Ipswich High School has announced that Mr Mark Howe has been appointed as the new head.
Mr Howe joins the co-educational, independent school from a private boarding school in Devon where, under his leadership, the school has seen its highest ever examination results across all three of its programmes (GCSE, A-level and IBDP) alongside an enrolment growth of 15 percent.
Mr Howe embarked on his career as a history teacher in 2006, working at a state school in Hampshire where he became the county’s history lead. In 2011, he moved to a British international school in China where he became head of sixth form and deputy head. During his tenure in China, he played a leading role in establishing the schools within the Nord Anglia Education group. It achieved excellent, sustained A-level results and 25 percent of all A-level students moved on to study at top 20 global universities.
Speaking about his new role, Mr Howe said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining Ipswich High School and relocating to the beautiful surroundings of the peninsula. The school has an enviable reputation for its academic and student success, and I have certainly received a very warm welcome in the time I have spent at Woolverstone Hall so far. Ahead of the move, I will be spending time at the school to meet the staff, parents and pupils in the autumn and spring term.”
Oona Carlin, the current head of school, is stepping down in January 2020 after six years in the role. She will be taking up a new post as principal of a school group in the Middle East. Ms Carlin added: “Since starting at Ipswich High School in 2013, I have been incredibly proud of the countless achievements of our pupils and staff. Our school is a unique and special community, and in my 25 years of teaching I have never worked anywhere where the pupils are so inspiring and happy.
“I have every confidence that the school will be in safe hands with Mr Howe’s exceptional background of achieving results and his ethos for delivering an unparalleled student experience.”
Words by Riana Dixon
