Dr Clare Ives has been appointed to succeed Martin Priestley as headteacher of The Leys in Cambridge and will become the school’s first female head.
Dr Ives will take over the role when Mr Priestly retires in September next year after almost 12 years in the post.
She will join the school as it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025.
Dr Ives, pictured, said: “As a bursary recipient, and first-generation university student, I am passionate about the transformative power of great education and I am excited to lead a school which is values driven and which cares so deeply about the holistic experience of every pupil both at school and beyond.”
Dr Ives is currently the senior deputy head at Sevenoaks School in Kent, having previously been a boarding housemistress, the equity, diversity and inclusion lead and a former head of history at Canford School in Dorset.
She studied at the University of St Andrews, where she earned a first-class degree in modern history and wrote her PhD on Robert Kennedy and the US Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
Dr Ives is a keen musician, playing the flute, piano and double bass, and she loves to sing whenever she has time. She is also an enthusiastic sportswoman and has coached hockey, netball and tennis. Prior to starting her teaching career, Dr Ives spent eight years working as a civil servant and is proud of serving her country in this manner.
She has a partner, Emma, and two children, Adam, 22, and Ellie, 19.
Jeremy Gladwin, chair of The Leys governors, said: “The governors were universally impressed by her inspirational vision for The Leys and her convincing ability to communicate her instinctive sense for what makes this such a distinctive and special community. Unanimously we agreed that she was the right person to lead the school in its next chapter. With almost 18 months until her arrival, Martin Priestley and the senior staff at The Leys will now work alongside Dr Ives to ensure a smooth and positive handover in the terms ahead.”
