News & Events

Mr Nick Brain, Executive Head of Sherfield School, has been appointed as CEO/Principal of GEMS Jumeirah College in Dubai from September 2023.

Since stepping into the role of Head in 2018, Nick has led the school with energy and vision; his hand can be seen in many of the initiatives that have transformed the pupils’ day to day experience at Sherfield. Nick recognises that this progress was made possible by the trust and goodwill of the pupil and parent body.

Nick will be leaving the school in extremely good health. Sherfield School has gone from strength to strength under his leadership; the last three years have seen the strongest results in the school’s history, external inspection has recognised the quality in all parts of the school and the educational offer and site have continued to develop. Nick has been at the forefront of the success of the school since taking the reins in 2018, and we know that we will all want to celebrate his time at Sherfield School. As a consequence of the excellent work done by Nick we are very confident that we will find a worthy successor to take the school forward.

We also recognise that continuity over the coming months will be critical and we’re very pleased to announce that David Williams will lead the school as Executive Principal for the academic year 2023 to 2024. David is an Education Director in the Bellevue team, with 30 years’ experience in the independent sector. David was previously Head at Tettenhall College in Wolverhampton, a co-educational day and boarding school for pupils aged 2 to 18 years. David understands Sherfield, its approach and ethos intimately, as a member of the governing team and as a parent of a Year 13 pupil in the Sixth Form. He also understands the educational landscape of the areas having worked previously on the Senior Team as Director of Sixth Form at Reading Blue Coat School. This will allow David to be more than a safe pair of hands and will work in conjunction with the current leadership team to continue to move forward the ambitious agenda we have for the school.

“It has been an absolute privilege to serve as the Headmaster of Sherfield School, and I am proud of what we have achieved during the last five years. The school has continued to grow and thrive, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our talented staff, exceptional students and the ongoing support of our wonderful parents. I will be forever grateful for the incredible opportunities and experiences that Sherfield School has provided us as a family, and we will miss the community deeply.

I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for the support, encouragement, and friendship that you have shown my family and I during our time at Sherfield School. Your kindness and generosity have meant the world to us, and we will always cherish the memories we have made here.

I have been working closely with the Governing Body and the Senior Leadership Team to ensure a smooth transition to my successor, and I am very pleased David Williams will be leading the school through the next academic year. I will be working closely with David and the Senior Leadership Team to ensure a smooth transition. David will be writing to the community separately to arrange opportunities for parents to meet him. I am confident that Sherfield School will continue to thrive and grow under their leadership.” Mr Brain, Executive Head

The search for Nick’s successor is already in motion, the recruitment process will be managed by Odgers Berndtson and we expect that the role of Head at Sherfield will be subject to significant interest.