News and Announcements

New Headmistress for Mayfield School: Deborah Bligh

We are delighted to have supported the Governors of Mayfield School with the successful appointment of Deborah Bligh as Headmistress from 1 April 2024.

Deborah Bligh is currently Mayfield’s Senior Deputy Head, having joined in September 2023 from St Richard’s Catholic College, where she was part of the senior management team for 18 years, helping the school to rank in the top 2% of all state schools in the country for value-added. She studied Theology at the University of Durham and completed a Postgraduate in Education at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge. She has an MA (Distinction) in Educational Leadership, a professional Headship qualification (NPQH), and as a lifelong learner, recently completed a Certificate in Advanced Mental Health School Leadership (Level 4).

Lady Davies of Stamford, Chairman of Governors, said: “It gives me great pleasure to announce Deborah Bligh as Mayfield’s next Headmistress. She was the unanimous choice of the selection panel. Having already proved her leadership qualities as Senior Deputy Head since joining in September, she will, I’m sure, prove to be an inspirational Headmistress in the years to come.

Deborah Bligh added, “I am thrilled to become the next Headmistress of Mayfield School. I would like to pay tribute to the incredible legacy of Antonia Beary, whose model of leadership is an example to us all. Since joining in September, I have felt very much at home in the school’s inclusive and welcoming environment. Mayfield’s catholic ethos and values of joy, compassion and generosity are close to my heart and help to foster a great relationship between staff and pupils, enabling everyone to excel. A key priority for me is to listen to the voice of the girls and parents alike. As a lifelong learner I passionately believe in the highest academic standards and being ambitious for every girl. I intend to maintain and build upon the rich tradition of the school and prepare, as our foundress said, ‘every girl to meet the needs of the age’.”

We wish Deborah every success with her new role.

New Executive Head for Stover School: Caroline Ward

Following an extensive search which produced a very strong field of almost 40 applicants; we are delighted to have supported Stover School with the appointment of Caroline Ward as their new Executive Head from September 2024. Caroline is a distinguished professional, bringing a wealth of experience, passion for education, and a global perspective to her new role.

With over 20 years in the field of education and as the current Head of The British School of Cordoba, Caroline has led schools both in the UK and abroad. She has a clear commitment to fostering intellectual curiosity, creativity, and academic development. The Governors felt her educational beliefs were an excellent match for Stover and would continue to build on the progress made over the last decade.

Expressing her enthusiasm for the role, Caroline stated, “I am excited and honoured to be appointed as Executive Head of Stover School. Having followed the school’s success and achievements over the past few years, I am eager to be part of this vibrant, wholesome community, to build upon the excellent achievements that Mr Notman and his team have accomplished and to pick up the baton and lead the school into the next phase of its success”.

We wish Caroline every success in her new role.

Congratulations to our recent appointees

We are delighted to have supported schools, both UK and internationally, with recruitment to the following posts for 2023/2024 starts. We wish the schools and the new postholders every success with their new appointments.

UK Appointments:

