Hard Act to Follow for New Putney High Head
School receives glowing report from inspectors
Putney High School's new headmistress Jo Sharrock
June 9, 2023
A new headmistress taking over at Putney High will inherit a school with the highest possible rating after it was inspected recently.
The latest ISI inspection gave the school the top ranking of ‘excellent’ for both academic achievement and personal development. The inspectors noted that pupils are ‘highly motivated and aspirational learners’ and ‘unafraid to face intellectual challenge’ while ‘embracing the school’s culture of curiosity and initiative.’
The report, which follows an inspection in April 2023, states the, “Consistent pattern of excellent academic attainment is indicative of the very high quality of teaching and learning.”
It adds that pupils are ‘highly motivated and determined to be the intellectual, intrepid and innovative learners of the school’s values.’ It notes: ‘There are excellent relationships between pupils and staff, characterised by mutual respect, kindness and courtesy.’
The inspectors praised the personal development of pupils saying they were confident decision makers unafraid to ask for support when needed. They also have a deeply felt commitment to diversity and equality within the school and society an excellent sense of morally acceptable behaviour.
As part of the Educational Quality Inspection advised the school to e nsure that pupils develop skills when working in larger groups without teacher direction and to take steps to develop pupils’ ability to appreciate further the importance of the non-material in contributing to a full and successful life.
The report concluded, ‘There is a caring and holistic approach to the health and wellbeing of pupils, who are supported academically and emotionally by the school’s pastoral team.’
This has set a very high bar for Jo Sharrock who takes the reins of Putney High School GDST in September. Since 2018 she has been Head of Shrewsbury High School, also part of the Girls’ Day School Trust.
She is taking over from Suzi Longstaff who the school has hailed for her incredible leadership. Heidi Armstrong served as Acting Head during the Summer Term, with the support of the Senior Leadership Team.
Ms Sharrock has been described a trailblazer in the field of the education of girls and is credited with transforming the school with a series of cutting-edge innovations, having presented her groundbreaking work at the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools in Boston.
She was previously Deputy Head Pastoral at Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital School in Bristol and, before entering the teaching profession, spent several years working in the financial industry for organisations including Goldman Sachs, NatWest and HSBC.
The school said, “We are truly excited about Ms Sharrock’s appointment and have no doubt that the school will continue to flourish and excel under her leadership
Ms Sharrock says, “I am thrilled to have been appointed as the next Head of Putney High School. I share the school’s passion for forward-thinking excellence and I prize the down to earth, warm approach that typifies the Putney experience, and that inspires each and every student to be curious, creative and bold. One has only to step through the school’s doors to feel the sense of ambition and purposeful energy that abounds. It is both an honour and a privilege to be the next custodian of this incredible school and to join this brilliant community of students, staff, parents and alumnae.”
Value Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |