St Mary’s welcomes fresh leadership to Sixth Form and Junior School

St Mary’s School in Cambridge has strengthened its first-class teaching team by welcoming two new Heads to its Sixth Form and Junior School. Mrs Jo Christian joins St Mary’s as Head of the Junior School; and Mr Robin Griffiths has been promoted to Head of Sixth Form. Both appointments are already in post – ready to welcome pupils back for the 2021/22 academic year.

Mrs Jo Christian has transferred to St Mary’s Junior School from Bedford Preparatory School. She has a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science and a PGCE in Physics from the University of Nottingham. She has extensive teaching experience gained in a range of settings including secondary, primary, special needs and independent schools. Most recently she spent 13 years at Bedford Preparatory School. During this time her roles included Head of Academic Support (SENDCo), Head of Enrichment, Head of Academic Improvement and most recently Deputy Head (Academic, Teaching and Learning).

Commenting on her appointment, Mrs Christian said: “I am delighted to have been asked to lead the Junior School at St Mary’s and look forward to working together with our families and teachers to deliver a unique learning experience for each and every student. St Mary’s is a truly welcoming and nurturing environment – creating countless opportunities for pupils to flourish – and I am excited to be joining such a dynamic team.”

Mr Robin Griffiths, who previously worked as a Physics teacher and Year 9 / 10 Form Tutor at St Mary's School, has been promoted to Head of Sixth Form. Mr Griffiths has been with St Mary's for two years and has worked in education for more than a decade. A graduate of Imperial College, and a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, Robin started his teaching career at Saffron Walden County High School in 2007, progressing from classroom teacher to Head of Physics.  He taught there until 2017, when he then spent two years working for the Institute of Physics as the Head of their teacher support programme. However, the lure of a teaching position at St Mary’s was too much to resist and he returned to the classroom in 2019.

Mr Griffiths said: “It’s been a real privilege working with the students at St Mary’s and to witness the way in which they have prospered over the last year, despite the obvious hurdles that have been put in their path. I am so proud of each and every one of them. I look forward to taking over the lead of the Sixth Form and continuing to work with colleagues to equip our A Level students with the skills, qualities and values they need to succeed academically and in every other aspect of their lives.“

Charlotte Avery, Headmistress at St Mary’s School, said:

“We are delighted to warmly welcome Mrs Christian to our school. I know she will fit in perfectly and inspire our Junior School girls to work hard and achieve their goals. In addition, we offer our congratulations to Mr Griffiths on his promotion. Robin has been with us for two years and is a valued member of our teaching team.  I look forward to watching him flourish in his new role with us.”