Gillotts head leaving after 19 years

THE headteacher of Gillotts School in Henley will step down after 19 years.

Catharine Darnton will leave next Easter having seeing the school through the covid lockdowns, its transition into the River Learning Trust and achieving an “outstanding” Ofsted rating in 2023.

Last academic year, the school also achieved the top spot in Oxfordshire for GCSE performances among state schools.

Staff, students and parents were informed on Tuesday of her decision to step down.

Ms Darnton, 55, said she wanted to explore other career avenues in education outside of the school setting.

She said: “I’ve been here for a long time, and I’ve just got to a point in my career where I would like to do something else before I get to retirement.

“I want to stay in the world of education, but I would like to do something a little bit different, maybe policy related. It’s just felt like a good moment to go and explore that. I’ve also thought there are better and worse times for the school.

“At Easter we will have been in River Learning Trust for a year so we’ve made that transition.

“That gives the school that broader back up and support which I think will be really helpful.

“It’s still a little way until we have our next Ofsted inspection so it will also give the new headteacher some time to understand the school before they’ve got to face that particular challenge. ”

Ms Darnton, who lives in High Wycombe with her husband Richey Rea, joined the school as headteacher in September 2007.

Before that, she was deputy head for four years at Wycombe High School after leaving the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, where she had spent three years and had led the development of Key Stage Three maths.

After graduating from Oxford University with a maths degree, she spent nine years teaching the subject at Graveney School in Tooting.

She said her decision to join the school was driven by its reputation as a “really good community comprehensive school”.

She said: “It’s incredibly important what comprehensive schools do for young people.

“They learn so much from working with people from all backgrounds, all different abilities to learn and I think that’s something we do that’s really important here.

“Because I went to an independent school, I didn’t learn all of those ways of being able to relate effectively to everybody probably until I started to teach.

“I wasn’t really looking for a headship at the point it came up but because it was near enough to commute and I knew what a great reputation it had, and also it had just become a maths and computing specialist school as well.

“I’m a mathematician so the whole fit was there. It was the best decision I ever made.”

Ms Darnton said emerging from the lockdown period with an “outstanding” Ofsted rating was her most memorable achievement at the school.

After receiving an “outstanding” rating in 2020, inspectors were to return within nine months to confirm the rating.

However, once the Covid pandemic hit the country this inspection was postponed until 2023.

She said: “Whilst not wanting to validate the importance of Ofsted, it is very important. That’s one of the issues with it is just how important it is.

“[Covid] was an extraordinary period. It is something that none of us will forget - what our experiences were at that time whilst schools did so many things other than teach children.

“Getting the Ofsted outstanding and being outstanding in all categories was a really strong endorsement of the work that we did.

“We’ve spent a lot of time building a school where students and staff I hope really feel that they’re connected to it and they belong.”

Ms Darnton wished to thank students, staff, governors and the school community for its support.

She said: “We’ve been so fortunate over the years to have people who are so wise but also so generous with their time but also really nuanced in the way that they challenge and support us.

“It’s a total era change in my life. I will miss the students, and I have fantastic colleagues who are just so generous in the way that we work together.

“People have been absolutely lovely and incredibly supportive of what we have achieved in the time that we’ve been here but also of my feeling it’s the moment for me to explore something else.

“I’m very deeply embedded here, particularly with staff, some of whom have worked here longer than I have, but for many of whom, this is much more than just a place of work.

“Gillotts is part of my life, it’s not a job.”

Emma Hunt, the chair of governors, said: “We are, of course, very sad to see Catharine leave, but we wish her every success and happiness in her onward endeavours.

“Catharine has led Gillotts with vision, integrity, and unwavering commitment to our students and staff.

“Her leadership has shaped not just the school’s success, but its ethos — one rooted in ambition, kindness, and respect.

“I recognise that such a change can bring some uncertainty, but as Chair of Governors I will do everything I can to ensure the school

continues to grow from strength to strength.”

Paul James, CEO of River Learning Trust said: “I have known Catharine for many years, and I have the greatest respect for her leadership of Gillotts school and the contribution she has made in the wider education system in Oxfordshire and beyond.

“She is a fantastic colleague who will be greatly missed. She will leave Gillotts in excellent shape and we are confident of the school's continued success.”