School	Role	Appointed
Alton School	Head	Andrew Reeve
Ampleforth College	Bursar and COO	Rowland Hills
Ardingly College	Director of Communications and Marketing	Alexandra Horner
Bishop’s Stortford College	Head	John Maguire
Bishop’s Stortford College	Head of Pre-Prep	Joanne Wallace
Bloxham School	Head of Development	Rachel Graves
Bootham School	Head	Deneal Smith
Bute House	Bursar	Emma Bunting
Charterhouse	Chair of Governors’	Mark Bishop
City of London School	Deputy Head Academic	Glenn Bezalel
Cranleigh Prep	Head	Will Newman
Crosfields School	Head	Caroline Townsend
Cumnor House Sussex	Bursar and Clerk to the Governors	Leigh Stark
Fairstead House	Head	Michael Radford
Francis Holland School, Sloane Square	Head	Alexandra Haydon
Glenalmond College	Head of Admissions	Rebecca Maga
Haberdashers’ Boys’ School	Head	Robert Sykes
Haberdashers’ Girls’ School	Head	Hazel Bagworth-Mann
Handcross Park School	Head	Jonnie Besley
Haileybury	Master	Eugene du Toit
Heathfield	Chair of Governors	Alex Popplewell
Henrietta Barnett School	Head	Emma MacLeod
Highclare School	Head	Francine Smith
Holyport College	Head	Alastair Ingall
John Madejski Academy	Principal	Mike Milner
King’s College London Maths School	Head	Tim Bateup
King Edward VI Five Ways School	Head	Simon Bird
Latymer Upper School	Head	Su Wijeratna
Manchester High School for Girls	Director of Finance and Operations	Rebecca Fairgrieve
Merchant Taylor’s Prep	Head	Miles Chester
Millfield School	Deputy Head Academic	David Brooke
Mill Hill School	Head	David Benson
Oldham Hulme	Head	Zoey Ward
Oldham Hulme	Deputy Head	Alanya Thorpe
Packwood Haugh School	Headmaster	William Goldsmith
Pangbourne College	Headteacher	Oli Knight
Pate’s Grammar School	Head	James Richardson
Prior’s Field	Head	Zoe Ireland
Putney High School	Head	Joanne Sharrock
Sevenoaks School	Deputy Director of Advancement	Rebecca Black
Stamford Endowed Schools	Chair of Governors	Tom Cartledge
St Benedict’s School, Ealing	Head	Joe Smith
St Clare’s, Oxford	Vice Principal Academic	David White
St Columba’s College	Head	Karl Guest
St Edward’s School, Oxford	Director of Finance and Corporate Services	Katherine Pearce
Saint Felix School	Head	Matthew Oakman
St Edward’s School, Oxford	Director of Finance and Corporate Services	Katherine Pearce
St James Senior Girls’ School	Head	Emma Bell
St Mary’s School, Hampstead	Head	Charlotte Owen
St Paul’s Cathedral School	Head	Judith Fremont-Barnes
St Paul’s Girls’ School	Director of Music	Joe McHardy
St Ronan’s School	Headmaster	Joe Lewis
Stephen Perse Foundation	Chair of Governors	Michael Windmill
Stephen Perse Foundation	Chief Financial and Operating Officer	Sarah Bonnett
Swanbourne House School	Head	Nick Holloway
The John Lyon School	Head	Rose Hardy
The John Lyon Prep, Quainton Hall	Head	Sonal Chatrath
The National Mathematics and Science College	Vice Principal (Operations)	Jon Wingfield
The Study Prep	Head	Sharon Maher
Tring Park School for the Performing Arts	Principal	Simon Larter-Evans
United Learning	Director of Finance	Aaron Smith
Warwick Schools Foundation	Director of Marketing and Admissions	Kara Griffiths
Warwick Schools Foundation	Foundation Director of Philanthropy	Susie Carr
Westminster Schools	Director of Development	Kristen Gallagher
Westminster Abbey Choir School	Head	Emma Margrett
Winchester College	Head	Elizabeth Stone
Wolverhampton Grammar School	Head	Nic Anderson

Continue reading “Congratulations to our recent appointees”

New Headmaster for Saint Ronan’s: Joe Lewis

We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Joe Lewis as the new Headmaster of Saint Ronan’s School from September 2024. Joe’s appointment follows a robust and competitive recruitment process, led by RSacademics Senior Advisor Phil Ward.

Joe is currently a Senior Housemaster at Millfield School, where he has run a boarding house for the last six years. Alongside being Senior Housemaster and English teacher, Joe manages the
middle leaders programme at Millfield, overseeing staff professional development. Prior to this he was at Pangbourne College where he held the roles of Housemaster, Head of English, Master i/c
Cricket as well as Head of Careers and General Studies.

After Prep School, Joe went on to Malvern before obtaining his English degree from Leeds University and his PGCE from London. He is a keen sportsman who has played rugby and cricket to a high level.

We wish Joe every success in his new role.

New Head for Henrietta Barnett School: Emma MacLeod

RSAcademics was privileged to assist the governors of the Henrietta Barnett School in the appointment of Emma MacLeod as the new Head of this iconic girls’ grammar school, from September 2024. Senior Advisor Andrea Berkeley and her team at RSAcademics produced a very strong field and Emma shone as an outstanding candidate.

Emma joins Henrietta Barnett from Queens’ School in Bushey. Emma studied English at the University of Oxford and Medieval Literature at the University of York before obtaining her teaching qualification (PGCE) at the University of Cambridge. She has served as Deputy Head at Queens’ School for six years. Before that, she was Assistant Headteacher at St Clement Danes School and Head of English at Watford Grammar School for Boys.

Chair of Governors, Dr. Timo Hannay, said:

“Emma impressed the selection panel not only with her obvious experience and intellect, but also with her thoughtfulness, emotional intelligence and deep appreciation of HBS’s unique legacy and character. Everyone from pupils to governors found her engaging and this was also borne out by universally positive feedback from her current and former colleagues.

Emma will begin to engage with HBS from early in the new year in order that she is fully familiarised with the School when she takes up her new post in September 2024.”

