Students and teachers at St Mary’s School, Cambridge, are set to bid a fond farewell to their headmistress, Charlotte Avery after 17 years of leadership at the school.
Hannah Helliar is set to take over the role as headmistress from September 2024.
Hannah joined St Mary’s in 2012 and has worked across the school in a variety of senior leadership roles. Most recently, Hannah worked with the former bursar on the successful partnership with Homerton College to construct the school’s state-of-the-art sports ground at Long Road.
An historian, she has also taught history to many St Mary’s students during her time at the school and has previously headed up both the admissions and marketing teams.
Educated at Woldingham School, where she was head girl, Hannah then read ancient and modern history at Brasenose College, University of Oxford.
Before joining St Mary’s, she held a number of roles within the independent education sector, including housemistress, head of history and head of sixth form.
Commenting on her appointment, Hannah said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as the next headmistress at St Mary’s. I am excited about the opportunity to lead this wonderful school to continued success, building upon its already strong foundation.
“Charlotte has certainly set high standards throughout her remarkable service as headmistress and we all wish her great happiness and success as she takes up the challenge of her second headship in New Zealand.”
In September, Charlotte Avery announced her intention to leave St Mary’s in the summer of 2024 to become principal of an all-girls school in New Zealand.
She will remain in her role as head of St Mary’s until the 2023/24 academic year concludes in July 2024.
She will then move to New Zealand with her family, taking up her new post as principal of the highly-regarded St Cuthbert’s College in Auckland in August 2024.
Since she joined St Mary’s in 2007, St Mary’s has undergone many transformational changes.
Charlotte said: “I have given my heart and soul to leading St Mary’s during 16 immensely fulfilling years and I shall be very sad to leave the school community. I am delighted with Hannah’s appointment. She is the perfect successor.”