Our people
Across our schools, we have developed a collaborative approach to leadership. Each Head leads their own school, whilst also engaging with colleagues to be leaders for the whole Foundation.
Principal
Richard Girvan
Richard joined the Stephen Perse Foundation as Principal in August 2020. He was formerly the Surmaster (Head of the Senior School) at St Paul’s School in London, a position he held for eight years.
Richard has worked in education for 17 years as a teacher of mathematics, as pastoral and boarding house tutor, and coach of athletics and rugby. Raised in Belfast, Richard read Engineering at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, where he also completed his PGCE while representing the university and his country in rugby league, winning a Blue.
Richard has served as a governor at both King’s House School (a nursery, pre-prep and preparatory school in Richmond-upon-Thames) and All Saints’ Catholic College (formerly Sion-Manning RC Girls’ school, an 11-16 senior school, which recently became co-educational). He has also been the independent schools’ representative on the Richmond and Kingston Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and a keen supporter of the work of the Integrated Education Fund of Northern Ireland.