I am delighted to have joined Runnymede in the current academic year as Head of Senior School, following 20 years as a Head and Deputy Head in British day and boarding schools.

Runnymede is a school that stands for traditional values of respect and the importance of community, and, from my very first visit, I have been hugely impressed by the impeccable manners, high standards and ambition of our pupils. In the Senior School, our focus is firmly on helping our pupils acquire the grades and range of skills required by leading universities across the world. Their achievements have long given Runnymede the status of the leading academic international school in Spain, and we are proud not only of the university destinations of our alumni, but also that the sense of community instilled during their time with us means that they choose to remain in contact and to share their formative experiences with current pupils.

At Runnymede, our school structure follows the traditional British model with senior education starting in Year 9 following completion of Prep School. Runnymedians find the transition to Senior School straightforward because of the close collaboration between the different sections of the school. For example, several subject specialists from the Senior are engaged in the teaching of Years 7 and 8, who also use the subject-specific facilities in our Founder’s Building. Therefore, when joining us in Year 9, pupils are already familiar with both their surroundings and many of the staff who will be teaching them.

We are unapologetic about the high standards to which we hold our young people. Punctuality, politeness, manners, and the determination to produce one’s best are non-negotiable, and our pupils take great pride in setting themselves ambitious goals both inside and beyond the classroom. For Runnymede is no hothouse: we encourage a full range of co-curricular activities that will help our pupils to discover passions that remain with them for life, whether musical, dramatic, artistic, charitable or sporting. This breadth of opportunity is how we strive to meet the liberal aims of our Founder, and what helps Runnymedians to become interesting and engaged young people who are ready to develop into the ethical and principled leaders needed in our increasingly-global society. 

More information about the Senior School can be found in our Pupil and Parent Handbook on our website