THE HEADTEACHER of John Kyrle High School Nigel Griffiths has stepped down from his post, the school has said.

In a letter to parents this week, chair of trustees Rod Barker said Mr Griffiths had been ’at the heart’ of the school’s achievements, adding the challenges of leading the school through the Covid crisis have ’taken their toll’.

"If you look at all that has happened at JKHS over the last 20 years, there is a great deal to be celebrated and applauded," he wrote. "Our buildings and facilities have seen huge investment, our results, particularly at A-level, stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best in the country, and no OFSTED visit has ever ended up in a judgement that is less than Good. Crucially, generations of young people have come through our school and flourished.

"At the heart of these successes have been our students and staff, led by Nigel Griffiths.

"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."

In addition Mr Barker announced that the school’s Operational Headteacher, Mr Dave Boyd, would be stepping back from the Senior Leadership Team ahead of his retirement in the summer.

"In addition, Mr Dave Boyd notified us earlier in the academic year that it was his intention to retire this summer," his letter continued. "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."

It was also announced that Mark Burton, the school’s Deputy Headteacher, will be leading JKHS ’for the foreseeable future’.