News

School Appoints Exciting New Head

Mrs Nicola Botterill BSc, MA, PGCE, NPQH, FRGS, FRSA

Mrs Nicola Botterill will take up the post of Headmistress at Bruton School for Girls (BSG) in September 2012.  She will succeed Mr John Burrough who retires in the summer, after eleven years of exemplary service to the school.

Mrs Botterill is currently Deputy Head of St Mary’s Calne, a leading independent girls’ boarding school in Wiltshire which she joined in 2007.  She has wide experience of working in girls’ schools and having taught, and been taught, at both girls’ and mixed schools is passionate about the benefits for girls of a single-sex education.

She says: “I feel enormous excitement about coming to BSG – the happy atmosphere, dedication of the staff and welcoming sense of community immediately struck me.  It is vital that every girl has excellent opportunities and that we support her to ensure she makes the most of them, so she leaves BSG as a happy, well-rounded individual, fully prepared for whatever she wants to do in life – and the BSG ethos of ‘it’s not about who you are; it’s about what you want to become’ completely accords with my own beliefs.”

Mrs Botterill’s first teaching post was at Wallington Grammar School for Girls where she taught Geography and ICT and established the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.  She moved to be Head of Department at Ashcroft High School in Bedfordshire before travelling the globe for a year, enabling her to see Geography ‘at first hand’.  Mrs Botterill was then at Putney High School for seven years taking on the various roles of Head of House, Head of Geography, Director of Studies, Director of Marketing and finally Second Deputy Head.

Nicola adds: “My time spent travelling brought into sharp focus the need for global awareness and understanding at a time when technology is making the world a much smaller place.  World events impact on us all and so equipping each girl with an excellent education as well as the robustness to make important decisions about her future is fundamental.  BSG adds considerable value to a traditional academic education and I am thrilled to be asked to lead the school at this exciting time.”

Chairman of Governors, David Batten, stated that “the Governing Body and I were delighted to be able to make such a strong appointment.  Nicola headed a large field of candidates assembled by the recruitment consultants, Saxton Bampfylde, and impressed us with her vision of the empowering nature of education, her determination to champion and lead a girls’ school and her considerable personal qualities and experience”.

Mrs Botterill (44) and her husband, Edward, an officer in the Royal Regiment of Artillery will live at BSG.  Mrs Botterill is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and, when time permits, also enjoys attending lectures, going to the theatre and with Edward renovating their house in Dartmouth.