14 May 2024
St Albans High School for Girls (STAHS), STAHS Prep and Stormont School – an independent girls’ prep school in Potters Bar – are to merge in September to form the St Albans Education Group.
The schools have enjoyed a decades-long relationship, and the merger provides an exciting opportunity to further develop their already close ties through a more formal partnership, widening opportunities for all three schools.
The essential character and ethos of the schools will remain unchanged, and so will the experience of parents and pupils. The rationale behind the merger is focussed on bringing together two similar institutions to operate under one umbrella so they can share support, expertise and resources in order to help all of the schools in the group to continue delivering an outstanding educational for years to come.
The new group will be led by STAHS current head, Amber Waite, head of STAHS since 2019, as founding principal. She will be supported by Drew Thomson-Jones as acting head of senior, Mike Bryant who will continue as head of STAHS Prep and Louise Martin, who will remain as head of Stormont School.
Louise Martin said: “This is an exciting new chapter in both our schools’ histories. At a time when independent schools face greater challenges than ever before, we are bringing together two similar institutions to operate under one umbrella and continue to improve, the outstanding educational opportunities we deliver for all our pupils.”
Amber Waite, who takes up her role in September, added: “With both STAHS and Stormont in good financial health, the St Alban Education Group’s focus will be on the development of a new, group-wide development strategy to ensure that each school continues to offer a world-class girls’ education in top-quality, purpose-built facilities that support their academic, social, and co-curricular development and all-round wellbeing.”
