Teaching Staff

One of the founding tenets of Somerset College has always been to ensure that the best possible teachers are recruited and retained. Aside from the necessary qualifications, skills and experience, staff members are recruited for their emotional intelligence, their love for young people and for the subject they teach, and for the passion they bring to their professional interactions.

The Board and Headmasters understand the need to have a happy, fulfilled staff body, and work actively towards achieving this goal. The education that a school provides is only as good as the staff it employs - a fact that Somerset College understands and supports wholeheartedly.

Dr. Tim Nuttall

Headmaster, History
BA Hon (Natal), HDE (Natal), MA (Oxford), DPhil (Oxford)

Zane Godwin

Deputy Head,
Life Sciences
BSc, HDE, Dip Phil, Dip Th, STL

Janine Tessendorf

Deputy Head,
Physical Science
BSc (Hons) (Wits), HDipEd (PG) (Wits), SAIM Business Managament (UNISA)

Patrick Cordery

Chaplain ,
Music
BA Hons Music (Exeter), PGCE (Reading), CertHE Theology (St Johnâ€™s Nottingham)

Clarence Oliver

HOD Advanced Programme
Mathematics (APM),
Mathematics
B.SC(Ed) (UWC), B.Sc(HONS-Maths) (UWC), Cert. Mathematical Modelling of Derivatives (UNISA)

Gert Esterhuyse

Advanced Programme
Mathematics (APM),
Mathematics,
Mathematical Literacy
B.Sc (Stellenbosch) 1978, H.E.D (Stellenbosch) 1978

Helen Tucker

Advanced Programme
Mathematics (APM),
Mathematics
BSC (Stell), HDE (Stell).

Taryn Engledow

HOD: Accounting,
Economic & Management Sciences
HDE (Com) Sec (UCT)

Ludwig van Coppenhagen

HOD Afrikaans Home and First
Additional Language,
BA (US), Three-year Senior Primary (Paarl Training College)

Chonel van Zyl

Afrikaans First Additional
Language , BA(Stellenbosch),Â HDE(Stellenbosch)

Elmari Botha

Afrikaans First Additional
Language , BA (UP), HED (UP)

Hagar Lategan

Afrikaans First Additional
BA (UWC), STD (UWC), B.Ed (UWC) Language,
Support Afrikaans

Rhonalda van Zyl

Afrikaans First
Additional Language,
Support Language
BEdPsig Honours (Stellenbosch)

Sandra Pieterse

Afrikaans First Additional
Language
BA = UP â€“ University of Pretoria, HDE = Pretoria College of Education

Coenraad Walters

Afrikaans Home Language
B.A. Honours (Stellenbosch), HDE (Stellenbosch), M.A. (Natal), B.Bibl. (UNISA).

Karen Weeks

HOD: Consumer Studies
Nat.Dip. Food Service Management (Tshwane University of Technology), PGCE (UNISA): Learning Area Didactics: Hospitality Studies & Consumer Studies and Life Orientation, Current studies: B.Ed.(Hons. Inclusive Education: UNISA)

Heather Scott

HOD Dramatic Arts
(TLSD) Teacherâ€™s Licentiate in Speech and Drama (UNISA), (TLTC) Teacherâ€™s Licentiate Trinity College (Speech and Drama), (LRAM) Licentiate of the Royal Academy â€“ Drama (London)

Jhanie van Aswegen

Dramatic Arts
BA Drama(UFS), B.Hon. Drama (UFS), MPhil. Linguistics (US), PGCE (US)

Graham Sayer

HOD: English Home Language
BA (UCT), HDE (UCT)

Su Nightingale

English Home Language
BA Drama (Stellenbosch), PGCSE English and Drama (Stellenbosch), Honours â€“ Theory of Literature (UNISA)

Grant Caldwell

English Home Language
National Diploma in Police Administration (Technicon RSA), BA (English,Zulu,Psychology majors) (Natal), HDE (Counselling,English,Zulu methods) (Natal), Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Trinity College London), Undergraduate Diploma in Theology and Biblical Studies (Oxford University (Wycliffe Hall))

Nicci Fein

English Home Language
BA (Natal), UED (Natal)

Leigh Phipson

English Home Language
BA, Honours, MA (Natal), HDE (UNISA)

David Scott

English Home Language
BA: English and Geography, BA Hons (Spatial Analysis and Decision-Making), MA: Environmental Management (Wine Tourism Development), Master of Philosophy: Management Practice and System Approaches

Dani Badenhorst

Support English
Student Development Unit
BEd Psych Hons, Final Year MA Psych and Registered Counsellor with HPCSA

Claire Engelbrecht

Economic & Management
Sciences (EMS),
Geography
BA (Stellenbosch), HDE (UCT), BSc Sports Science Honours (UCT)

Anthea Oliver

Economic & Management Sciences (EMS),
HOD: Life Orientation
BA (UWC); HDE(UWC)

Elrine Opperman

Economic & Management Sciences (EMS)
BSc (U Stell), PGCE (UNISA) and currently busy with MSc Psych (OU)

Kerwin Baartzes

HOD: French Second
Additional Language
Licence Ã¨s Science du langage, UniversitÃ© Stendhal, Grenoble III, Grenoble, France, Licence, FranÃ§ais Langue Ã‰trangÃ¨re, UniversitÃ© Stendhal, Grenoble III, Grenoble, France