SAINTFIELD High School has announced the appointment of Mrs Victoria Derby as acting principal for the 2026–2027 academic year.
Mrs Derby will be serving in this role while Miss Sarah-Lucy Hynds undertakes a secondment as a System Leader Partner with the Department of Education.
For more than 20 years, Mrs Derby has been a valued member of the Saintfield High School community.
She describes the school as her “home away from home”.
During her time with the school, Mrs Derby has held a wide range of leadership and pastoral positions, including Head of the Religious Studies Department, Head of Years 8, 9 and 10, Head of Transfer and Induction, Senior Teacher and Teacher Tutor.
She has held the position of vice-principal since 2016. A graduate of Stranmillis University College, Mrs Derby also holds a Master’s Degree in Pastoral Care.
Her commitment to supporting the whole child has been at the heart of her work throughout her career.
Speaking about her appointment, Mrs Derby said: “Saintfield High School means so very much to me.
“Having been a member of this school community for 20 years, I count it as an absolute privilege to lead the school during Miss Hynds’s secondment to the Department of Education.
“I am passionate about educating young people and consider it a genuine privilege to play even a small part in a child’s educational journey.
“It is very special, and indeed a great honour, to share in the lives of our pupils and their families.
“In an ever-changing educational landscape, I am thankful that one thing remains timeless: the privilege of being able to encourage and support young people and help them to recognise all that they can become.
“I am very aware that every child who enters our school is someone’s son or someone’s daughter.”
