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5 September 2023
Malvern St James Girls’ School has announced the appointment of Dr Gareth Lloyd as the new Head of the school, taking up post as of January 1st 2024.
He comes from Stoke College in Suffolk and succeeds Mrs Olivera Raraty, who retires at Christmas having been Head since September 2016.
Dr Lloyd will be the first male Head in the history of Malvern St James, which is the school formed from the merger of Malvern Girls’ College and St James’s School. The school is one of the leading all-girls schools in the UK, with an international reputation for pioneering female education since its founding in the 1800s.
Dr Lloyd grew up in Bridgend, South Wales. He was educated at the universities of Exeter, Cambridge, London, Reading, Sheffield and Trinity Laban, in a range of academic disciplines including Music, Modern Foreign Languages, School Management and Philosophy.
MSJ will be Dr Lloyd’s fifth headship in schools in England, Wales and China. With a track record in achieving excellent academic standards, as well as significant growth and innovation, Dr Lloyd has demonstrated to governors his capacity and vision to manage MSJ with inspiration and ambition. He has a deep commitment to high quality, all-round education with each individual student’s best interests at the very heart of his work.
Dr Lloyd comments, “From my very first discussion about the possibility of leading Malvern St James, to the final interview and meeting governors, staff and especially the girls, I cannot begin to describe how excited I am to be joining the school. It is both an immense privilege and great responsibility to assume this headship, not least as the first male Head in the school’s history. I am committed to a new era of growth, building on MSJ’s impressive heritage as one of the UK’s leading girls’ schools and its reputation for academic breadth and rigour, enrichment, and pastoral care.”
Dr Lloyd is a passionate musician, playing piano and violin, singing and composing. His doctoral submission ‘Requiem for the Fallen of 9/11’ is due to be premiered in New York on the 25th anniversary of the Twin Towers tragedy. He is an equally passionate sportsman, having played numerous sports at a high level, including national representation in ultra-marathons, notching up 150 competitive marathon and ultra-marathon runs. He continues to be a life-long learner and has been a speaker on education at symposiums around the world.
Described by Muddy Stilettos Schools Guide as “charming, impressive, approachable and inspiring – just what you need in a Head”, Dr Lloyd is pleased to be returning closer to his roots and his family in his new home in Malvern. He will be joined by his partner, Mr Kieren Andrews, and their two dogs.
MSJ’s Chair of Governors, Gemma Bruce, comments, “We are very excited about Dr Lloyd’s appointment. His experience gained over a lifelong career in education, his enthusiasm, focus and philosophy on education will make him a superb leader of our school, giving clarity and focus to our strategic direction over the next decade and beyond. Education is a complex sector, highly dynamic, and the best institutions are those which adapt to the broader landscape of higher education, business and commerce and what those institutions are looking for, as well as focusing on developing the whole child with soft skills and academic attainment. He has tremendous energy and insight, which impressed the governing body in a very strong field of candidates.
“I am proud that our school has excellent results across all subjects, but there is a particularly telling story in STEM subjects with over half of our Year 13s going on to study those subjects at university each year despite the national picture of female STEM undergraduate numbers lagging significantly behind their male counterparts. Across all subjects, attainment at MSJ is exceptional this year with 31% of A Levels at A*-A, 62% at A*-B and 16% of pupils achieving a clean sweep of A*s and As. The overwhelming majority of girls attained places at their chosen university.
“Whilst welcoming Dr Lloyd, we thank outgoing Headmistress Mrs Olivera Raraty for her outstanding leadership in the last 7 years.”
Malvern St James Girls’ School was created in 2006 after the merger of Malvern Girls’ College (founded in 1893) and St James’s School (founded 1896). It is an independent day and boarding school for girls aged 3 – 18 in Great Malvern, Worcestershire.
