Head Of Saltus Resigns, Staunton To Return

Claire Charlemagne has tendered her resignation as Head of School at Saltus and former Saltus Headmaster Ted Staunton, as agreed to return to Saltus [pending approval from the Department of Immigration] to lead them through the transition period and assist with the search process.

This was announced in an email to parents recently, which noted that “As we transition to our next Head of School, we will need to take our time to ensure that we appoint a strong Head who is as equally committed to our students and capable of continuing the great foundation that Claire has built.”

The full email sent out follows below:

Dear Students, Parents, Faculty and Staff of Saltus,

It is with great sadness that I inform you that Claire Charlemagne has tendered her resignation as Head of School after receiving an exciting career opportunity in educational leadership in the UK. Although we are sad that she will be moving on, we understand her decision and the Board reluctantly accepted her resignation at our meeting on Wednesday, May 6th 2015.

After a nearly fourteen year history with the school, we are confident that Claire will always be connected to the Saltus family and our extended Bermuda community. We ask that you join us in wishing Claire every success as she takes up her new role in January 2016.

Over the past few years, Saltus has seen a tremendous surge in its academic accomplishments; exam results; student achievements and post education successes. Claire and the Board of Trustees are committed to ensuring that the momentum continues, even during this time of change.

As we transition to our next Head of School, we will need to take our time to ensure that we appoint a strong Head who is as equally committed to our students and capable of continuing the great foundation that Claire has built.

We are delighted that Mr. Ted Staunton, former Saltus Headmaster, has agreed to return to Saltus (pending approval from the Department of Immigration), to lead us through the transition period and assist with the search process. Our priority, as always, will be to ensure the highest of standards for all of our students. Claire and Ted have always enjoyed a strong professional relationship and will work closely together over the next few months until the time of Claire’s departure.

In her letter of resignation Claire noted:

“I have served Saltus in various roles over the past thirteen years and it has been a richly rewarding experience in so many ways. It has been a great honour to have led the school as Head and to have contributed to shaping its development as a leader in education within Bermuda while forging strong partnerships for the school both locally and internationally.

Leading Saltus has been both a challenging and rewarding opportunity for me to grow and develop as a professional. I have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside The Board of Trustees to set challenging goals for the school’s development. It has been a privilege to work with our talented faculty and staff to provide the very best education for our students. I could not have asked for a more dedicated student body and the support from our parent community has been wonderful.

I have recently been offered a fantastic opportunity to lead a school and to contribute to the raising of educational standards on a broader scale in my home country. This is largely a testament to the wonderful opportunities I have had at Saltus. It has been a very difficult decision to make, but I have decided to accept this offer. While I will be sad to leave Saltus, it is an opportunity that will not present itself again, and therefore accepting it is the right decision for me and my family. It will afford us proximity to my extended family which, in turn, will provide additional stability for our children as they grow up.

I will take up my new post in January 2016 and will look forward to working closely with the Board of Trustees to ensure a seamless transition for the next Head of School. I will continue to strive for excellence in all that the school does, and will keep my focus firmly on ensuring that our students are well cared for and educated.

In closing, I would like to thank the Board for giving me the opportunity to serve the School for the past thirteen years. It has been an incredible journey and I am glad to have had the opportunity to contribute to the success of the school while making a positive difference in the lives of our students.”

Students, Parents, Faculty and Staff of Saltus, on behalf of the Board, I must echo what Claire states in the above paragraphs. She has contributed so much to the school over the past thirteen years in her various roles – first as Head of Modern Foreign Languages, Director of Studies; moving to Deputy Head (Academics) and in her present role as the first female Head of School. Claire’s commitment to our students has been unwavering; she has led the school admirably and has raised the bar for our students in so many ways.

Student success has been at an all-time high under her leadership. Last year the Primary Department reported our best ever results in the SATs. Examination pass rates at (I)GCSE have increased from 76% in 2009 to 92% (including Mathematics and English)in 2014 with 39% A*/A grades. Our examination results and university entrance success from the Saltus Graduate Years programme have been equally impressive. Claire created the Saltus Teachers’ Academy providing internationally accredited qualifications for Bermuda-based educators including National College Leadership qualifications, and led collaborative professional development with other schools on island and overseas.

Claire’s headship has not been without challenges, as is the case for any leader, but she has addressed them head on. She has always kept the school as her top priority with the students’ best interests as her focus and motivation. She has made a significant contribution to the school and she will be a very hard act to follow.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the Saltus family, I would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to Claire for the wonderful contributions she has made to the continued success of Saltus Grammar School.

Sincerely,

Gil Tucker
Chairman, Saltus Board of Trustees

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