Staff and Council

Hilary Mann

Lynne Topsey-Eaton

Caroline Williams

Canon R White MBE

Richard White co-founded Polwhele with Rosemary in 1981. Since retiring from being Headmaster in 2002, he has been Director of Development of the National Choir Schools’ Association and has been heavily involved in rekindling singing interest in the nation’s primary schools.

His commitment to singing began as a chorister and then choral scholar at King’s College, Cambridge. Between 1999–2002 he was Chairman of the Choir Schools’ Association and was made a Lay Canon of Truro Cathedral in 2007. In 2009 he was appointed an MBE for services to music education.

He is a governor of Clifton College, Bristol and lately of the Pilgrims’ School, Winchester. He is also on the board of the Ouseley Trust and was a member of the Government’s Music and Dance advisory group. He is a violinist and enjoys playing with Austin 7s, boats and his grandchildren.

Mrs R White

Rosemary White, who was born in Falmouth, opened the successful Boscawen Rose Pre-Prep School, Truro, in 1976 whose 100 pupils became the foundation base of Polwhele House School in 1981.

Before retiring as Head in 2002 she worked with the Independent Schools Inspectorate. She remains an active member of the School’s financial team and enjoys art and gardening.

Richard and Rosemary were married in the 1960s, having met whilst students at Cambridge University. They have three grown up children, all of whom were brought up at Polwhele and have strong bonds with the School.

Mr R Ackland

Robert is a Chartered Accountant and partner in Waterhouse (www.waterhouse.uk.com) who specialise in property development and investment, often involving the restoration of listed buildings.

Regeneration and a passion for design are the common themes in the many projects undertaken by Waterhouse over the last two decades or so, recently including the large Brewery Square development in Dorchester.

Robert lives near Truro with his wife Maggie and son Toby and has been a member of the Polwhele House Steering Group since 2004 and more recently the Managing Council.

Graham Hilder

After 10 years at an independent boarding school in Suffolk, Graham studied Chemical Engineering at Birmingham University. This led to a career with BP, mainly in research and engineering roles but also in production, planning and commercial positions. Graham left BP to join British Standards Institution as Director and General Manager of the Product Testing and Certification Division. Graham has lived in Camborne for the last 16 years and is Chairman of his residents management company.

Graham has a son and a daughter who both attended preparatory and secondary independent day schools.

Dr R White

Dr Rupert White was educated at Truro School and University College, London. He is currently a Senior Consultant Psychiatrist locally and is the lead Consultant Clinician for Devon and Cornwall. He is also the founder and director of artcornwall.org.

Rupert is closely involved in the development and musical education of young people. He is the author of various books about 20th century music in Cornwall and is a recent former parent.

Mr T White

Mrs M White

Paul Spencer Ellis

Paul taught in both state and independent schools and finished his career as Head of Royal Alexandra and Albert School. He was also a schools inspector.

Since retirement he has worked as an adviser to a number of schools in the UK, and a variety of British schools abroad.

He is Chairman of Directors of Great Ballard School, a Prep School which is expanding up to GCSE, and a Director of St Christopher’s Academy Trust.