Chatsworth Schools announced today the appointment of Mrs Sarah Hobby as the new Headteacher of Crown House Preparatory School in Buckinghamshire. Mrs Hobby recently completed the Chatsworth Schools Leadership Training Programme and is the first graduate of the course to become a Headteacher.
The Chatsworth Schools Leadership Training Programme is a research-based training course that introduces participants to all the different aspects of Headship with keynote speeches from internal and external speakers as well as school leadership workshops. Chatsworth ran the course for the first time in 2020 and all Heads from the Chatsworth family of schools nominated a member of their team to take part. The training sessions were initially held at Chatsworth Schools’ training hub at the group’s headquarters in Oxfordshire and then, due to Covid-19, the final sessions were completed online.
Prior to her appointment at Crown House, Mrs Hobby was Deputy Head of Highfield Preparatory School in Maidenhead. At Highfield, she had both academic and pastoral care responsibilities and as an Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspector was involved in making sure the school was always inspection ready. Before joining Highfield, Mrs Hobby was Deputy Head of Pre-Prep and Housemistress of the Junior Girls Boarding House at Marlborough College Malaysia, a sister school to Marlborough College UK, where she developed the Pre-Prep’s curriculum and established a strong community spirit.
Mrs Hobby takes over at Crown House from David Ward, Interim Headteacher, who was in post for one term following the decision by the previous Headteacher, Ben Kenyon, to stand down and take a break from education after 21 years at the school.
Anita Gleave, Founder and CEO of Chatsworth Schools said, “Chatsworth Schools is totally committed to Continuing Professional Development for our staff and our Leadership Training Programme is just part of the training and support package we offer all our team. I am delighted that one of our first graduates, Mrs Sarah Hobby, has been appointed as the Headteacher of Crown House and know that she will be a real asset to the school”.
Mrs Sarah Hobby, Head at Crown House, said, “The Chatsworth Leadership Training Programme provided me with invaluable support and advice as well as networking opportunities with the wider Chatsworth team and staff from other Chatsworth schools. Crown House is an exceptional school with a unique family atmosphere where pupils thrive and are allowed to fulfil their full potential and I am thrilled to join the school as Headteacher”.
