After almost ten years of Headship here at Benenden, Samantha Price has decided that the time has come for her to move on and she will be leaving the School at the end of the Summer Term 2024 to take up a position as Head of Cranleigh School.
It is an understatement to say that Governing Council is sad to see Mrs Price move on but we fully respect her wish to embark on a new professional and personal chapter at this moment in her career. We congratulate her most warmly on her recent appointment and wish her every success and, with her family, every happiness when they eventually leave us in Kent and move to Surrey.
During her ten years at Benenden Mrs Price has presided over a period of sustained and exciting change and development at the School. Her Headship has always been focused on ensuring that Benenden is a leader, not just in independent education but in the education sector as a whole in this country and, increasingly, internationally. She will end her tenure at Benenden as a widely respected leader in her field.
At the heart of everything she has accomplished, her passion for education in its broadest sense, coupled with a commitment to giving every girl the best possible preparation for her life ahead, has shone through.
Benenden has been successfully educating girls for almost a century now and it is entirely fitting that Mrs Price will lead the School in its year-long celebration of that milestone, starting in September. Alongside the celebrations it will, however, be very much business as usual for Governing Council and the Executive leadership of the School as we plan to take the School forward to the next exciting chapter in its history.
Governing Council is starting the process to recruit a new Head and we will be looking for an outstanding candidate with the experience and qualities which will be needed to lead Benenden successfully into its second century.
We will have many opportunities in the coming months to pay tribute to Mrs Price and her many achievements. For now, I would just like to thank her, on behalf of Governing Council, for her dedication and commitment to the School throughout her tenure. It has been my privilege to work closely with her and I look forward to doing so for one more year.
Yours sincerely
Anna Birkett
Chairman Governing Council