The Chair of Governors, Mr Svante Adde, has announced today that after eleven wonderful and very productive years, Dr Kirk has made the difficult personal decision that now is the time for her to retire from her role as Headmistress of St Mary’s Calne.

During her time as Head, Dr Kirk set and achieved many very high ambitions, highlights include the raising of funds for the magnificent new Lumi Library, the Sports Hall and the addition of the beautiful new Lime Kiln Garden. These have transformed both the appearance and the learning experience of the girls, and this has, of course, been in addition to continuing to achieve impressive academic standards from a broad entrance requirement, as well as a warm and supportive pastoral environment.

Perhaps one of Dr Kirk’s major achievements was steering the whole school community through the most unwelcome lockdown years. She was responsible for making sure that the highly successful ‘Calne Connected’ programme worked for pupils and staff alike with the same high level of Calne support for every girl.

Dr Kirk is leaving the school in a very strong position, and we wish her well for the future and thank her for all the work that she has done for St Mary’s.

Mrs Diana Harrison will be Acting Head from the start of the Autumn Term. Mrs Harrison, a Cambridge Engineering Graduate, has been Senior Deputy Head at St Mary's for 10 years. She knows the school community extremely well and will give the flexibility and stability to allow a thorough and rigorous selection process for the school’s next Head to take place.