Meet the Leadership Team

Mr Mike Farmer – Executive Director of the Trust

Mike Farmer joined St Teresa’s in September 2012. He began his career teaching Economics and Business at the Godolphin School in Salisbury, taking up the position of Assistant Head at Headington School in Oxford in 1997. In 2003 he was appointed Principal of Kilgraston School in Perthshire. He transformed the school to achieve the highest growth rate within the sector and also topped the Scottish academic league tables. In 2011, Kilgraston gained national recognition by being named the UK Independent School of the Year.

Under Mike’s headship, St Teresa’s has experienced dramatic growth of 60%, enabling capital investment of over £5m. With a roll of 650 pupils, St. Teresa’s is currently the largest Catholic independent girls-only school in the UK.

In addition to Headship, Mike was a member of the governing council for the Girls’ Schools Association for many years, and also Chair of the boarding committee. In 2016 he had the honour of chairing the Boarding Schools’ Association. He is a Governor of two independent schools.

Mike is supported by his wife Mary-Ann who has worked in boarding for many years. They have two grown up children.

We are delighted that Mr Field will become Acting Head of St Teresa’s from September.

Mr Field brings with him a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to both academic excellence and pastoral care. He studied at the University of Central Florida, where he earned a Bachelor of Science (Hons), majoring in Mathematics with minors in Computer Science, Physics and Statistics.

After completing his studies in the United States, he returned to the UK to begin his outstanding 15-year career in education.

Mr Field has held a variety of pastoral and academic roles, equipping him with a broad understanding of school life.
For the past nine years, he has served as a senior leader, demonstrating a strong track record in school improvement and leadership.

Mr Field joined St Teresa’s as Assistant Head (Director of Studies) in 2021 before taking on the role of Deputy Head (Academic) and more recently Senior Deputy, where he has contributed meaningfully to the strategic direction of the school.

He teaches Maths and Further Maths to A level and Computer Science to GCSE and very much enjoys sharing his passion for these two subjects with his pupils.​

Mrs R Whitton – Deputy Head (Pastoral)

Rachel started at St Teresa’s in September 2023. Prior to that she was the Deputy Head Pastoral and Boarding, DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) at Heathfield Girls School in Ascot. Rachel has been involved in Pastoral education for many years and her 20 years of experience in Boarding schools has awarded her recognition as a Fellow of the Institute of Boarding. Rachel began teaching as a PE teacher and has had the privilege of working in numerous prestigious state, independent day and boarding schools.

Over the last thirteen years she has specialised in pastoral care, becoming a DSL and well-being lead, and is passionate about the role of promoting the well-being and holistic development of students and staff enabling every member of a school’s community to flourish. Her expertise within safeguarding have assisted her to become a safeguarding governor at a Surrey Primary School and sit on the GSA Pastoral and Safeguarding committee; as well as being a part of research projects such as the Self-Harm Workforce

Project with Bracknell Forest Council, Brighter Futures Together and University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry. As an affiliate of IVET, Rachel is passionate about a values-based education, teaching children the skills they need for life and encouraging each pupil to develop their confidence, embrace opportunity, develop a love of learning in and out of the classroom and above all feel supported and listened to as they embark on their journey to adulthood.

In her free time Rachel enjoys open water swimming, walking the Surrey hills with her dogs and spending time with her husband James and son Rory.

Claire Pitchford – Deputy Head (Pupil Enrichment)

Claire joined St Teresa’s as the Head of Sixth Form in 2014. In 2018 she became a member of the Senior Leadership Team, undertaking the role of Assistant Headteacher (Head of Sixth Form) before becoming Deputy Head (Pupil Enrichment).

After attaining an undergraduate degree specialising in Drama and Dance, Claire completed a PGCE at the University of Cambridge, where she subsequently earned a Masters in Education and became a member of the Chartered College of Teaching.

Claire is a dedicated educationalist who believes that education should be holistic. She has proactively gained valuable experience in both the pastoral and academic spheres of secondary education, including within the specialist area of safeguarding. Claire supports her pupils to be ambitious in nature, motivates them to foster their sense of curiosity and encourages them to grow a resilient spirit of independence. Highly motivated to provide young people with an enriching and challenging education, Claire also volunteers as a Community Governor for a comprehensive secondary school in London.

Claire teaches both Drama and Dance to students up to, and including, A Level. She is a trained Hatha Yoga teacher and enjoys running and attending the theatre in her spare time.