The Chair and Governors have announced the appointment of Jesse Elzinga as the next Head of Sevenoaks School from September 2020.
Mr Elzinga has been Headmaster of Reading Blue Coat School in Berkshire since 2016. During his tenure the school has enjoyed the best academic results in its history. Mr Elzinga expanded the school’s innovative Outreach and Partnership Programme, created a strong network of charities and partner schools within the local community, and established a thriving Development Office.
Before this, Mr Elzinga was Director of Studies at Harrow, where he broadened the school’s academic curriculum. Previously, he worked at St Edward’s School in Oxford as Director of Studies and as IB Coordinator. He helped introduce the IB Diploma at St Edward’s and was a residential Assistant Housemaster. He started his career at Whitgift School as a teacher of Theology and Philosophy, the Assistant Head of Sixth Form and the Theory of Knowledge Coordinator.
Mr Elzinga said: ‘It is a tremendous privilege to have been selected as the next Head of Sevenoaks School, particularly following the remarkable vision and leadership of Dr Katy Ricks. The Sevenoaks Education is unique: global in its outlook, yet also rooted in the local community, committed to service and partnership.
Read more at: https://www.sevenoaksschool.org/new-head/
Not all private school pupils are mini versions of Boris Johnson
Private schools should not be judged based on old Etonians like Boris Johnson, who’s as abnormal as the average serial killer, writes Cameron Wyllie.
The far more interesting question is whether private schools are actually better. Of course, the exam results are often better, but then private schools are mainly academically selective, they often have excellent facilities, they virtually always have smaller class sizes and very often they pay their staff more which may also have an effect.
They are less tied, if tied at all, to national initiatives; they are ‘independent’ in terms of the curriculum at least to a certain extent: many of us would say that was a good thing. They tend to get very good reports when they are inspected. Even in economic times which are far from easy, most private schools are doing well, with some parents (including some of the ‘posh’ ones) spending every last penny on fees.
When I was meeting parents who were thinking of sending their kids to the school which I used to help lead I often said “it’s a lot of money – think about what else you could do for them with all that cash”. But they came anyway and I can honestly say I never met a parent who, 13 or six or two years later said: “Well I’d rather have had really fancy holidays and a bigger car.”