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Discover our experts

Meet the Team

PRINCIPAL

Tom Fraser

Tom took over as School Principal in Autumn 2019 following on from his father and founder of the school, Anselm Fraser. He is responsible for the daily running of the school, overseeing the design of all course programmes to ensure every student has the opportunity to gain the skills necessary to succeed in furniture making and design.

Andrew Cockerill
PROFESSIONAL COURSE TUTOR

Andrew Cockerill

Andrew is head of tech at the Chippendale School. He is a tutor on the Professional course specialising in Computer-Aided Design (CAD). Students looking to upscale their furniture making business will benefit from Andrew’s insight into CNC machining, 3D Printing and Fusion 360. Andrew is an extremely approachable tutor whose knowledge knows no bounds in both furniture making and CAD and manufacturing.

Anna Patxot Bertran
PROFESSIONAL COURSE TUTOR

Anna Patxot Bertran

Anna teaches on the 30-week Professional course. She has a Degree in Engineering in Industrial Design from ELISAVA and is always a good sounding board for students. Anna works closely with Andrew Cockerill helping students with their CAD training. In addition, she looks after all professional photography taken at the school.

Ben Dawson
PROFESSIONAL COURSE TUTOR

Ben Dawson

Ben is one of the Professional course tutors, specialising in design and running his own successful bespoke furniture making company from Myreside Studios, where he also supports residing graduates. He offers a blend of traditional craft and modern making expertise to students. He has designed furniture for major blue-chip clients and private individuals and has even made custom furniture for the Scottish Parliament. He holds an Honours Degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Furniture Design from Edinburgh College of Art.

Graham Davies
PROFESSIONAL COURSE TUTOR

Graham Davies

Graham has been with the school since 1990 and is a time-served furniture restorer and maker. Graham specialises in traditional furniture restoration techniques. He is also an expert in colour matching, having trained at the workshops of Jean Burhouse Furniture.

Lennert Koch
PROFESSIONAL COURSE TUTOR

Lennert Koch

Len is a Tutor on the Professional course, he is a highly skilled cabinet maker with an eye for detail. His style is a mixture between Scandinavian and Oriental. Originally from Holland, Len has lived in Scotland for many years and was awarded Student of the Year in 2021 having graduated from the Professional course. When he’s not in the workshop, you will probably find Len paragliding in the Scottish countryside.

Matty Brebner
PROFESSIONAL COURSE TUTOR

Matty Brebner

Matty is a tutor on the Professional course. He is in charge of delivering ‘The Chippendale School of Furniture Award’ as a Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) Assessor. Matty is an experienced furniture designer and maker who expertly guides students through the furniture making process.

Alan McGovern
INTERMEDIATE COURSE TUTOR

Alan McGovern

Alan has been part of the fabric of the school since he joined the team in 1985 as an apprentice at the age of 15. An accomplished teacher and demonstrator with years of experience backed by training at The Midland International School of Polishing, Alan specialises in finishing and polishing, and is well-recognised in this field. He heads up the Intermediate course, teaching an intensive one-month programme. He is on hand to support graduates from the Professional course in the Myreside Studios incubation workshops.

Clare Charleston
INTERMEDIATE COURSE TUTOR

Clare Charleston

With over 25 years of experience, Clare is one of the longest-serving members of staff. She teaches across the 4- and 10-week Intermediate courses alongside Alan McGovern and Fiona Gilfillan. A highly skilled furniture restorer, Clare will often be found bringing antiques back to life in one of the graduate studios.

Fiona Gilfillan
INTERMEDIATE COURSE TUTOR

Fiona Gilfillan

Fiona works as a tutor on the intermediate course with Alan McGovern. She is a skilled woodturner and also shares the teaching of the Woodturning Weekends with Adam Stone, as well as teaching bowl turning on the introductory course. Fiona runs her own successful furniture business, Feemade from Myreside Studios. She is a keen motorcyclist and clay pigeon shot, and her recent claim to fame is beating The Chaser on the TV quiz show of that name.

Grant Anderson
SHORT COURSE TUTOR

Grant Anderson

Originally from Zimbabwe, Grant now calls Scotland home. He teaches on the Introductory course as well as assisting across other short courses. He has a passion for conserving traditional woodworking methods and is also a highly skilled metal worker.

