A letter from the Warden reads;

'After a decade of extraordinary service to Bradfield Dr Chris Stevens will be stepping down as Headmaster at the end of the summer term in 2025.

The long list of Chris’ achievements during his tenure as Headmaster will secure his place as one of Bradfield’s most successful leaders over the course of the College’s 175 years. His ‘Education for Life’ strategy has had a very substantial impact on every aspect of life at Bradfield. He has succeeded in raising academic standards and cementing the College’s position in the ranks of top independent schools. Meanwhile, Bradfield’s sporting reputation is at an all-time high and the quality of the music and drama have improved notably.

As a result, the College has grown in popularity and the beginning of this year marks the 10th successive year of pupil number growth. The overall quality of the education on offer was recognised by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in 2022 when Bradfield was rated Excellent in all key findings.

Chris became Headmaster in 2015. He quickly established a strong sense of purpose amongst pupils and staff at the College and went on to lead the College successfully through the pandemic in a highly professional manner. At the beginning of his tenure, Chris championed the design and planning to convert St Andrew’s Church into what is now the St Andrew’s Study Centre. The opening of this inspirational building earlier this year is a remarkable testament to his determination and foresight.

Having planned the successful merger with St Andrew’s Prep in 2021, more recently Chris has been leading the diversification of Bradfield’s activities in the international arena and education technology sector. He has also become a leading voice in the independent sector and currently chairs HMC’s Education Committee and the Rugby Group of top boarding schools.

Chris has sought to involve all members of the Bradfield community in the collective effort of championing Bradfield and has been very generous in entertaining so many of this community at Crossways. His remarkable work ethic, attention to detail and intellectual capacity have made him a formidable leader. The Bradfield Group he will leave is much stronger and more diverse than the Bradfield College he inherited.

There will be plenty of opportunities to pay tribute to Chris before he leaves Bradfield but for now we, the governors, simply thank Chris for all he has done and achieved. For the rest of his tenure, I know that he will want everything to be business as usual.

Council will begin the search for a successor with immediate effect and is aiming to make an appointment by the end of this term. Council has appointed RSAcademics, a leading education consultancy, to manage the search. The RSAcademics team will be led by Claire Oulton, who is a former senior school Head.'

Tom Beardmore-Gray
The Warden