people moves

Mill Hill School appoints David Benson as new head

Mill Hill School has appointed David Benson as its new head from January next year, replacing Jane Sanchez who is moving to another role within The Mill Hill School Foundation. Mill Hill is a co-educational school for boys and girls aged 13 to 18 in Northwest London. offering day, weekly and full boarding.

Benson joins from Kensington Aldridge Academy, where he has been the founding principal since September 2013.

Having been educated at St. Paul’s, Benson qualified from the Teach First programme and is making the move from the state sector to the independent sector after 10 years at the academy, when the school had one year group. He has overseen the growth of the academy to its current total of 1,300 pupils and 180 staff.

The current head of Mill Hill School, Sanchez, has been part of the Mill Hill Staff for the past 20 years, including as head for the past five years.

George Watson’s College announces new principal

George Watson’s College, a co-educational private day school in Edinburgh, has appointed Lisa Kerr as principal, succeeding Melvyn Roffe in August next year.

Since 2017 Kerr has been principal of Gordonstoun where she has led a programme of capital investment, academic improvement and international development. She previously worked in commercial media and broadcasting at Radio Forth and Classic FM. This was followed by several years working in strategic consultancy where she worked with infrastructure businesses undergoing transformational change.

Kerr is a vice-chair of Scottish Opera and has been a governor of three schools. She sits on the boards of several regulatory bodies including at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. A deputy lieutenant of Moray, Kerr has recently been appointed as a member of the board of HMC –the Head’s Conference.

James Jones appointed head of Sidcot School Sidcot School in Somerset has appointed James Jones as head to succeed Iain Kilpatrick from January next year. Sidcot is a co-educational private school for boarding and day pupils, associated with the Religious Society of Friends.

Since 2017 Jones has been deputy head at Wycombe Abbey an independent girls’ boarding and day school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

Kilpatrick will take up the position of executive headmaster at YK Pao School in Shanghai, China at the start of the new year.

Lathallan School appoints new bursar

Lathallan School, a co-educational all-through independent school at Brotherton Castle in Northeast Scotland, has appointed Edward Foster as its new bursar succeeding Valerie Corbett who has retired after working as bursar for more than 20 years.

Foster will participate in Lathallan’s strategic development and educational offering, responsible for long-term financial and operational stability, and overseeing a team of support staff. Other areas of responsibility include estates, IT, facilities, procurement and human resources.

Foster started his career in the public sector, working at Audit Scotland. In 2006, he began a six-year tenure with The City of Edinburgh Council, gaining his CIPFA professional accountancy qualification and working as an accountant within the children and families department, and on the Edinburgh Trams project.

In 2013, he was appointed finance manager with The Highland Council and three years later, promoted to head of finance.

Taunton School appoints new chief operating officer

Taunton School, a co-educational independent day and boarding schools in Somerset has appointed Sandra Reynolds as chief operating officer, replacing Nikki Miller who has held the position for seven years.

Reynolds is currently chief operating officer and chief