Following interviews this week, JCoSS Governors are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Melanie Lee as our new Headteacher, from the start of Spring Term 2023.

Dr Lee is currently Deputy Head at Yavneh College with a background and doctorate in Science.  She has spent the past year on a sabbatical which has enriched her substantial experience with insights into teaching, learning and curriculum from a range of schools across the country.

Patrick Moriarty remains in post until the end of December 2022, and Dr Lee will start her new position at JCoSS on the first day of term, 3 January 2023.  We are planning a thorough and extensive handover period over the next 6 months, so that Dr Lee can hit the ground running.

Governors are very excited by the appointment and are confident in the future success of the school under her dynamic leadership.

Dr Lee commented “I am delighted and honoured to have been appointed Headteacher of JCoSS from January 2023.  My career in academia followed by ten years in school leadership, along with my values and beliefs that align wholeheartedly with the special JCoSS ethos, has led me to this privileged role. It gives me immeasurable pride to take JCoSS on the next stage of its journey”.  

Dr Melanie Lee Biography 
Dr Lee, 50, grew up in Kingston and went to school in Wimbledon.  She has lived in Borehamwood for 20 years.  She has two children who are at Birmingham and Leeds universities. She gained her PhD in Biology at Imperial College, London before moving to UCL as a postdoctoral research fellow. Once her children were in primary school Dr Lee followed her dream and trained to become a science teacher. At Yavneh Dr Lee has gained a huge amount of leadership experience in both Pastoral and Teaching and Learning roles. For the past year she has been on sabbatical, visiting schools around the UK that are part of the Research Schools Network, working with and learning from other inspirational school leaders.