John Kyrle High School headteacher steps down
Nigel Griffiths has stepped down from the position of headteacher at John Kyrle High School.
A letter to parents and carers from the Chair of Trustees, Rod Barker, said: “Mr Griffiths has dedicated over 20 years of his career to the school. It is fair to say that he has probably seen it all over this time, particularly during the recent pandemic. While no leader would ever say their tenure has been perfect, Nigel has continually tried to ensure that our community is one where everyone can be happy, healthy and successful.
“He has, however, recently concluded that the challenges of leading a school community through Covid have taken their toll, and he has made the decision to step down from his position at John Kyrle.
“While it is right that we celebrate our successes, as Trustees our prime focus is to look to the future. JKHS has lots of exciting opportunities to consider, as well as some important strategic decisions about the structure and makeup of our leadership and governance moving forward. We believe it is right that we make some difficult immediate decisions to support that process.
“We have, therefore, allowed Mr Griffiths to step away from his position as of the 31 December 2021.”
The letter also stated that Operational Headteacher, Dave Boyd, will retiring in summer. “In addition, Mr Dave Boyd notified us earlier in the academic year that it was his intention to retire this summer. He will, therefore, be continuing to support JKHS over the coming months, but he has agreed to take a step back from the Senior Leadership Team.”
Mark Burton will be taking over the leadership of JKHS for the foreseeable future. The letter said: “Given the continuing challenges of the pandemic, Trustees felt it was right to appoint someone who knows our students and community well on an interim basis to lead the school. We are delighted to tell you that Mark Burton, who is Deputy Headteacher, will be leading JKHS for the foreseeable future.”