Loretto Junior School’s new headteacher 

Loretto’s Governing Body has great pleasure in announcing the appointment of Andrew Dickenson as Head of Loretto Junior School with effect from August 2018.

Since 2008, Andrew has been Head of Junior School, Kelvinside Academy and prior to this he was Deputy Head of Edinburgh Academy Junior School.  Andrew has also held Director of Studies, CPD Co-ordinator and Class Teacher posts in Edinburgh and London. He holds an MA (Hons) from the University of St Andrews and a PGCE from Anglia University.  

His interests are wide-ranging: he is a keen cyclist and walker, he has acted in a number of amateur productions and he enjoys public speaking.

Andrew brings to Loretto an abundance of experience and a successful track record at a senior level in independent junior school education.  We are delighted to welcome him and his wife, Viv, to Loretto at an exciting time in the school’s development.

Dr Graham Hawley, Loretto Headmaster, said, “We are delighted to appoint Andrew Dickenson as Head of Loretto Junior School with his tremendous drive, experience and commitment to continue to develop the intellectual heart and ethos of the School. In Andrew, we believe we have found a leader who will uphold and enhance Loretto Junior School’s values and excellence in all areas of the curriculum and continue on Loretto’s very exciting journey of being one of the country’s finest schools.”

DLD College London welcomes new principal

DLD College London has consolidated its senior leadership team with the appointment of an experienced and distinguished principal. Irfan Latif has joined from Sexey’s School, Bruton where he held the position of headmaster for over four years. Up until Christmas, he was Vice Chairman of the Boarding Schools’ Association and Chair of the State Boarding Forum and was also on the Board of Education at the Diocese of Bath & Wells. 

Irfan was educated at Emanuel School and graduated from King’s College, University of London with an honours degree in Chemistry and a PGCE in Secondary Education.

 “I am thrilled to have been appointed the new Principal of DLD College London and I am very excited to join this prestigious school which has the students at the heart of its thinking. I admire that its roots are borne out of an academic commitment to the community and that student wellbeing is a central focus,” said Irfan. “By affording opportunities to develop, intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, physically and socially, DLD College London strives to educate the whole person in preparation for an ever-changing and uncertain world.”

Permanent headmaster at Parsons Green Prep

Tim Cannell, formerly head at The Prebendal School in Chichester, West Sussex, since 2005, has been appointed the permanent headmaster at Parsons Green Prep in Fulham, London. Tim started at PGP in September 2017 and was covering Helen Stavert’s maternity leave. 

“I am privileged to be offered the opportunity to lead Parsons Green Prep on a permanent basis. It is a gem of a school with superb facilities and a large outdoor space. Most importantly, PGP allows children to enjoy their childhood whilst offering a first-class education, preparing them for a wide selection of top London schools and beyond,” said Tim. 

Tim has a wide variety of experience in education with over 25 years within the independent sector. He has had responsibility for both pastoral welfare and academic excellence in schools. He is a former chairman of the Choir Schools Association (CSA), a member of IAPS (the Independent Association of Prep Schools), a governor of a boys’ prep school and an inspector for the ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate). He also holds a Masters in Educational Management. 

New headmistress for Walthamstow Hall

Stephanie Ferro takes the helm at Walthamstow Hall School from Jill Milner, who has retired after 15 years of dedicated service. During the last decade, Walthamstow Hall has undergone extensive development of its facilities and “continues to nurture self-assured young women who are not only comfortable themselves but look outward, recognising their wider responsibility as contributors.”

Like her two predecessors at Walthamstow Hall, Stephanie is an alumna of St Anne’s College, Oxford University, and brings 25 years of experience to her new role, having taught and led pastoral and academic teams at a number of prestigious girls’ schools including Wimbledon High (Deputy Head, Pastoral), Lady Eleanor Holles (Senior Assistant Headmistress) and Redland High School (Headmistress). She takes up her post fresh from a term’s sabbatical, having enjoyed hiking in Europe, working as a consultant for primary school, and brushing up on her Italian.

 “I have found everything about Walthamstow Hall to be inviting. The emblem of the ship may seem an enigma in leafy Sevenoaks, but this school has at its heart a commitment to ‘journey’. My very first tour revealed not only the strong academic foundations of the past and the energetic excellence of the present, but students who are purposeful, who take pleasure in being part of a vibrant learning community, and an outstanding teaching staff who encourage each girl in their own personal voyages of discovery. I am really looking forward to embarking on our journey together and a future full of exciting possibilities,” said Stephanie. 

A new deputy head (academic) at King Edward’s Witley

Zeba Clarke has been appointed new Deputy Head (Academic) at King Edward’s Witley with effect from January 2018.

Zeba joins the school from King William’s College, an independent International Baccalaureate school based on the Isle of Man where her duties included Head of English and Head of Academic Enrichment. A former journalist specialising in energy and economics, Zeba originally studied English Language and Literature, Liberal Arts and Sciences and Liberal Studies at the University of Aberdeen and took her PGCE at Sheffield University. She has a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Management from the Institute of Education.

 “The move to King Edward’s is an exciting one for me,” said Zeba. “I relish the challenges it brings and welcome the opportunity to apply my skills and experience in a new environment. While there are some clear similarities between King Edward’s and my previous school, I love the fact that King Edward’s offers pupils a choice of academic pathways, ie A-level or IB. I’m also attracted to the diversity and international nature of the student population. In addition, the genuine commitment to the strong bursary tradition which is the cornerstone to the school’s evolution represents a progressive culture and one to which I wholeheartedly subscribe.”