Antonia Fraser
HEAD OF ADMISSIONS

Antonia Fraser

As co-founder of the school, Antonia has been an integral part of the school’s success and growth over the years. She heads up admissions and is the first port of call for students applying to any one of our courses. Antonia is a friendly face who supports students before, during and after their time at Chippendale.

MARKETING MANAGER

Sarah Fraser

Tom’s wife Sarah joined the family business in 2021 as the Marketing Manager. She previously worked for 10 years in PR and marketing, firstly in London and then subsequently in her hometown Edinburgh. She is instrumental in amplifying the School’s communications. Sarah also works in admissions and helps organise accommodation for 30-week Professional Course students.

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Katie Laird

Katie heads up the school’s social media and is often seen in the workshop capturing content behind a camera lens. She also helps guide students on the 30-week Professional Course in setting up their own social media accounts, often designed specifically for businesses.

Owen McAlpine
HANDYMAN

Owen McAlpine

Owen maintains the workshops and school grounds. He is responsible for opening the school in the morning, keeping the supplies well stocked and managing the recycling. He’s keen on countryside pursuits, enjoys cycling and fronts a local rock band that frequently plays in the local area.

Visiting Experts

To ensure that our students only receive the very best teaching, we welcome a range of world-class visiting experts. They include:

WOODTURNING TUTOR

Adam Stone

Adam is the school’s woodturning specialist. He was a tutor on the Professional course for two years before setting up his own woodworking business in Perthshire. He returns to teach woodturning across all formats of the school’s courses.

WOOD CARVING TUTOR

John Isaacs

Over his 50-year career, John has specialised in restoring chairs and in 2018 he gave up his job, moving from Dorset to Fife. There, he has a small workshop he calls ‘the Hutch’ where he carves and takes on the jobs that interest him using locally sourced timber and recycled wood. He uses a mixture of traditional and modern methods when teaching the craft. Students on the Professional Course can opt into a week of woodcarving with John over the Easter break.  

WINDSOR CHAIR TUTORS

Steve Langton & Stan Bryan

Steve runs Tom Thackray Windsor Chairs, a business passed down from his late father-in-law Tom, who has taught Windsor Chair Making here for decades. The business has been established for over 50 years now and our students are fortunate to learn this traditional craft from an absolute master. Steve is accompanied by Stan Bryan, a master woodturner who teaches the woodturning part of the chair. Students on the Professional Course are put into teams of five and in three days they make either a rocker or a carver.

STEAM BENDING TUTOR

Michael Fortune

Michael Fortune has designed and made furniture by commission since 1975 for private residences all over North America. He has also worked extensively with the Canadian Embassy, designing and making stunning furniture for their embassies around the world. His work incorporates a variety of wood forming techniques. On the Professional Course, he teaches students the many ways in which wood can be bent to form flowing designs.

GILDING TUTOR

Richard Walker

Richard is a member of the Society of Gilders and works as a gilding consultant and practitioner. He runs his own company, Watergild Studios, and is passionate about sharing his love for the craft.

VENEERING TUTOR

Scott Grove

Hailing from New York, award-winning artist, sculptor and furniture maker Scott Grove has been making art and furniture for over 30 years. His pieces feature a combination of unique carved textures, radiant veneers, and copper polychrome finishes. He teaches the veneering aspect of the Professional Course, showing students how to add layers of artistry to their furniture designs.

Our professional course, which equips students with all the skills and acumen to go on and run their own furniture making and design business, is a nine-month long course running from October to June each year.

Exhibitions

Our 30-week professional course culminates in an annual Graduation Show & Sale. This key moment provides a platform for emerging makers to show and sell their unique creations to the public.

Find out what other graduates from the Chippendale International School of Furniture had to say about their experience of learning from the best and mastering their furniture making and design skills.

Each year we welcome furniture design students from across the world to learn the best of traditional and modern furniture making. Find out more about the courses we offer.

Our founder…

Anselm Fraser established The Chippendale School in 1985 and has trained more than 500 Professional course students over 30 years. Many have gone on to run successful businesses around the world. He has also trained several hundred short-course students over the years. Now, Anselm spends most of his time crafting accommodation that will become a home-from-home for visiting students.

GET IN TOUCH

Considering embarking on a career change or exploring the art of woodworking and furniture design? Get in touch to find out more.

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