‘I’m very excited. It is nervous excitement but I think that makes you a better leader’
Hymers College Junior School Head, Imogen Cowan, and Hymers College Headmaster, Justin Stanley.(Image: Hymers College Junior School)
The new head at a Hull junior school has declared her plans to make it the best in the country. Imogen Cowan has moved more than 160 miles with her family to take up her new role as head of Hymers College Junior School.
Hymers College has more than 900 pupils aged three to 18, including 200 in the junior school. They are all taught on one campus after the youngest pupils relocated to the main site last year.
Imogen – who previously taught at fellow independent school Bishop’s Stortford College in Hertfordshire – told how teaching is in her blood, having always worked in education after following in the footsteps of her grandparents, parents and brothers, who all became teachers.
She said: “I’m very excited. It is nervous excitement but I think that makes you a better leader. It shows you’re human, you don’t know everything, and you’re there to listen to everyone while looking at things with a fresh pair of eyes.
“My whole leadership style is about empathy and support, and I’m really looking forward to working as one big team. The bottom line is I want Hymers College to be the best school in the country and I want to lead the best junior school in the country. I will do my very best through collaborative work, listening to staff and parents, and taking on board good ideas.”
Imogen, who studied at King’s College London before completing her Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at Kingston University and a master’s degree in education through the University of Sheffield, said she was drawn to Hymers College because of its strong academic values while also focusing heavily on children themselves.
She said: “That’s really important to me. Academics will only get you so far in life. You want children to be sparky, to be able to stand up and talk to people, and be good at teamwork. When I came for my interview, I really felt that is what the Headmaster, Justin Stanley, and the team want to achieve.
“For a child to be able to start at the age of three, stay at one school and have staff who know them inside out is so important. You can get to know those children and their families really well and you know what makes them tick.
“I instantly feel warmth and community here. I’m all about kindness because everything can be done with kindness. Everyone is so friendly, and they have made me very welcome.”
Imogen’s nine-year-old son and six-year-old daughter are also now pupils at Hymers College. She added: “I will see things through two lenses – as a member of staff and as a parent – and it’s unique and helpful to have both perspectives. My door is always open and I will be at school drop-offs and pick-ups as much as possible, which adds to that sense of community.”
Headmaster Justin Stanley said: “From a very strong field and following a rigorous selection process, Imogen was the unanimous choice of the appointment panel, impressing us all with her warmth, her passion for independent education and her commitment to high standards and outstanding pastoral care.
“It is very apparent that the learning and emotional development of every child will be at the centre of every decision that Imogen takes. We are delighted to welcome Imogen and her family to the Hymers community.”