Our People
I am delighted and incredibly proud to lead such a talented team at Stafford International School. We have around 110 full time staff and a few part time staff, along with a dedicated ‘behind the scene’ team. Their dedication to providing the best education for your children is second to none, and they nurture and provide emotional support for the children here – as well as educational progression.
The main Senior Leadership Team is below: please contact the relevant person in the first instance and they can put you in touch with a particular teacher if that is your requirement.
Many thanks, Simon Northcott
Meet the Team
Simon Northcott
Principal
MA Hons PGCE
simonn@siscolombo.lk
Educated at Marlborough College, then St Andrews University, and also Durham University. Worked for Price Waterhouse before going into education at Norwich School, Oakham School, and then Headmaster of 4 previous schools in the UK and abroad.
Michelle Herft
Deputy Head (Pastoral)
michelleh@siscolombo.lk
Educated at St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo prior to obtaining a BA (Hons) English Degree from the University of Kelaniya and an MA in Education from the University of Nottingham. She is also a SUSI Alumni and has represented Sri Lanka on a Fullbright grant to participate in the Study of US Institutes on Secondary Education. She has an ATCL in teaching Speech and Drama (Trinity College, London). She has 22 years of teaching experience and has functioned as both Head of English and Prefect of Clubs and Societies at S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia. Apart from teaching she has a passion for drama and reading.
Ruba R. Weerasinghe
Deputy Head Junior School
Diploma in Education (Montessori), BA
rubaw@siscolombo.lk
Educated at Presbyterian Christian Girls School, then at the Open University of Sri Lanka. Worked at Overseas School in Colombo and Methodist Kindergarten Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Cambridge Assessment English Examiner (CAEE), - British Council of Sri Lanka.
Sumaya Ramanayake
Head of Section – Middle School
Bachelor of Arts (Economics)
sumayar@siscolombo.lk
Graduated from Colombo International School before obtaining a B.A. in Economics from the
University of Tampa, Florida. Worked in financial research before discovering a love for teaching.
Loves spending time outdoors, and passionate about wildlife, conservation, and sustainable
economic development.
Michael Wijesuriya Head of Early Years Bsc (Hons), DipM (CIM)
michaelw@siscolombo.lk
Past alumni of St. Peter’s College and
Colombo International School (CIS),
holds a degree in Business from the
Manchester Metropolitan University UK
as well as a Diploma in Marketing from
the Chartered Institute of Marketing UK.
Prior to embarking on a career in
education, worked in industry at Hayleys
PLC and in advertising at TAL/BBDO.
Counts for 18 years in the field of
education having worked at CIS and The
British School in Colombo before joining
Stafford.
Sonali Hettiaratchy
Head of Middle School
sonalih@siscolombo.lk
Educated at Fergusan Girls High School and Bishop’s college. Obtained a Master’s Degree in Linguistics from the University of Kelaniya. Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) FROM University of Colombo. Mentor teacher at the Faculty of Education at the University of Colombo. Graduated from University of Kelaniya as a Bachelor of Arts majoring in French Language. Teaching French Language for Primary and Middle school for 21 years.
Julieann Karunaratne
Head of Lower Junior
Graduate Chemist, M.Ed. , PGCELM
julik@siscolombo.lk
Educated at Lyceum International School, then the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon, Deakin University (Australia) and also the University of Nottingham (Malaysia). Worked as a Primary and Middle school teacher for 8 years then as the Headmistress for the Primary school for 3 years at an International school in Sri Lanka.