A NEW headteacher will be leading Queen Anne’s School, in Caversham.
Last week, the School Council announced Elaine Purves will succeed Julia Harrington as the next head, starting in January.
Ms Purves is currently head at St. John’s International School in Belgium and was previously head of Rossall School and head of Ipswich High School, as well as five years as deputy head at the Royal High School, Bath.
“I am very excited to have been appointed to this role and look forward to starting at Queen Anne’s School and returning home to the UK,” she said. “Queen Anne’s is a well-known and respected school with a bright future. I will be delighted to lead it during the next phase of its development and look forward to getting to know the school community.”
Ms Purves said she cares deeply about mental health and is a board member of CHS, a charity providing support and mental health services to the Brussels English-speaking community.
She is also an experienced ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate) team inspector and has recently become a CIS (Council of International Schools) evaluator.
Fluent in German, Ms Purves began her career as a teacher of Modern Languages.
She graduated from the University of Hull with a joint honours degree in English and German before completing a PGCE at the University of Durham.
Jonnie Noakes, chair of Queen Anne’s School Council said the candidate pool was of an extremely high standard.
“We are very fortunate to have appointed such an experienced head with a strong track record,” he said.
“We are confident that Elaine will provide outstanding leadership and that she understands the values and ethos of our school. We look forward to welcoming Elaine to the Queen Anne’s community along with her husband and two children.”
