Head of Preparatory School – Announcement

7 March 2023

Appointment of Head of Hulme Grammar Prep School

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Mrs Zoey Ward as the Head of Hulme Grammar Prep School.  Zoey will take up her appointment on 1st September

Zoey is currently Deputy Head of the Junior School at Manchester Grammar School, a role she has had for the past six and a half years. In total, she has worked at Manchester Grammar for twelve years, as an Assistant Head for two years, and as a teacher before then. Her first teaching post was at a local authority primary school near Oxford, where she was a Junior classroom teacher and Maths lead across Early Years Foundation stage to Year 6. 

Zoey was the stand-out candidate in an exceptionally strong field of applicants. She brings with her a wealth of experience from the Maintained and Independent sectors and garnered from a wide range of roles and responsibilities.  

Her conviction and integrity shone through at every stage of the interview process. She is passionate about delivering high-quality, high-challenge education for all children. Zoey understands what excellence in a Prep school looks like and is hugely excited about the opportunities to enhance our Prep School education even further. She is deeply knowledgeable about the independent sector and knows the local area well. Her warmth, love of teaching, experience of delivering exceptional pastoral care and her ambition for every pupil to attain their very best were demonstrable throughout a very rigorous recruitment process. Nurturing pupils so they thrive is at the heart of everything she does, and our Prep School pupils will benefit hugely from her insight and experience.  

Zoey hails from the North West and was a student at Bolton School Girls’ Division before graduating in Law at the University of Liverpool. Zoey is married and has two daughters. She is involved in a wide range of activities outside of school, including with local Guides and Rainbows troops. Zoey and her family live on a working farm and at the end of a long day at school she loves to slip into a pair of wellies and crack on with things that need doing on the farm. She loves reading, theatre, cinema, and is a dab hand at escape rooms. 

Zoey says of her appointment as Head of Hulme Prep:

I am thrilled to be joining the Hulme Grammar School family and cannot wait to take up my post as Head of the Prep School. My vision is clear: to provide a rich and stimulating learning environment where challenge is high and initiative is encouraged. With its broad and balanced nature, our curriculum will deliver ample opportunity for active learning where independence thrives and every child can fulfil their potential, both in the academic arena and beyond. Joining the school at this time will be an adventure and I look forward to our exciting future ahead.

Zoey and I will work closely together in the coming months to ensure her smooth transition into this role. She will, in the background, work with me and her colleagues on the Senior School Leadership Team, in formulating the whole-school strategic development plan which will be published before the end of the academic year. 

Zoey’s first task is to work with me on the appointment of the Deputy Head of Prep, the interviews for which will be held in the coming weeks and the outcome of which I will write to you about soon.

Tony Oulton
Principal 

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