Exeter School Head retires after 17 successful years
Exeter School pupils, parents, alumni and staff pay tribute to Head Bob Griffin who retires after 17 years at the helm of this highly successful independent school. During his time as Head he has overseen the full integration of co-education across the whole school, right from Form One (Year 3) up to the Upper Sixth (Year 13) ensuring that girls as well as boys can access the outstanding education and enrichment opportunities that Exeter School excels at providing.
During his 50 terms at Exeter School, Mr Griffin has been instrumental in the development of the school’s infrastructure, including the creation of the School House Library, the extension of the Art Department including its own gallery, the modernisation of the Music Department with its 230-seater Music Hall including two grand pianos, and the construction of a new competition standard indoor swimming pool thanks to a generous benefactor. He has also led a quiet ICT revolution with iPADs and robust technical infrastructure in place which served our staff and pupils so well during lockdown.
Academically the school has gone from strength to strength, celebrating consistently good A Level and GCSE results, year on year, reaching the top of the league tables in the South West. Exeter School was named top performing independent secondary school in Devon in The Sunday Times Parent Power 2018 table, testament to the school’s broad offering of academic and extracurricular activity, both in and out of the classroom, from diverse and interesting speakers to extend the pupils’ learning to Model United Nations Conferences.
Dedicated head Mr Griffin has been ever present at school events in support of his pupils. He has attended every one of the school’s high quality drama productions and stimulating musical performances, as well as the annual Ten Tors Challenge, residentials on Dartmoor, weekly Saturday fixtures at home and across the country, CCF summer camps and even international sports tours.
Head Bob Griffin will be missed by the Exeter School community who wish him well in his retirement.
Chair of Governors Andrew King said he was an inspirational leader and a pleasure to work with.
“Bob was a wonderful ambassador for Exeter School, steering the school through nine excellent ISI inspections.
“He was responsible for the incremental development of pastoral care systems across the school and always keen to ensure the very best value for money for our parents.
“His calm, quietly confident manner meant we all felt the school was in the safest pair of hands. He will be dearly missed and we hope he will stay in touch with the school community.”
The school welcomes Ms Louise Simpson who joins as the school’s first female head from St Paul’s School in São Paulo, Brazil.
