Meet The Team
Marlborough College School of English and Culture is headed by a team of outstanding teachers who between them have a wealth of experience in language schools and other teaching environments, along with a passion for delivering innovative and exciting learning experiences for young people. It is a unique strength of MCSEC that this team of teachers also provides the pastoral care in the boarding houses – we believe strongly in the idea of a holistic education in which teachers and students work together inside the classroom and live together outside it in a dynamic, exciting environment designed to maximise the learning experience and help the students to reach their potential.
Ross Urquhart
Director of Enterprise
Ross Urquhart is the Director of Enterprise of Marlborough College. He is also the Director of Marlborough College Summer School which offers more than 500 courses. Following a long career in marketing & advertising both in the UK and overseas, Ross spent seven years as Commercial Director of a country estate where large-scale, high-profile events helped fund the preservation and development of this historically significant property.
Qingwei Li
Course Director
Qingwei joined Marlborough College as a Head of Department in 2015. She holds a Master’s degree in Linguistics and studied a second Master’s degree at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London. Her career began in international projects with organisations like the EU and the French General Consulate. Qingwei established one of the UK’s first foreign language immersion programmes in a school in England. Her contributions extend beyond teaching as she served as a board member for CILT, the National Centre for Languages and a keynote speaker at education conferences. Qingwei has an unwavering passion for language teaching and has helped many pupils to pursue language studies successfully at Oxbridge, Russell Group and top north American universities.
Amanda Woodford
Language and Culture Advisor
Amanda is the Head of Modern Languages at Marlborough College. She studied French and Italian at Oxford University, later delving into Art History at the Courtauld Institute. Her professional journey includes event organisation in Rome, five years in the travel industry, and roles in advertising and translation. Joining Marlborough in 2004, she has since taught French, Spanish, Italian, and History of Art. Amanda's notable roles include Head of Oxbridge and Head of Academic Scholars, culminating in her current position as Head of Modern Languages since 2020.
Tina Rainer
Language and Culture Advisor
Tina is the Deputy Head of Modern Languages at Marlborough College and an Assistant Housemistress at a boarding house. She undertook her teacher training for History and German in Germany and taught at Ludwigsgymnasium in Munich and Graf-Rasso-Gymnasium in Fürstenfeldbruck. Tina earned her 1st State Exam (MA for Higher Education in Germany) in German studies, History, Politics and Sociology at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, and her 2nd State Exam (a PGCE equivalent) at the Ludwigsgymnasium before moving to England. Alongside her university studies, Tina worked at the memorial site at Dachau for six years.
Jacky Isitt
Admission Tutor
Jacky joined Marlborough College in 2016 as a teacher of Academic Support. Educated in Wales, Jacky holds a degree in Education and Welsh. Her teaching experience extends across Scotland and New Zealand prior to joining Marlborough. Notably, she served as an Assistant Housemistress for six years. In addition to her academic role, Jacky actively contributes to the sporting community by coaching hockey.
