Robin Macpherson
Head of History - IB Theory of Knowledge Co-ordinator
My name is Robin Macpherson and i am Head of History and IB Theory of Knowledge Co-ordinator at the Repton Senior School.
I did my BA in Modern History at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University, and did an MSc in Scottish History at Edinburgh University. I was very fortunate in that I was able to learn from some of the most famous historians in the world – people like Hew Strachan, Roy Foster, Niall Ferguson, Chris Haigh and Tom Devine. My supervisors at Edinburgh, Dr Ewen Cameron and Professor Stuart J. Brown, are truly outstanding historians.
I’m from Edinburgh, and moved to Dubai in August 2008 with my wife Hossa, who teaches French in the Junior School. I came from a boys’ boarding school in Edinburgh called Merchiston Castle, where I was a housemaster in the Sixth Form. I also taught Government and Politics, and took a lot of trips abroad to places like America, Russia and Italy. I was in charge of football and golf, and I edited the Merchistonian magazine. I also recently wrote a history of the school for its 175th anniversary.
I teach History at Repton, and I edited the Senior Reptonian for the first two terms, but I’ve since taken up a new role as IB Theory of Knowledge co-ordinator. I’m really enjoying teaching a greater breadth of world history here in the UAE, more so than I did in Britain. I love political and religious history, but what I try to do is make difficult concepts simple for students to understand. I like it when you hear teenagers talking about intellectual concepts in a matter of fact way, as if it was second nature to them to know things that their parents may not be aware of.
The point of what we are trying to do is to develop young, confident adults. Introducing them to adult concepts in history classes helps this, as it gives them a sense of maturity and enquiry. I hate quiet classrooms where the teacher does all the talking. There should be a buzz, an atmosphere of discussion and investigation.
I am a sports fanatic, and I particularly love golf and football. As a Glasgow Rangers fan, I am tragically outnumbered by Celtic supporters here. I love golf too, but haven’t had enough chance to play. It’s my main ambition for the coming year! I have done a few half marathons, and did the Dubai 10k earlier this year. As an historian I read a lot, and I like to write as well, though I haven’t decided what to start researching next. My wife and I love the fact that you can travel to interesting places quite easily from Dubai, and so far we have been to India, the Maldives, Oman and Hong Kong. I also used to be a chef, so I like to cook.
Two things stand out about Repton – the students, and the staff. The buildings here are incredible, but they have to be filled with the right people, and they are. I enjoy every class I have, and there is a sense of ambition here that I appreciate. It is not a school simply going through the motions. As it gets bigger, and the IB Diploma Programme kicks in, it will only get better.