New principal unveiled for Down High School

New principal unveiled for Down High School

17 August 2016

THE new principal of Down High School has spoken of how she feels honoured to be at the helm.

Mrs Maud Perry, who has relocated to Northern Ireland from Surrey to take up the post, said she was pleased to be appointed to a school with such a long history of success and with a state-of-the-art new building also due to be built.

Mrs Perry, originally from County Kildare, has close family links to Enniskillen and said the move felt like “coming home”.

In the teaching profession for 26 years, the last 13 years were spent in George Abbot School, a specialist academy of 2000 pupils in Guildford rated ‘outstanding’ by inspectors. Here Mrs Perry held the position of deputy head teacher. 

Mrs Perry said she entered teaching to “make a positive difference to the lives of young people” and had been buoyed by her first impressions of Down High.

“Having spent a number of days in the school over the past months, meeting with key staff and governors, I have been struck by the positive relationships within the community and have been made to feel very welcome,” she said. “I have been really impressed with the whole ethos of the school. There is a real emphasis on the importance of relationships between the pupils and teachers. The staff work really well together and the school motto ‘nothing is achieved without effort’ struck a chord with me.”

Mrs Perry said she was excited that her time at Down High would herald in the beginning of a new era as she oversees the transition to the long-awaited new school building, due to be finished in 2020.

Having been briefed on the plans at a recent meeting, she said: “The new school building looks absolutely fabulous. It will give pupils access to world-class facilities which can only have a positive impact on their learning. However, it is the people that make a school great and Down High is a school in a very strong position. Having this opportunity to serve the Down High community and use my experience of school leadership to guide the school through the next phase of this exciting development is an honour. 

“I have seen that governors and staff are deeply committed to ensuring that quality of education delivered in Down High School is world class. I am joining a highly effective team and I am greatly looking forward to settling into the community and getting to know the young people and parents over the coming months.”

Mrs Perry also said she aspired to continue the good work of her predecessor Mr Paul Logan, who stood down this year. 

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Logan for working closely with me to ensure a positive transition,” said Mrs Perry. “It is evident that Down High is a vibrant school established in its strong position through his exceptional leadership.”