Staff profiles

David Game MA, MPhil - College Principal

David Game holds an MA in Mathematics from New College, Oxford and an MPhil in Number Theory from University College London.  Prior to establishing David Game College in 1974, Mr Game worked for many years as a Maths tutor, when he conveyed his enthusiasm for mathematical concepts to his students with great success.  As Principal of David Game College and as Chairman of the David Game Group, he looks for the same combination of strong subject knowledge and passion for teaching when appointing teachers.  With a hands-on approach to management, he is very much involved in the running of the College.  He recognises, however, that no organisation can operate successfully without the support of a strong and motivated team, and much of the College’s success can be attributed to the efforts of his staff, many of whom have been with the organisation for twenty years or more.

Michael Kahn MA, PGCE - Vice Principal and Examinations Officer

Since completing his MA in Chemistry at Oriel College, Oxford, followed by a PGCE at Sussex, Michael Kahn has taught in a number of independent and state schools and has over thirty-five years’ teaching experience.  For seventeen years he was Vice Principal at a similar college before joining David Game in 2006.  As an examiner, Mr Kahn has set A Level Chemistry questions for the Edexcel examinations board and as Examinations Officer, he oversees the entire exam entry and results procedure for members of the College and for the many external candidates who take their examinations at David Game.  A member of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, Mr Kahn has a traditional approach to teaching and is passionate about the value and relevance of Chemistry as a separate science subject.  A thoughtful and meticulous teacher, Mr Kahn aims to bring scientific theory to life for his students through practical application, supplementing theory with frequent experiments and demonstrations of chemical processes.

John Dalton BSc, CBiol, FITOL - Vice Principal and Head of Science

John Dalton graduated in Biochemistry at London University and has over twenty three years’ teaching experience.  He is a chartered biologist, a Fellow of the Institute of Training and Occupational Learning and a Member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.  His interests include experimental biology, genetics and evolutionary science and he has an extensive knowledge of natural history, especially the biology of insects.  He is particularly interested in memory skills in relation to the teaching of science and has taught memory and revision skills at leading independent schools.  Mr Dalton previously edited Current Opinion in Gastroenterology and is a published author.  He has lectured in many countries and is a frequent speaker at conferences.

Terry Kwok CMS - Registrar

Terry Kwok is responsible student registrations and attendance.  In addition to her role as Registrar, Mrs Kwok advises students on visa applications and general matters such as travel, finance and accommodation.  Mrs Kwok works closely with all departments and has been with the College since 1984.

Rachel Sherman BA, MA, PGCE - Director of Studies

As well as a BA in Geography from University College London, Rachel Sherman holds a Masters degree and a PGCE from the Institute of Education.  Mrs Sherman taught Geography in a leading comprehensive school for sixteen years, achieving Advanced Skills Tutor (AST) status in 2001 and Chartered London Teacher status in 2008.  As an AST she has provided consultation on policy design, community outreach, student behaviour management and teacher training to schools across the London region.  As Director of Studies at David Game, she is responsible for guiding students through the university application process, arranging work experience placements where necessary (eg for medicine or law applicants) and providing individually tailored, one to one support for students at every stage of their university application.

Nedaa Belal MBA - GCSE and CSA Co-ordinator

Nedaa Belal has a degree in English Language and Literature from Damascus University.  She completed an MBA at Hull University in 2006, specialising in Human Resource Management; she has corporate experience as a senior manager of BMW in the Middle East.  Nedaa is in charge of David Game students of compulsory school age (CSA) and is a trained Child Protection Officer.  She provides CSA students with a structured programme that includes pastoral care as well as advice and support on financial and health matters.  Nedaa works closely with GCSE teachers and monitors the academic and personal progress of CSA students, ensuring that their lesson times are supplemented by library study sessions.  In addition to her PSHE role, Nedaa also assists with examination administration.

Lisa Byrne - Photography

Lisa Byrne graduated with a Masters in Photography from the Royal College of Art in 2007.  She has a teaching qualification from the University of Greenwich and a Fine Art degree from Middlesex University.  Lisa Byrne has lectured in Fine Art and Photography over the last twelve years, teaching on degree, foundation and photography A level courses.  Ms Byrne is dedicated to getting the best out of her students in a structured and enjoyable manner.  Maintaining her own art practice, Lisa Byrne has exhibited internationally including a recent exhibition in the Guggenheim museums worldwide for their inaugural, "Biennial of Creative Video".  Her work is held in a number of collections and has been exhibited at international art fairs.  Ms Byrne says: "My art practice informs my teaching and my students benefit greatly from this."

Sarah Kasmin BA, MA - Art

Sarah Kasmin holds a BA and an MA in Fine Art from the Chelsea College of Art and Design.  For the last ten years she has taught Art at David Game and is also employed as a moderator for the AQA examinations board.  Sarah specialises in abstract painting and has exhibited at the Flowers Gallery in East London.  A talented and engaging teacher, Sarah seeks to develop her students’ creativity, helping them to express their personalities through their art.  She particularly enjoys teaching in central London and encourages her students to capitalise on our world-class art collections by frequent visits to galleries and exhibitions.

Dr Paula Lacey – Psychology

Dr Lacey had a successful career in IT and management before taking a break from work to care for her children.  She then decided upon a change of direction and obtained a first class honours degree in Psychology from University College London, followed by a PhD  from Royal Holloway, University of London.  This was completed part-time while she taught psychology to undergraduates and did some private tutoring.  Dr Lacey brings a wide experience to her teaching at David Game College.  She believes Psychology to be an important subject that enables students to develop a number of key transferable skills.  She encourages her students to participate fully in class and to try and apply their knowledge of Psychology to the wider world.  As someone who has worked as a voluntary counsellor, Dr Lacey also has a particular interest in the pastoral side of her work.

