June 3, 2026
As the end of the academic year approaches, the Withington Girls’ School community is preparing to bid farewell to its Head of 10 years, Sarah Haslam, whose retirement was announced last September.
With her decade as Head marking the culmination of an outstanding 30 years of service to the School, Mrs Haslam is delighted to be handing over the reins to her successor, Tom Bennett, Withington’s current Deputy Head Academic, who was appointed following a rigorous selection process in which he emerged as the clear choice to lead the school into its next phase.
“Mr Bennett has been a highly respected member of the school community for the past four years, playing a central role in shaping the school’s consistently outstanding academic performance and quality of pupil experience. He knows the school very well, is fully supportive of Withington’s aims and ethos, and of the school’s commitment to sustaining excellence in all areas that continues to define its community,” said Mrs Haslam.
Mrs Haslam’s headship has seen Withington recognised every year since 2019 in the prestigious Sunday Times Schools Guide as the top academic independent school in the Northwest based on results in public examinations, and the school was named Northwest Independent School of the Decade in the 2020 edition of the Guide. Supporting these achievements during his time at the school, Mr Bennett has also been instrumental in strengthening teaching and learning, with the school recently shortlisted as a finalist in the Teacher Development Initiative of the Year category of the prestigious Tes School Awards UK 2026.
Speaking about his new role, Mr Bennett said: “It’s a privilege to be given the opportunity to lead a school I know so well and care so deeply about. Withington pupils are remarkable, and it has been an honour to support their academic and personal growth over the past four years. I look forward to working with our dedicated staff, families, and alumnae to build on our strong foundations and continue creating an environment where every girl can thrive.”
Withington’s Chair of Governors, Malcolm Pike, said: “Throughout the recruitment process – which engaged governors, staff and pupils – Mr Bennett demonstrated a deep understanding and appreciation of our school’s ethos and history, coupled with a compelling, forward-thinking vision for Withington that is true to its founding principles of educating girls to the very highest standards and preparing them for their futures.
“We are confident that he will lead Withington with ambition and integrity, building on our strengths, and ensuring that the school continues to flourish for generations to come.”
Mr Bennett brings to the role extensive experience in single-sex education along with a genuine and passionate belief in its unique benefits for girls. He was educated at RGS High Wycombe and at the University of Cambridge, where he read Geography, before returning to the school he attended as a pupil to begin his teaching career. He went on to lead the Geography Department at another of the UK’s leading schools for girls, Wycombe Abbey School, later serving as Director of Digital Learning, before moving to Sedbergh School, where he subsequently became Deputy Head (Academic). He is also an ISI team inspector and a school governor, giving him a broad perspective on the independent sector, national educational developments, and the challenges and opportunities facing schools in the years ahead.
As Head, Mr Bennett’s early priorities will include listening carefully to pupils, staff, families and alumnae, while working with the whole Withington community to shape a refreshed strategic vision for the years ahead. That vision will build on the School’s exceptional academic foundations, its distinctive commitment to girls’ education, and its enduring aim to prepare young women to lead lives of purpose, confidence and fulfilment.
