Michael Spens

Michael read Natural Sciences at Cambridge and then had a brief spell in the food Industry before embarking on a career in teaching. He was appointed to Radley College, where he taught geology and chemistry and served for ten years as a Housemaster.

In 1993 he was appointed Headmaster of Caldicott Preparatory School (250 boys 7-13, day and boarding), and in 1998 moved to be Headmaster of Fettes College in Edinburgh (550 pupils, 13-18 co-educational day and boarding, with an attached prep school of 200 pupils, 7-13). He thus has the rare experience of having led both a prep school and a senior school. Michael was Headmaster of Fettes College for 19 years and during that time oversaw a major development programme including the growth of the school from 460 pupils to the current 750 pupils and the introduction of the IB Diploma programme in the Sixth Form.

Michael stepped down from Fettes in 2017 and retrained with us in headship appointments. He has worked on a wide variety of leadership appointments, including Edgeborough School, Clifton College, Warwick School, King’s High School, St Edward’s Cheltenham and Giggleswick. Michael recently completed his tenure as a Governor of Oundle School.