Simon Henderson
Simon Henderson (born 1976)[1] has been Head Master of Eton College since 2015, previously having served as Headmaster of Bradfield College.
Education
Henderson studied at Winchester College, and later received a bachelor's and PGCE in history from Brasenose College, Oxford.[1][2]
Career
Henderson first worked as a history teacher at The Windsor Boys' School, before joining Eton College in 2001; he soon became head of history at the school. From 2009, he served as Deputy Head of Sherborne School. He left Sherborne in 2011 when he was appointed Headmaster of Bradfield College.[1]
Eton College
In 2015, Henderson was appointed Head Master of Eton College, being the youngest so far at 39 years old. In the same year, he became a governor of Holyport College and the London Academy of Excellence.[1]
During the 2019–20 COVID-19 pandemic, he expanded Eton's online learning platform EtonX to state pupils and opened the school's accommodation to key workers.[1] He stated his interests in widening the school's intake to those of different backgrounds, saying "we want talented boys to be able to come to Eton whatever their financial circumstances".[2] In response to a parent and alumni-led petition after the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, he pledged to focus more on teaching about systemic racism and "decolonising" aspects of the school. He also stated he would increase efforts in diversifying the faculty, after it was pointed out that there were only two black teachers at the school.[3]
Personal life
Henderson's wife, Ali, worked as a civil servant at 10 Downing Street under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. They have two sons and two daughters.[1]
References
- Thomson, Alice (2 May 2020). "Simon Henderson: 'This crisis is much harder on the poor . . . Eton must step up'". The Times. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- Weale, Sally (21 October 2015). "New Eton head to put emphasis on pupils' emotional intelligence". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- Bennett, Rosemary (26 June 2020). "Eton pledges to 'decolonise' its teaching after parents' appeal". The Times. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tony Little |
Head Master of Eton College 2015–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Peter Roberts |
Headmaster of Bradfield College 2011–2015 |
Succeeded by Christopher Stevens |
