Meet our Mentors

Brenda Howden is a passionate educator and a keen sportswoman. She was educated in Zimbabwe and attended Edinburgh University in Scotland where she qualified with a B Ed Hons Degree.

After teaching in Zimbabwe for 4 years, Brenda moved to South Africa beginning her teaching career at Kingsmead College, Johannesburg, where she ran both the junior and senior sports departments for 10 years. She moved to St Stithians College when the girls’ school opened and established the Sports Department for both the junior and senior girls’ schools, and taught Mathematics to seniors. Brenda then took up a post as the Deputy Headmistress at Roedean for the next 4 years where she taught mathematics and coached hockey. Finally, Brenda took the post as headmistress at Auckland Park Preparatory School for Girls in Johannesburg where she remained for the last 12 years of her teaching career.

During her headship, Brenda was a member of the ISASA Curriculum Committee and was responsible for staff development. She is passionate about Mathematics and excellence in this field linked particularly to girls’ education. She assisted with the setting of many of the Mathematics Shared Assessments written in Grade 7. As a Headmistress she co-ordinated the sports programme for all the ISASA Girls’ Preparatory Schools.

She is passionate about innovation and education and developed the GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Maths and Science) programme and later the 6 Cs centre whilst at Auckland Park Preparatory School.

Brenda retired in 2022 and currently resides in Sedgefield, Western Cape. She enjoys a wide variety of interests, including giving back to education by assisting with the mentorship programme for new heads co-ordinated by ISASA, and teaching Mathematics twice a week at Masithandane. She is involved in the Revive Sedgefield Programme, and enjoys hiking, cycling, canoeing, playing badminton and golf, and sketching on those wintery days when being outdoors is impossible.

Brenda is married to Roger and has two sons. She loves children and people in general and always puts relationships first. She hopes to make an invaluable contribution as a mentor with OISESA.