Bredon School has announced that its eighth Headmaster will be Mr John Hewitt.

Mr Hewitt, a former Ireland rugby international, is currently Deputy Head of a leading independent school in Hampshire.

He will take up his post at Bredon School, a 7-18 independent school near Tewkesbury, in September 2010 upon the retirement of current Principal David Keyte.

“I’m delighted and honoured to have been chosen as Bredon School’s new Headmaster,” said Mr Hewitt. “I aim to carry on the good work that David Keyte has done so that we can see Bredon School continue to thrive.

“One thing I have already learned is that Bredon has a great knack of taking pupils who lack confidence and might not be ‘first in the queue’ and then giving them the opportunity they need and the confidence to show what they can do.

“I am particularly looking forward to the challenge of working with the younger children at Bredon, because I have always been in an 11-18 environment until now.”

Mr Hewitt was chosen from a strong field of 14 applicants, including a number of current Heads and Deputy Heads. The appointment process involved Mr Keyte as well as senior figures from Colegios Laude, the British-Spanish education group which announced in January 2009 that it had bought Bredon School.

“I am looking forward to working with Colegios Laude to develop Bredon School and to forging a strong relationship with them out of the very positive initial relations,” Mr Hewitt added.

Mr Keyte said: “John Hewitt was our first-choice candidate and I feel sure he is the right person to take Bredon School forward. He has worked at a senior level in a number of different schools and has in-depth experience of boarding schools as a former housemaster.”

Mr Hewitt is currently Deputy Head at Churcher’s College, an 11-18 co-educational day school in Hampshire, which is part of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC).

Originally from Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland, he took his first degree in Biology and Sports Science at the University of Ulster, followed by an MBA with the Open University.

He began his teaching career at state and private schools in Ireland during the 1980s. At the same time, he played as a centre for the Ireland national side and for the Barbarians during Rugby Union’s amateur era. After moving to England in the early 1990s, he played for London Irish.

In 1992, he joined Sevenoaks School, a large, well-known boarding school in Kent, as a teacher of Economics and Business. He later became a housemaster there and remained at Sevenoaks until joining Churcher’s College in 2005.

Mr Hewitt is married to Lynne, who works for British Airways. Their three children clearly follow in their father’s sporting footsteps: Patrick, 18, captains the rugby First XV at Churcher’s College; Lucy, who is 15, is a keen dancer and ten-year-old Rory plays football for the Southampton FC Academy. For his part, Mr Hewitt spends his spare time playing the drums, reading and keeping fit.

Although he coaches rugby at Churcher’s College, Mr Hewitt is not yet sure how much time he will have to get involved with rugby at Bredon: “I will roll my sleeves up when called upon to referee or when there is something that needs to be done.” Mr Hewitt will move into the Headmaster’s residence in the grounds of Pull Court at Bredon School during the summer.

“I’ve never had a pre-determined career path,” he concluded. “I decided early in my career that I love to teach: that this was the career for me and I therefore wanted to get as far as I could in it. I love teaching children: they continue to surprise me!”
ENDS

Issued on behalf of Bredon School by Edge Media

MEDIA CONTACTS: Principal Mr David Keyte on 01684 293156 or Paul Herbert at Edge Media on 01453 544900