Exeter School welcomes new Head

Exeter School is delighted to introduce its new Head, Louise Simpson, who joins the school from St Paul’s School in São Paulo, Brazil, following the retirement of Bob Griffin after 17 years at the helm.

Educated at a state school in Suffolk, Louise studied Environmental Science at the University of Wales before starting her teaching career in 1992 teaching Biology at Gresham’s School then Ratcliffe College and King’s Rochester. In 2009, she was appointed Senior Deputy Head at Brighton College, working under both Sir Anthony Seldon and then Richard Cairns. In 2010 she was appointed Head at Bromley High School, a school for 900 girls before re-locating to Brazil in 2014.

Louise said she was struck by the warmth of Exeter School, its focus on developing the whole child, its outstanding pastoral care and the commitment of its staff and members of the school community.

“I am excited, delighted and honoured to be the Head of Exeter School,” she said.

“Exeter School is a wonderful, warm and welcoming community, where the pupils and their teachers work extremely well together, and everyone takes up all the opportunities that are offered. The site is impressive, but it is the achievements of the pupils, both academic and otherwise, which are more important, and their development as individuals, which is enhanced and nurtured by excellent relationships with the adults with whom they work, and by the incredible range of opportunities that they are offered.

“My priority as a Head is excellence for every child; that means having a real focus on the individual and what is right for them.  The range of activities and enrichment that we offer at Exeter is phenomenal and should give all our pupils the opportunity to find out what they are good at – and to excel at it.”

Andrew King, Chairman of the Governors, said: “Louise brings extensive educational experience to the role, backed by energy, determination, optimism, commercial acumen and a global outlook. Louise has outlined many innovative ideas to develop our educational offering, to support wellbeing, pastoral care and staff development and to pursue excellence in all that we do. Her values resonate strongly with those of Exeter School and I wish her every success in this vital role.”