Public school's first woman head

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One of Wales' oldest schools has appointed a woman headteacher for the first time in its 465-year history.

Emma Taylor will take over as headteacher of Christ College, Brecon, in September 2007, when the present head Phillip Jones retires.

Oxford graduate Ms Taylor, 40, said she was looking forward to the challenge of leading the school.

The Powys independent school was founded by a royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1541.

It is on the site of a Dominican friary dissolved by the king after the pope refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon so he would be free to marry Anne Boleyn.

Ms Taylor is currently senior mistress and admissions tutor at Dean Close School in Cheltenham.

She said: "It oughtn't to be as uncommon as it is for women to be appointed as heads in schools like this, but it is still fairly rare so I guess it's unusual.

The school was founded in 1541

"It doesn't feel very different to me to be female - I've always been female, but I guess it will be a new thing for them here."

And the mother-of-two, who is originally from Dorset, said she was ready to meet the challenge of leading one of Wales' oldest schools.

"I think independent schools long since stopped resting on their laurels and recognised that they're going to have to provide excellent education and things which are different and special in order to attract people to them, rather than to the maintained sector.

'Thrilled'

"Christ's Brecon already provides a fantastically rich and varied education and really broad, rounded way of preparing people for their future.

"So in a sense one could say there isn't a challenge, but of course one can't be complacent and there will be lots of new changes in education around the corner which we've got to adapt to and indeed lead."

The co-educational boarding school has just over 300 pupils.

Last year, it was able to set up a series of science scholarships after being left £2m by the family of former pupil David Hubert Jones - a pharmacist who was at the school from 1917 to 1921.

Current head Mr Jones, who is retiring after 11 years in the post, said Ms Taylor was one of 50 applicants.

He added: "The school governors were delighted with the outstanding quality of applications.

"It made their job extremely difficult, and we are thrilled that Mrs Taylor has accepted the position and will take up her new post next year."