We wish Emma every success with her new role.

New Head for Merchant Taylor’s Prep: Miles Chester

Following a rigorous appointment process, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Miles Chester as the new Head of Merchant Taylors’ Prep. Miles will join the school from September 2024, on the retirement from headship of Dr McNerney, after over 20 years of service to the school.

Miles grew up in Richmond – he was educated at Grey Court School and Richmond College. He graduated from Edinburgh University with an Honours degree in Biological Sciences and completed his PGCE at Roehampton Institute, specialising in Primary Education. Miles taught for nine years in a number of inner-London primary schools, before being appointed as a Deputy Head in 2004.

Miles was appointed as Head of New King’s Primary School in Parsons Green in 2008; he led the school to become an academy in partnership with Thomas’s London Day Schools. He continued to lead the school as Head of Thomas’s Academy from 2015, later moving into an Executive Head role working across the group of schools as Director of Community Outreach. Miles was awarded an MBA in Educational Leadership from the London Institute of Education in 2013.

We wish Miles every success with his new role.

New Master for Haileybury: Eugene du Toit

We are delighted to have successfully supported Haileybury in the appointment of a new Master.

After a rigorous selection process, Eugene du Toit has been appointed as the next Master of Haileybury. Eugene will succeed Martin Collier who retires at the end of this academic year after a distinguished career in education.

Eugene is the current Head of Wellington School in Somerset. He was previously Senior Deputy Headmaster at Trinity School, Croydon and Undermaster at St Paul’s School, London. Educated in South Africa, he studied Business Economics at the University of Witwatersrand and went on to complete a Masters in Leadership and an MBA, both at University College London.

Eugene will join Haileybury at an exciting stage in the School’s development. With a wealth of experience and a strong ethos, Eugene is the right person to build upon the exceptional progress of recent years and to lead the School into the next phase.

Eugene will take over as Master in September 2024 and we wish him every success in his new role.

New Head for Bishop’s Stortford College: John Maguire

We are delighted to have supported Bishop’s Stortford College with the successful appointment of John Maguire as their new Head from September 2024. He will become the 11th Head of the College, following Kathy Crewe-Read’s decision to take a position in Italy at the end of this academic year.

John was selected from a strong field of candidates from around the world, a testament to the strength of the College’s reputation. Locally educated at Heath Mount and Felsted School, John graduated in Geography and Geology, before commencing a successful career in teaching and leadership at a number of schools in the UK. John joins the College from the British School of Bahrain where he has been Executive Headmaster since 2019.

Bishop’s Stortford College has remained a constant in John’s life, having played sports against the College as a student. John and his family are looking forward to returning to the UK, and his two daughters will be joining the College in September.

Chair of Bishop’s Stortford College Governing Council Guy Baker, said, “We are delighted to announce John Maguire’s appointment and look forward to him leading the College through the next stages of its strategy, to the benefit of all pupils. John has significant experience as a Head and we are confident that under his leadership, the College will go from strength to strength.”

We wish John every success with his new role.

New Head for Wolverhampton Grammar School: Nic Anderson

We are delighted to have supported Wolverhampton Grammar School in the appointment of Nic Anderson as their new Head.

Nic, who has been the Acting Head since 1 September 2023, will take up the permanent position as Head with immediate effect, offering a seamless transition for parents, staff and students. Nic is well known to the WGS community having enjoyed a long association with the School for over 40 years. His journey first began as a young senior school student. For the last 26 years, he has been a much-loved member of the Wolverhampton Grammar teaching staff, first as a Maths Teacher and Teacher in charge of boys’ hockey, then in 2005 as Head of Lower School in charge of Years 6, 7 and 8, and more recently as Deputy Head (Academic) and a member of the Senior Management Team since 2009.

On his appointment Nic said: “I am touched and thrilled to have been offered this opportunity to become the new permanent Head of Wolverhampton Grammar School. WGS is so dear to me and has been with me for the best part of my life. I can’t imagine a greater honour than to be asked to lead WGS into its next exciting chapter. My journey from being a boy at school here, through to my adult teaching career and seeing my own children become WGS students, has come full circle. It is with the utmost pride that I take up my headship.”

We wish Nic every success with his role.

New Head for Holyport College: Alastair Ingall

We are delighted to have supported Holyport College with the appointment of Alastair Ingall as their new Headteacher. Alastair will join Holyport in September 2024.

Alastair is currently Senior Deputy Headteacher at the Tiffin School, where he has worked since 2011. Prior to this, Alastair worked at Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School.

We wish Alastair every success with his new post.