The Bishop Strachan School (BSS) announced, on February 13, the appointment of Judith Carlisle as Head of School, succeeding outgoing Head, Deryn Lavell. Ms. Carlisle joins BSS from Oxford High School, an independent day school for girls in the UK, with nearly 900 students spanning the ages of 4-18 years. Oxford High School is one of the top-performing independent schools in Britain.
Among her many accomplishments as Head, Ms. Carlisle is perhaps most widely known for a bold initiative called, "Goodbye Little Miss Perfect," the goal of which has been to teach students to make the distinction between high standards and "unhelpful perfectionism.'' She is also respected for her work in pioneering research-based, inquiry-oriented education for girls.
Her illustrious career includes six years as Head of Dover Grammar School for Girls in the UK, where she guided the school to record-breaking A-level results and an International School Award. For the previous 14 years, Judith held progressive leadership roles at King Edward VII School and Whitley Abbey School.
"I am thrilled and honoured to be entrusted with the leadership of such a highly regarded school as BSS," said Ms. Carlisle. "The school's mastery of inquiry-based learning and emphasis on educating girls to be leaders is renowned throughout the international education community. My own focus, beliefs and values are entirely aligned with the BSS Culture of Powerful Learning."
The appointment of Ms. Carlisle is the result of a rigorous international search conducted under the leadership of the BSS Search Committee, chaired by Tony Gaffney, with input from a Faculty Advisory Committee, and contributions from the entire BSS community. The search was guided by Heather Ring of Caldwell Partners.
"The BSS Board is thrilled with the result of this search," said Cindy Tripp, Chair of the BSS Board of Governors. "BSS is a unique and academically exceptional school, having evolved over 150 years with a reputation for empowering girls to be leaders. We required a very particular mix of skill, experience, personality and energy, all of which Ms. Carlisle possesses."
