May 21st 2008

Dear Parents/Carers

Appointment of Headteacher

I am pleased to inform you that the governing body have appointed Mr Robbie Cathcart as headteacher of the school commencing September 1st 2008. Robbie Cathcart is currently deputy headteacher of Loxford School of Science and Technology, Ilford, which was graded ‘Outstanding’ in all areas when inspected by Ofsted last year. At the time of the inspection he was associate headteacher, responsible for the day to day management of the school, and was praised for exceptional leadership, and having a clear, shared sense of direction and high expectations for the school’s future development.

Robbie Cathcart was educated at the Chatham Technical High School for Boys before entering the Royal Academy of Music where he studied piano and viola graduating in 1981. He was awarded his teaching qualification a year later specialising in music and mathematics. Robbie Cathcart has had a broad educational career since this time, having worked in 5 schools, and has included a period of service as a local authority advisor and Ofsted inspector.

At the outset of the appointment process the governing body were determined that they would only appoint a candidate who was right for William Ellis School. In today’s climate it is a challenge to attract candidates for headship and the governing body were encouraged that our advertisement generated a large field of applicants that enabled the selection panel to draw up a shortlist of 7 strong candidates.  A headteacher has to address a wide range of audiences and the selection panel felt strongly that an effective selection process would be strengthened by the involvement of the wider school community. To meet this aim one element of section process involved the candidates being interviewed by panels representing a cross section of the school community: parents; pupils; non-teaching staff; school management; middle management; classroom teachers. I would like to thank all those who participated in the panels which the candidates found both challenging and rewarding. The feedback from these panels was perceptive and a valuable tool in identifying those candidates for final interview who we felt had the potential to be headteacher of our school.

The governing body feel strongly that the rigorous selection process has identified a person in Robbie Cathcart who has the right balance of vision, experience, skills, and enthusiasm to lead the school forward. He has an aim that the school becomes a centre of excellence for boys’ education and this is a vision that can focus the energy of the whole school community to support the renaissance of the school.