St Albans Education Group

We are pleased to announce that from September 2024, STAHS will merge with Stormont School to become the St Albans Education Group.

Stormont School is a leading girls’ prep school in Potters Bar and STAHS has long been an 11+ destination of choice for Stormont leavers. This merger provides an exciting opportunity to further strengthen the already close ties between the two schools through a more formal partnership. The group will include STAHS Senior School, STAHS Prep School and Stormont School and whilst the individuality and character of each of these schools will continue to be celebrated and developed, the merger of the schools will provide strength, stability and opportunity for all.

We have prepared a set of FAQs, available below, to address the most common questions, and we are happy to answer any additional questions if contacted directly.

The STAHS vision to develop happy, resilient young people who will embrace opportunities and lead lives of consequence remains unchanged, as do our aims and values. We look forward to working closely with Stormont School in the coming years to ensure that all schools within the group provide outstanding opportunities and an exceptional education for every pupil and to an exciting new chapter in STAHS’s history.

We are happy to help with any other questions, please contact us by emailing head@stahs.org.uk

Why have the governors of STAHS and Stormont decided to make this change?

STAHS and Stormont have a decades-long relationship and already share significant commonality in their ethos and vision with STAHS a long-established 11+ destination of choice for Stormont leavers. The merger brings together two similar institutions to operate under one umbrella, sharing support, expertise and resources to create a new education group that aims to capitalise on their individual expertise and knowledge. St Albans Education Group will build on the existing excellent standards of its founding institutions and provide top quality education and pastoral care to pupils in Hertfordshire for years to come.

Will Stormont School, STAHS Prep and STAHS Senior have the same entry requirements?

Will pupils from STAHS Prep still be entitled to automatic transition to STAHS Senior at 11+?

Will pupils from Stormont School be entitled to automatic transition to STAHS Senior at 11+?

Will the school leadership remain the same at all three schools?

We recognise that Stormont and STAHS while sharing a vision and ethos, also have their own individual characters. Both schools will retain their distinct feel, and will be the responsibility of their own head teacher supported by existing leadership teams. Louise Martin will remain Head of Stormont, Mike Bryant will remain Head of STAHS Prep, and Drew Thomson-Jones has been appointed Acting Head of STAHS Senior from September 2024 whilst we recruit a permanent Head of Senior.

St Albans Education Group will be led by Amber Waite, currently Head of STAHS, who will take up the new post of Principal of the St Albans Education Group and lead the Executive Team. Amber will oversee the merger from an operational perspective and, to ensure the schools thrive within the new structure, will be responsible for delivering the strategic plan while ensuring each school delivers theirs.