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19 May 2021
The School Council is delighted to announce that Elaine Purves will succeed Julia Harrington as the next Head of Queen Anne’s School. Elaine will join Queen Anne’s in January 2022 following her current Headship at St. John’s International School in Belgium. At St. John’s, Elaine’s confidence and enthusiasm has seen the school go from strength to strength in providing outstanding pastoral care and a forward-thinking education. She has extensive experience in school leadership having also previously been Head of Rossall School and Head of Ipswich High School, as well as five years as Deputy Head at the Royal High School, Bath, GDST.
In addition, Elaine is an experienced ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate) Team Inspector and has recently become a CIS (Council of International Schools) Evaluator. She cares deeply about mental health and is a board member of CHS, a charity providing support and mental health services to the Brussels English-speaking community.
Fluent in German, Elaine is a linguist and began her career as a teacher of Modern Languages. She graduated from the University of Hull with a joint honours degree in English and German before completing a PGCE at the University of Durham.
Elaine has a robust background in developing academic provision, facilities and pupil experiences that will build on the strong legacy that Julia Harrington has cultivated over the last nearly 15 years. Elaine commented: “I am very excited to have been appointed to this role and look forward to starting at Queen Anne’s School and returning home to the UK. Queen Anne’s is a well-known and respected school with a bright future. I will be delighted to lead it during the next phase of its development and look forward to getting to know the school community.”
Jonnie Noakes, Chair of Queen Anne’s School Council said: “The candidate pool was of an extremely high standard and we are very fortunate to have appointed such an experienced Head with a strong track record. We are confident that Elaine will provide outstanding leadership and that she understands the values and ethos of our school. We look forward to welcoming Elaine to the Queen Anne’s community along with her husband and two children.”
