Original paper headline: On the move

Professor Alma Harris, director of the London Centre for Leadership in Learning at the Institute of Education, has been awarded the President’s Medal from the Australian Council for Educational Leaders for her research and writing. She is the first non-Australian to receive it. The award ceremony will take place at the council’s annual conference in Darwin this September, where Professor Harris will be a keynote speaker.

Claire Boag is to become the new head of Allfarthing Primary in Wandsworth, London. Ms Boag is currently head at St Richard’s with St Andrew’s CofE Primary in Richmond. This will be her third headship. Veronica Bradbury, the school’s most recent head, retired this summer after more than 30 years at the school. In 1997, she was made an MBE for services to education. Ms Boag will become head of Allfarthing Primary in January 2010.

Linda Weld has retired from Totley Primary School in Sheffield. She has been in the profession for 30 years and is a former governor of the school. She is also the longest-serving teacher at Totley. Ms Weld plans to use her retirement for international travel.

Ania Hildrey is to become principal of Spires School in Oxfordshire. Formerly known as Bessels Leigh School, it is the latest special school to be taken over by charity Action for Children. It offers day and residential placements for boys aged 11 to 16 who need special educational support. Mrs Hildrey will be responsible for changing the school’s care and education programme and developing a tailored curriculum for every pupil.

Michael Gibbons is the new principal and chief executive of the Grammar School at Leeds. Mr Gibbons is currently head of Queen Elizabeth Grammar in Wakefield. He was housemaster at Rugby School and second master at Whitgift School in Croydon. Mr Gibbons is a member of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference and an elected member of the North East division of the Independent Schools Council’s education and academic policy committee. He will succeed Dr Mark Bailey, who has been at the school for 11 years. Dr Bailey has been appointed professor of late medieval history at the University of East Anglia. He will take up this position in September 2010 and will continue in his role as head of the school until Mr Gibbons joins in April 2010.

Diana George and Jane Clouting have both retired from Oldfield Park Junior School in Bath. The two teachers have notched up 56 years of teaching between them. Mrs George, the school’s headteacher, had worked at Oldfield Park for 19 years. Mrs Clouting, the special needs co-ordinator, had been at the school for 37 years. They were given a special farewell assembly at the school.

Colin Moore

Teachers at Westgate School in Slough did a whip-round to send Colin Moore, their retiring deputy head to the Henley Festival last month. The music mad maths teacher not only wined and dined at the glamorous event but met Katherine Jenkins too. The Welsh singer gave a personal performance shouting his name and demanding he waved in the 5,000-strong crowd.