Edge Grove School Announces New Head

On 20th October 2022 – Edge Grove, a leading independent Prep School in Aldenham Village near Watford, has appointed Ed Balfour as Head from January 2023. Mr Balfour, an English and drama specialist with over 30 years’ teaching experience in senior and prep schools, has been a prep school head for over 14 years. He started his teaching career at RGS Worcester, qualified at Homerton College, Cambridge and taught English and drama at Whitgift School and Bradfield College before becoming housemaster of a boys’ boarding house for eight years. After seven years as Head of a small trilingual East Kent prep school, he became Head at Beechwood Park School, Markyate, Hertfordshire, in 2015, where he has been instrumental in its recent success.

‘My wife Emma and I are hugely excited to join the Edge Grove community of pupils, parents, staff and governors’, Ed Balfour commented. ‘The school has a wonderful warm community and an enviable reputation for academic, co-curricular and pastoral excellence as a leading UK prep school.’

Interim Head Richard Stanley, has been at the helm since September 2022, having retired to England after 27 years as Head of two of South Africa’s most prestigious prep schools. Mr Stanley has quickly built strong relationships with staff, parents and pupils and has liaised closely with Mr Balfour throughout this term as he transitions into his new role.

Mr Stanley said: ‘Edge Grove thrives on academic rigour combined with a wide ranging curriculum of outdoor education, music, art, drama and sport. Following a thorough recruitment process conducted by our board of governors, Ed’s forward thinking and progressive approach helped him emerge as the ideal candidate for the headship at Edge Grove.’

Chairman of Governors, Ian Elliott added: ‘Ed’s progressive educational vision for Edge Grove has been outstanding. He is very well regarded in our local area as a senior player in the prep school world, and we all feel very fortunate to be welcoming him to our community in the near future.’

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