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New Senior Appointments Announced

5 November 2021 - All

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Mr Nick Woods to the post of Deputy Head (Strategy and Operations) and Sophie Harle as our Director of People. They will join the Executive Leadership Team at Wycombe Abbey in April 2022.

Mr Woods joins us from Hampton School where he is Assistant Head and sits on the school’s Senior Leadership Team. He has an MA MEng in Aerospace and Aerothermal Engineering from Downing College, Cambridge. At Wycombe Abbey, Mr Woods will be responsible for the oversight and direct coordination of the day-to-day organisation of key areas of the School. He will work closely with the Headmistress and Bursar in planning and implementing the School’s strategic direction.

Mr Woods said, “Wycombe Abbey is an exceptional school, with an international reputation of excellence in girls’ boarding education and I am privileged to be appointed to the Executive Leadership Team. I am very much looking forward to getting to know the School community and working closely with its pupils, staff, parents and Governing Council to support the implementation of the School’s strategic vision.”

Nick Woods

Mrs Harle joins us from Tanglin Trust School in Singapore where she is Director of Human Resources and sits on the Senior Management Team. She has an MA in Social and Political Sciences from St John’s College, Cambridge as well as an MSc in Occupational Psychology from Birkbeck College, University of London. She is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and a member of the Independent Schools Bursar’s Association (ISBA). Mrs Harle will lead the School’s HR function and will be key in shaping and implementing a ‘people strategy’ in line with Wycombe Abbey’s values and strategic direction.

Mrs Harle said, “I am delighted to be joining Wycombe Abbey as the school’s new Director of People. As a world class school, Wycombe Abbey already has a strong combination of talented people and clear values. I look forward to working with the ELT and staff community to shape and implement a new people strategy aligned to these values and the school’s strategic vision, where talented people can flourish and meet their potential”.

Sophie Harle, Director of People

The appointment of both a Deputy Head (Strategy and Operations) and a Director of People is an exciting development for the School and will support us in translating the pillars of the School’s Strategic Direction into reality.

We are very much looking forward to working with both Mr Woods and Mrs Harle when they join Wycombe Abbey in April.