Dear Parents and Staff and Members of John Colet School,
Head of School Recruitment
I thought it was time to provide you with a progress report in relation to the search for a new Head of John Colet School.
An advertising campaign was undertaken, in association with, and with the support of, the Executive Recruitment service of the AISNSW, to recruit the new Head of School. Our marketing, both worldwide and throughout Australia, has yielded some good people, but not one who satisfied us that the candidate was the successor to Mr. Mane. As you can imagine, we are determined to find the right Head; and this is not an easy task. We are very optimistic that the right person is there, and we are determined to find him or her. We do not intend to settle for someone who is good enough . It is vital for the future of John Colet School, the children, the staff and the parent community, to retain a Head who has the talent, qualifications, experience and fit to take the School into the next era, and to meet the challenges the future will bring.
Our next step is to re-advertise the position through a recruitment agency well qualified to reach all the teaching community who may have missed our original marketing effort, and thoroughly test the market even further. This process is now underway, and we have confidence that we will be able to identify the successful candidate in the near future.
As we do not know, at this stage, how long this renewed process will take, we have instituted an interim plan to ensure we are well able to sustain the leadership of John Colet School until the new Head is found and is ready to take over.
Mr. Mane will continue as Headmaster until the end of first term 2015. During this time he will work closely with Mrs. McKendrick to prepare her to take over as Headmistress for the start of Term 2, and continue in that role until the new Head comes on board. She is experienced and qualified, of course, and filled the role of Head Teacher in the early days of John Colet School. Mr. Mane will be available to Mrs. McKendrick for consultation as needed, for as long as necessary. Mrs. McKendrick and Mrs. Donald, and of course Mr. Mane, have discussed the situation with me, and all agree this is a very positive way to manage the transition.
This will entail some readjustment of the management of the School, and arrangements for this are currently being made so that the 2015 school year begins with a well-organised and strong structure able to meet all the needs of the teachers and the children.
In the case of a new Head being identified before the end of Term 1, it may be that the candidate will be able to take over as Head of School from the start of Term 2. If this occurs, Mrs. McKendrick will not need to fill the position. In either case, a smooth transition and capable leadership will be assured.
Mr. Mane and Mrs. McKendrick are very positive about these arrangements, and I feel sure you will agree that this plan ensures that John Colet School will remain in good hands through 2015 and beyond.
Best wishes,
Philip Wolfers
Chairman of the Board of Governors
