DCIS Heritage Book

Ernest E Alliot
Ernest E Alliot established the school after working in
British military schools in Singapore, RAF schools in
Changi and Seletar, and holding the post of
headmaster of the British Army School Pulau Brani,
the British Army School Selarang; and the Alexandra
School on Portsdown Road. In 1975, he resigned from
working for the British Government, to devote his
time to the progress of Dover Court. Alliot continued
to serve Dover Court as Chairman up until 2006,
eight years before the school became part of the
Nord Anglia Education group of schools.
Ernest E Alliot,
Dover Court founder
Principal
Catherine J.
Hamilton
Term
start
Term
end
Term
length
1972 1975 3 years
Eric Cooper 1975 1980 5 years
James
Watkins
Maureen
Roach
OBE
Neil Hopkin
FRSA
Christopher
Short
1981 1990 9 years
1990 2015 25 years
2015 2016 1 year
2016 2020 4 years
Simon Mann 2020 2021 1 year
Richard Dyer 2021 Incumbent
Principals through the years
The first principal of Dover Court
Preparatory School was Catherine
J Hamilton, who headed the
school until 1975, whereupon Eric
Cooper was appointed. Eric Cooper
served as Principal for five years,
until he passed away in 1980,
giving his name to the ‘Cooper
Hall’, built in 1981 which is still in
use today, 40 years later. Since Mr
Cooper, the school has had six
principals, the longest term being
Dr Maureen Roach’s 25 years from
1990-2015.
Catherine
Hamilton, first
Principal of
Dover Court