After sixteen years of outstanding leadership, Ed Hester has decided to retire as Foundation Principal at the end of the Summer Term 2027. 

Ed will be well known to many Old Princethorpians, not only through his long-standing leadership of the Foundation but also as a former parent at the College, alongside his wife Tracey. Over the years, he has remained closely connected to the OP community and has taken great pleasure in attending and supporting OP events whenever possible. 

Having joined Princethorpe College as Headmaster in September 2009, Ed went on to focus solely on the role of Foundation Principal from January 2023, following the appointment of Grove du Toit as Headmaster. 

Under Ed’s ambitious and strategic leadership, the Foundation has gone from strength to strength. During his tenure, he has overseen significant capital investment across the schools, guided successful mergers with Abbotsford School in 2010 and Crescent School in 2016, and provided clear, steady leadership through the challenges of Covid and more recent economic pressures. 

Throughout his time in office, Ed has been a consistent champion of the Foundation’s distinctive ethos and spirit of family, fostering an environment in which academic excellence, outstanding pastoral care and a rich co-curricular life enable young people to flourish. 

As John Fisher, Chair of Trustees, noted in his message to parents, Ed will leave the Foundation “in a very strong position, with fine Heads and senior leadership, a committed staff body and full rolls of high-achieving pupils, ready for the next stage of its strategic development.” 

The Trustees have begun the process of identifying Ed’s successor, with the aim of appointing an exceptional leader who will embody the Foundation’s values and continue to shape a bold vision for the years ahead. Ed will, of course, remain firmly at the helm for the next 18 months. 

We thank Ed for all he has given to the Foundation and the wider Princethorpe community, and we know OPs will join us in wishing him well as he looks ahead to his retirement.