Harrogate school Belmont Grosvenor has appointed an inspiring new leadership team to build on its reputation as one of the leading independent prep schools in the district.
Mrs Sian de Gracia has been appointed Headteacher and Mr Chris Walker her Deputy at Belmont Grosvenor School, which is based in historic Swarcliffe Hall, in the village of Birstwith, near Harrogate.
And next week the school is opening its doors and inviting people in to meet its new leadership team at its open day on Thursday 10th October.
Mother-of-two Mrs de Gracia, who was born and grew up in Harrogate, joined Belmont Grosvenor School 12 years ago and has taken on a variety of leadership roles including Head of Maths, Science and STEM, before being promoted to Assistant Head in 2021, and Deputy Head in 2023.
As Headteacher, a role she took up at the start of the current academic year, Mrs de Gracia is committed to building on Belmont Grosvenor’s reputation for both academic success and personal growth, enabling children to build strong foundations to thrive in an ever-changing world.
“I am eager to build on our culture of excellence, fostering both academic success and personal growth, ensuring that our students develop into confident, compassionate individuals ready to make a positive impact in the world,” said Mrs de Gracia, who has worked in the international, state and independent education sectors during her extensive 17-year teaching career.
“I am excited and honoured to lead this wonderful school community and my commitment is to work closely with staff, pupils and parents to nurture an inclusive environment where every child feels valued and inspired to reach their full potential,” she said.
Belmont Grosvenor School, and its Magic Tree Nursery, is set in 20-acres of beautiful grounds in the village of Birstwith, just a few miles from the centre of Harrogate.
Educating children from three months to 11 years, BGS pupils move on to a variety of secondary schools across the Harrogate district with students achieving a 100 per cent pass rate to Ripon Grammar School last year.
Alongside Mrs de Gracia, Mr Chris Walker has been promoted to Deputy Headteacher at Belmont Grosvenor School.
The father-of-two, who lives in Ripon, joined BGS last year, having worked at independent Lady Lane Park School at Bingley for the past 10 years.
“I am delighted to be continuing my career at BGS in my new role as Deputy Headteacher. The school’s future is very bright and I am thrilled to be able to support Mrs de Gracia in continuing to develop and grow our excellent school.
“I am still in awe of the beautiful school building and 20-acres of grounds and proud of the child-centred approach to learning which is offered throughout the school. It is an honour to work alongside such a dedicated, professional and immensely skilled staff team who are driven to serve the school community to the best of their ability,” he said.
Mrs de Gracia and Mr Walker are hoping to meet prospective parents and pupils at Belmont Grosvenor School’s whole school open day, which takes place on Thursday 10th October 2024. To book a personal visit and tour of the school and nursery, please follow the link.
