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New Headmaster appointed at Wetherby
New Headmaster appointed at Wetherby Senior School
Wetherby Senior is delighted to announce that Josiah Silvester will be joining as the new Headmaster from September 2021. Mr Silvester is currently Deputy Head Academic at Bancroft’s School in North East London. With nineteen years in the teaching profession, seven of which have been spent in senior leadership roles, Mr Silvester has a proven strength as a strong communicator and leader by example, with a focus on academic achievement.
“I am delighted and honoured to have been appointed to be the next Head of Wetherby Senior School. Wetherby Senior’s vision for promoting academic excellence alongside a commitment to the development of the whole pupil is something that is central to my personal beliefs about what constitutes a first-class education. I am very much looking forward to meeting and working with all members of the Wetherby community and the Alpha Plus group more widely.”
Tonbridge School and The New Beacon Preparatory School will merge with effect from 31 August 2021.
Tonbridge is one of the leading independent boys’ schools in the UK and currently has more than 800 boys, a blend of boarders (60 percent) and day pupils (40 per cent). The school is renowned for its worldclass, innovative teaching and learning, as well as for its pastoral excellence, outstanding facilities and strong ethos of community outreach and social impact.
The New Beacon Prep School is in Sevenoaks, approximately 10 miles from Tonbridge. It is a leading independent day and boarding prep school for boys aged 4 to 13 and currently has 325 pupils, including a nursery for boys and girls.
James Priory, Headmaster of Tonbridge School, said: ‘There has always been a strong relationship between our schools and I am delighted that we will be combining our experience and expertise to provide an educational pathway for boys from 3 to 18. We have a shared ethos and believe that the merger will bring considerable benefits to both schools whilst respecting our separate identities.
‘Tonbridge is a determinedly selective school. We already welcome some 20 boys from the New Beacon every year. Our rigorous recruitment process will remain the same for New Beacon applicants as it does for boys from every other prep school, all of whom we will continue to welcome and support.’
Mike Piercy, Headmaster of The New Beacon, said: ‘This merger will strengthen our long connection with Tonbridge and will expand our access to the expertise of its senior school staff and facilities. I am also delighted that we will be working with Tonbridge to develop further our intellectually creative academic curriculum to align Years 7 to 9. This will support the boys in preparing for entrance assessments and transition to senior school, not just academically but also in terms of confidence and life skills –benefits which will, of course, apply to all boys, whichever their preferred senior school destination.’
