Lancaster girls’ school gets its first male headteacher in its 116-year history

Chris Beard is the only man to head the school since it was founded in 1907.

He replaced Jackie Cahalin who was headteacher for 16 years and saw the school converted to an Academy, established a new Sixth Form Centre and introduced five-form entry.

“I don’t think it matters what gender you are when you’re headteacher of a school,” said Mr Beard.

“It’s about the vision for the school and its culture and wanting to retain a lot of its traditions while also moving with the times.”

He’s taken over in a year that LGGS was named seventh most high achieving secondary school in the north west in a Sunday Times survey but the school isn’t resting on its laurels.

“Our ambition is to be at the top and when there are so many good schools locally, that’s a hard thing to do,” Mr Beard said.

Originally from Nottingham and educated at a comprehensive school, Mr Beard worked as a manager in the prison service before retraining as a science teacher.

“I’ve always loved working with people and making a difference so retraining as a teacher was a positive step,” said Mr Beard, whose parents were both teachers.

He taught at schools in Manchester and Bolton and was headteacher at the Co-op Academy in Manchester before joining LGGS.

The father of four has never previously worked in a single sex school. “Research shows that girls do better in single sex education. It allows some girls to be younger for a bit longer and be taught in an environment that best suits them,” he said.

Mr Beard also thinks there’s a massive benefit to selective education: “Girls that come here are able to challenge themselves and can find that quite a pressure but we’re here to support them.”

While academic excellence is a top priority at LGGS, it also provides the pupils with opportunities to develop skills in performing arts and sport. Fundraising for a range of charities and good causes is also an important part of school life.

Trips that were stopped during the Covid pandemic have been resumed and this week some pupils are on a French exchange along with Lancaster Royal Grammar School, with whom they also run a cadets scheme.

Inclusion and diversity are also important to LGGS, which is one of only three schools in the county to be awarded the Lancashire Equality Mark and is also a School of Sanctuary.

However, Mr Beard is aware of the limitations of a 116-year-old building which now accommodates just over 1,000 pupils and is always oversubscribed, with the majority living in Lancaster district but some travelling from as far as Chorley and Grange.

“It’s lovely being a custodian of such a beautiful old building but it does bring its challenges.”

He would love the school to have a new sports hall but admitted that funding for such facilities is another challenge.

Said Mr Beard: “My job is about making the best school that LGGS can be for the students, staff and the community.”