JUNIORschool head nlcs leaving

[perhapsLAter]

Dear all,
I am a parent of a 4+ DD who has accepted NLCS only to find out today that the head is leaving. Do any current parents have an idea why? I am a little worried as she was only here for two years. If you would prefer to PM me i would appreciate it.

Hi. They generally wouldn’t say, there was all kind of mumsnet speculation when the senior head left, it turned out it was personal family related. NLCS doesn’t have any problem hiring the very best of replacements, I wouldn’t worry too much

How did you find out the head of junior was leaving?

it’s pretty poor comms from them if they knew before hand as other schools have been transparent about their headmistress or head of juniors leaving..

Bella. How do you know about the timings of letters and resignations at other schools, it’s just speculation again.

that is what im feeling, its the timing that makes me feel uneasy. I believe that some thing must be up to announce yesterday and from what I have heard the head will not be back after half term.

It makes me uneasy as this is not normally how schools annouce and im sure some will say I am being a little too cautious and everything will be right in the end.

I just wanted to hear from current parents what they felt or thought.

Its not speculation, they were very transparent - I have friends who did the 4+ this year and they told me the following:

For Glendower - they had sent everyone doing the 4+ an email the week of the assessments telling them the headmistress is leaving this year.

For South Hampstead - the headmistress told the parents at the Offers day that the Head of Juniors is leaving and they are interviewing her replacement before Easter

it sounds very sudden though re: NLCS but I’m not going to speculate why as it could be anything but following with interest.

Bella, do you have a child at NLCS or any invested interest in it? It’s completely up to the school when they release any details and what is sudden about it?

Perhaps@perhapsLAter why don’t you ask the school and say you have concerns. There are multiple layers of deputy heads / heads of / governors etc.

Many heads of top schools give a year’s notice. Interviewing before Easter is a rush. It’s obviously to try and get a head who only needs 1 term’s notice but all of our schools have notified parents 1 year in advance.

@Belledd speculation of the part of NLCS. Many people on this forum love to find an opportunity to speculate putting a top school down. I expect it’s just jealously and I don’t know why on earth people without students at the school would have any interest

But why be so defensive PPL's? it's just a school. It's not a perfect one.

Exactly that. Why people would spend their time putting down schools that have nothing to with is beyond me.

I understand the circumstance between NLCS and other schools mentioned may differ regarding the change of heads, thought it was helpful to provide context to the OP. It was not intended to put NLCS down at all and in fact we think it’s a great school - our only DD will sit the 4+ NLCS so not sure why the unpleasant comments.

Good luck OP, I am sure it will be fine anyway!

Hi
I have a daughter at the junior school and we were only informed on Thursday this week! most parents are shocked and upset about it to be honest.
no one seems to know why and parents are speculating whether the new Head of Senior school didn’t want her to stay and will recruit her previous Junior Head from South Hampstead who apparently has recently left post or leaving soon I don’t know which.

theres been a lot of changes in the junior school over the last year with deputy heads leaving and the replacement soon after went on mat leave.

Personally Ive seen a high turnover of senior staff at lots of north London schools in the past year, which I dislike. Children and parents need stability and we need to know what we are buying into. Are we getting an nlcs education or a south Hampstead education. What’s the difference when the staff are moving around all the schools so quickly?

I would contact the school and explain how you feel and ask for clarity going forward.

Mrs C-S has a deep understanding of what a child needs to know themselves, self assurance and develop a stable mindset. Can’t believe she would wish to leave so abruptly and without a good bye to the girls.

@PPLs nobody is putting the school down. It is unusual timing to announce this a few days after parents accepted their 4+ offers - it is something that should have been communicated to prospective parents before. Imagine you decline a Habs offer bc you love the NLCS Junior head and the day after you transfer the deposit you are told the head is leaving mid year, it is not ideal.

On the plus side, whoever is hired will likely be there to stay so better now than in a year's time, at least for prospective parents. I can imagine it is upsetting for current parents.

For such a sudden move it is probably personal, either health or family related. And quite rightly the school won't tell parents this.

They often do. Personal or family reasons are cited. There might be a reorganization in the offing that wasn’t welcome. It could be all sorts of things but going quickly without substantial notice is not what’s expected. If there’s nothing to hide, the relationship between the school and parents is better preserved by being honest but by using sensitive words. If communication is poor, it’s not respecting parents.

100% agree with you @ncsurrey22 - unsure why that poster overreacted with her targeted unhelpful remarks..

I am a current NLCS parent and don’t normally post here. Most parents think the timing of announcement is deliberate, being just before half term and one day after offers deadline (ie don’t ask us questions!!!!). It was so sudden. We are all worried how they will find a replacement and any further fall outs from this. The school may have known a lot earlier and have made arrangements but they have not told us anything.

I contacted the school but no response yet.

@Poppydelight They might steady the ship and appoint a deputy as acting head and give themselves more time. We had this scenario at our prep years ago. If they want a head from another prep, and they might, that head may have to give more than 1 term notice. It leaves that prep in a mess if their head leaves quickly. That’s why heads usually give a lot of notice. It manages the situation better for all the schools.

Not an overreaction at all. I fail to see why parents with no vested interest in the school need to speculate and surely it would be better to contact the school directly rather than speculate on a forum. If I had a question regarding my daughters school, I would ask the school directly rather than strangers.

@PPLs the point is that current and prospective parents have asked and not received answers. Normally I would have also assumed it is a personal matter that they cannot disclose but if you have seen the actual letter sent to parents, you would also suspect that it is rather something else than a personal or health matter. It's just the way the actual letter was written that left a lot to answer for.

the op didn’t say they had contacted the school. Strangers on a forum wouldn’t know, historically letters thank leaving teachers profusely when they are sorry they are leaving and factual when it’s something different . I would email the head of the school ask what’s happening. The senior head left suddenly and there was all kind of speculation on mumsnet and it was all completely wrong.

Re staff moves, consider that the rate of wage increases is nowhere near the rate of inflation and lots of teachers cannot afford to stay and start families, even at a school like NLCS et al. It’s a huge issue across the south east.

@PPLs - are you actually a current NLCS parent also? As I don’t understand your comments. No one is speculating, the poster you have been targeting gave useful insight into how other schools operate and it makes me wonder why NLCS approach is different. But again could be many reasons.

I have asked the school about it but no response as I am sure the OP has. I think it’s reasonable the OP ask the question here to strangers given she just accepted the offer and may not know other NLCS parents yet.

@TizerorFizz thanks they do need to appoint someone quickly even it’s just acting head so probably buying time with the half term. I am sure it’s ok in the long term and affecting more the current parents as hopefully it’s all sorted by Sept.

Yes. I am a parent at the school. I would suggest a call to the school after half term if you are worried. I am not targeting a person, someone is quoting what a friend told her. My suggestion is to call the school. Speculation above sites other schools, bad comms and the SHHS prep teacher. Information on mumsnet often puts schools down. For example 22 Oxbridge offers 2024, although they fail to mention 60 applied. Even if you find the information on here, it’s likely to be gossip. My experience of the school is, it’s a well oiled ship and you sail with it or without out. When we chose the school for our child, I hadn’t even heard the the head speak and we didn’t speak, nor did my child in the years she was there. The present senior school head is very present and engaged with the girls.