Simon Moore BA, PGCE - English

With a BA in English Literature from Durham University and a PGCE from Oxford, Simon Moore has more than twenty years’ teaching experience, mainly in tutorial colleges.  Mr Moore finds that his students learn best in a friendly and relaxed environment and he places great emphasis on group discussion and on essay-writing practice.  Simon Moore believes that the study of English Literature is so worthwhile because it involves discussion not only of books, but of ideas.  Ultimately, it leads students to engage not only with their set texts but with the wider world.

Dr John Oliphant BA, MA, PhD - History

Dr Oliphant graduated in History at the University of Adelaide in Australia, before coming to the University of London to take his Masters at Birkbeck and his PhD at Queen Mary.  With over thirty years’ teaching experience in the UK and Australia, he has worked as a lecturer at the Open University and as a freelance researcher and advisory consultant to an American television company.  His doctoral thesis, on Anglo-Cherokee relations in the 1700s, was recently published as a monograph.  He has contributed extensively both to academic journals and to historical reference texts and has presented a significant number of conference papers at events both in the UK and overseas.  He is currently working on a biography of the 17th century General John Forbes.

Dr Oliphant places great emphasis on academic rigour and on developing his students’ research skills.  He aims to teach his students to think and study independently and to structure and develop their own arguments.  Dr Oliphant is passionate about History, and seeks to communicate his enthusiasm for the subject to his students.

Dr Daniel Pooley PhD - Physics

Dr Pooley holds undergraduate and doctoral degrees in Physics from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, where his research focused on the spectroscopic and photometric monitoring of star constellations.  Prior to joining David Game in 2004, Dr Pooley worked as a private tutor and a visiting lecturer at the Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela.  He is a keen astronomer, a Member of the Hampstead Scientific Society and a proficient web developer, skilled in a range of programming languages including C, Java and Fortran.  Dr Pooley emphasises the experimental side of physics, which helps reinforce the theoretical side of the subject.  His classes are always dynamic and engaging.  Dr Pooley advises students on their university choices in physics and related subjects.

Monica Romero BA, MA, PG Dip (Translation) - Modern Foreign Languages

Originally from Barcelona, Monica Romero is a qualified translator and has over fifteen years’ experience of teaching and translation.  Fluent in English, Spanish and Catalan, she holds an MA in Applied Linguistics and is a Chartered Linguist and member of both the Institute of Travel and Tourism and the ASELE, the international association of Spanish teachers.  Monica has taught at David Game since 2005 and is currently Head of Modern Foreign Languages and Tourism, specialising in GCSE and A Level teaching.  She is an advocate of active learning, using interactive classroom methods such as role-play and debate as well as multimedia teaching materials to ensure that students engage with topics and work consistently to improve their written and spoken command of language.  She believes strongly that culture and language are inextricably linked and that complete understanding of a language cannot be achieved without a thorough knowledge of the culture from which it springs.  Monica therefore seeks to instil in her students a keen grasp and appreciation of Spanish-speaking nations and cultures.

Matthew Sherman BSc, MSc, PGCE – Economics

Matthew Sherman holds a BSc in Economics from Queen Mary College, University of London, an MSc in Resource and Environmental Economics from University College, London and a PGCE from the Institute of Education.  He has been with the College for more than ten years, having previously taught at Queen Elizabeth’s School in Barnet, which is regularly the best performing state school in the country at A Level.  In addition to his role at David Game, Mr Sherman teaches Economics at the Bank of England and has for many years provided independent one-to-one tutoring for Oxbridge candidates.  A friendly and popular teacher, he believes that academic success in his subject is best achieved through a firm understanding of basic economic principles and of economic and cultural history.  Mr Sherman has high expectations of his students, and encourages them to read widely and intelligently on economic topics outside class, an approach which yields outstanding results.  Economics students perform consistently well at David Game College and in recent years Mr Sherman’s courses have achieved virtually a 100% pass rate.

Dr Peter Stanley PhD - Chemistry and Biology

Dr Stanley holds a PhD in Biochemistry from University College London, an MSc in Pharmacology from Kings College and a Bachelors degree from Queen Mary, University of London.  He lectured for several years at UCL and St George’s Medical School before joining the teaching staff of David Game in 1995 and has published widely in academic journals and the scientific press, with many of his articles written specifically for A Level Chemistry and Biology students.  Dr Stanley is a Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Biochemical Society and the Society of Biology, and has conducted extensive research into coronary heart disease and human metabolism.  As a teacher of Biology and Chemistry at David Game, Dr Stanley is keen to help his students draw connections between scientific concepts and to identify patterns between topics and across the scientific curriculum.  He provides tailored tuition to students preparing to sit the BMAT and GAMSAT examinations and frequently conducts mock interviews with students applying for Medicine.  Dr Stanley also acts as an internal examiner for the College’s University Foundation Programme and continues to pursue research in the field of astrobiology.

Zameer ul-Hassan MSc – Mathematics

A graduate of the prestigious University of the Punjab’s Centre for Advanced Studies in Pure and Applied Mathematics, Zameer ul-Hassan has twenty years of teaching experience.  He worked for several years as Head of Papworth House at Karachi Grammar School, Pakistan’s leading independent institution, and has been with David Game since 2005.  As a tutor, Mr ul-Hassan teaches his students to understand mathematical concepts and principles rather than simply how to solve equations and “do maths.”  Motivated by a deep knowledge of and appreciation for his subject, Mr ul-Hassan inspires his students to perform consistently well in tests and examinations, with many going on to study at Oxbridge, Imperial College and the London School of Economics.  Mr ul-Hassan is committed to the refinement of those teaching techniques which most benefit his students.  Their success is his, and he is as proud of their academic achievements as he is of his own.