12 Rugby. Mr Young’s boarding revision sessions for Chemistry have been a huge success. Outside of school he enjoys running, especially those gruelling events with mud and obstacles.

Diana joined RGS in 2018 as a Maths teacher having previously taught at the Royal Masonic School and Repton School. She studied Maths at the University of Birmingham and completed her PGCE at Oxford University. She is a keen sportswoman who enjoys playing hockey at the weekend and going skiing as often as she can. She happens to be a qualified Ski Instructor and goes out to instruct in Italy at the same resort where the RGS Junior Ski Trip goes! Diana is a huge Musical fan and loves going to see shows in the West End. She also enjoys baking, so much so that Cake Friday is an official weekly event with her Y13 classes!

Alex hails from Worcester and joined the RGS as a Biology Teacher in 2021. He studied at Nunnery Wood High School before reading Zoology at Aberystwyth University. After graduating, he worked as a Learning Officer at West Midlands Safari Park and taught at a local school for 3 years before moving to Cardiff to complete his MA Musical Theatre, at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Alex then spent 2 years working professionally as an actor before joining the RGS and still enjoys treading the boards as part of a number of local amateur societies.

He helps out with the school productions and really enjoys seeing the development of the boarders through this. Outside of school he plays and coaches at Wycombe hockey club and was selected for the England Mixed Squad in 2018. Mr McDonald-Smith is always willing to have a chat and as Head of Kensington House always wants to hear new ideas for house events.

Lee joined the RGS in September 2018 as a teacher in the Biology department. His main background is Human Physiology and Sport Performance after studying Sport and Exercise Science with a year abroad (Minnesota, US) at the University of Hertfordshire. Sport is one of his main passions competing at a high level in high jump and being involved in England U18 and U21 development squads for Hockey as a goalkeeper. Lee grew up in the local area and went to the rival school John Hampden Grammar. Lee’s hobbies include playing the bass guitar, playing niche board games and building, crashing & repairing FPV racing drones when he can!

Ginny was educated at Hereford Cathedral School before reading Mathematics with Education at Hometon College, Cambridge. She joined the RGS in 2004 after enjoying a short spell teaching in India. Ginny has been part of the Boarding Community since 2005, initially as a House Tutor and Housemistress since 2011.

In addition to teaching Mathematics, she has been involved in Duke of Edinburgh and World Challenge Expeditions. Ginny is passionate about travel, particularly relishing her adventures in India, Outer Mongolia and South East Asia. She also enjoys hiking, yoga, art, photography and textile crafts and completed her first half marathon in 2014.

Ginny is married to David, who is Head of Year and a fellow RGS Maths teacher. They have three young children, Lucy, Emily and Thomas. Although Mrs Gallagher has responsibility for Academic matters within Boarding she is clearly there to support all of the boarders in a huge variety of ways. Younger boarders might want to know that she holds the Boarding pocket money account.

Sam started at RGS in 2016 and is Head of Hockey. Sam grew up and went to school in Oxford and comes from a family of teachers. He studied Psychology & Sport Science at Nottingham Trent University before getting his first taste of life in a boarding school in his first job post-graduation in Lancashire. Here, Sam completed his teacher training while working as a hockey coach and Deputy House Master before moving back to Oxford to join RGS and play hockey for his childhood club. Alongside his day job, Sam has a number of coaching roles outside of school, including with England Hockey where he gets to work with a number of RGS boys including a couple of current Boarders.

In his spare time, Sam enjoys reading, is a huge music fan but most importantly is always up for a game of table tennis, pool or football. Sam lives in Fraser Youens with his fiancé, Emily who is an engineer at Dyson and is also a hockey player and general sports enthusiast. Whenever they can, they like to get away and find any beach in North Cornwall but equally enjoys hiking trips in the Lakes, Wales and Scotland. 

Sam manages the boarding prefects, the House Blog and runs the house activity system. If you have any suggestions, please speak to Mr Clark.