Much to the surprise of the Cowes Enterprise staff called to a meeting on Friday morning, the new Head of the school, Rebecca Pearce, announced that she will be taking maternity leave in a few months time.
At the end of September last year, it was announced that Rebecca would be heading the school. She left her role as Vice Principal of City Academy Bristol to join the Island school in January 2014.
OnTheWight understands that Rebecca intends to be on maternity leave very briefly. It’s expected that she’ll be away from the school between ‘towards the end of June / early July’, returning to the school for the start of the new term in September, when it will open as an academy.
Stand-in head already arranged
The school’s governors – who tell OnTheWight “We fully support Rebecca at this exciting time for her” – have acted quickly after learning the news on Thursday evening.
They have arranged that Sean O’Neill, a retired Head who’d already agreed to work with Cowes as an education adviser, will cover the maternity leave for what remains of the summer term.
The Governing Body told OnTheWight,
We would like to congratulate Mrs Pearce on her news and assure parents that this will not affect the upward trajectory of the college.
“We have additional support from our Education Advisor Sean O’Neill, who will step in as acting head for the short period of time in which Rebecca will be taking leave. He has already spent several months working with the college, and is currently working closely with Rebecca.
“Parents will receive a letter with further details and we will keep them updated.
Started in January
Nine days before Friday’s unexpected announcement, on the 15th January, Rebecca published a message through OnTheWight, starting “I am looking forward to working with staff, students and parents to improve the College which has so much potential.”
