Episode 12 - this week my guest is Neil Tomlin OBE, the newly appointed head of Belhaven Hill School in East Lothian. It's a small co-educational boarding and day school for children aged 4 to 13. With just over 170 pupils, a heated outdoor pool and grass tennis courts, it could easily be mistaken for a country hotel next to the sea and a golf course.

I chat with Neil and learn about his career before he started at Belhaven this year and how he earned his OBE.

Neil discusses how important it is for the school to be small, where older and younger pupils know one another, and their lives are integrated. It has a high percentage of boarders in the older age groups, which Neil stresses is unique in Scotland and the north of England. It doesn't offer flexi-boarding, so the school stays full on weekends, rather than being left with only a few pupils when others have gone home.

We discuss the school ethos and how it equips pupils for the future. He sees it as his role to help parents find the right school when they leave Belhaven.

We discuss screen use, how children are supported and stretched, the breadth of extracurricular opportunities, and much more on offer at Belhaven.

The school is hosting a virtual Open Evening (Zoom) on 24 November 2026 at 7:15 pm. They also have a Spring Open Morning: 27 February 2027 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm featuring campus tours and staff talks.

You can arrange personal weekday or weekend tours and taster days by appointment with the school's registrar, Olivia Reynolds. admissions@belhavenhill.com

More details of Belhaven Hill School can be found at: https://www.belhavenhill.com/

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