Headmaster's Blog

Thursday, 20th August 2020

Hello from St Catherine's,

Both the new Upper School and Lower School sites remain hives of activity as we prepare for the opening of school for students on Monday, 7th September. Please keep a watchful eye on your emails over the next fortnight as more detailed arrangements will be circulated ahead of the new term. We anticipate that we will be fully open on the scheduled date but there will undoubtedly be a range of health and safety measures to be applied. Watch this space!

I am regularly asked questions about the recruitment of staff at St Catherine's and there is no doubt that our international reputation ensures high quality applicants and therefore the appointment of new staff with outstanding credentials. This year, despite the pandemic, the situation is no different. Before I update you on new staff joining the school, we bid farewell to a number of our colleagues at the end of the last academic year. Mr Gioia from the Music Department is returning to his native Italy having served the school since 2016. Mr Howlett proved a most popular teacher of English in the Upper School, covering a maternity leave and he is now heading to an international school in Stuttgart. Mr and Mrs York-Ryder are also moving elsewhere in Europe, southern France to be exact. Mrs York-Ryder was a great support in the English Department whilst Mr York-Ryder's maritime experiences proved invaluable in the Geography Department. Ms Vardaki has also decided to leave the school to pursue work as a full-time Mentor. She leaves the History Department with an outstanding record of GCSE History results over the last 8 years. Miss Warren and Mr Prosser, from our Key Stage Two teaching team, are also departing for new pastures. Both were excellent classroom practitioners and very popular with the pupils and parents alike. Indeed Mr Prosser proved an invaluable acquisition with his ICT expertise particularly during the COVID-19 dislocation. Miss Warren is returning to teach in the UK whilst Mr Prosser is heading to Ecuador to broaden his international experience. They will be sorely missed by everyone especially in the Lower School.

I am delighted to report that all our new teaching recruits have now safely arrived in the country and are assimilating to life in Greece. In the Lower School we are welcoming three new teachers: Mr Hodgson will be joining the Reception team. Having graduated from the University of Bedfordshire in 2014, he has been teaching in South Yorkshire, most recently at Goldthorpe Primary School, near Barnsley. Mr Fletcher graduated from Edge Hill University in 2015 and has been most recently been teaching at Westfield County Primary School in St. Helens – he will be joining Year 6 at the top end of the Lower School. Mrs Levi is joining the Music Department from Byron College. A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music as will as holding a Masters from Roehampton University, she also has extensive experience as a professional performer.

In the Upper School we are pleased to welcome as new colleagues, Mr Gooderham, Mr Ryan and Ms Pavlou. Mr Gooderham has a 1st Class Honours degree from the University of Cambridge and will be teaching Geography, having completed his training at the King's School, Canterbury. Mr Ryan graduated in History from Newcastle University in 2014 and, having completed his PGCE at Sheffield University, has experience of teaching in both London and most recently in Spain. Ms Pavlou rejoins the English Department having taught at St Catherine's between 2005 and 2012. In the meantime, she has extended her experience in the UK and the Middle East.

We are also delighted to welcome an Alumnus, Mr Paul Koutselos, as a new addition to our ICT technical support team. A music graduate from Bristol University, Mr Koutselos then completed an MSc in Sound Design at Edinburgh University. Along with other members of our ICT team, they are receiving specialist training in the use of our amazing sound and lighting equipment in the new theatre.

Please don't forget to keep checking your emails on a regular basis right up until the beginning of term.

With all best wishes, keep well and safe

Stuart Smith

Headmaster

August 2020

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