- Gareth Parker-Jones will join Wellington College International Kenya as founding master ahead of its September 2028 opening.
- The current Rugby School headmaster will take up the position in September 2027 to prepare the new institution.
- His wife, Amanda Parker-Jones, has also been appointed Head of Teacher Development at the Tatu City school.
Gareth Parker-Jones, one of the United Kingdom’s leading educators and the current Head Master of Rugby School, has been appointed the founding master of Wellington College International Kenya.
Parker-Jones will join the institution in September 2027, a year before the school officially opens its doors to pupils in September 2028. He will also serve as Head of Education at Rendeavour, the developer partnering with Wellington College to establish the school.
His wife, Amanda Parker-Jones, has been appointed Head of Teacher Development and will work alongside him as preparations for the new school gather pace.
Wellington College International Kenya is being developed by Rendeavour in partnership with Wellington College and will be located at Tatu City.
It will be a co-educational day and boarding school serving pupils aged three to 18 and attracting families from Kenya, the wider region and internationally. Pasted markdown
Speaking following his appointment, Parker-Jones said he was proud to take up the responsibility of establishing the institution.
“Wellington College International Kenya delivers a genuinely world-class education in arguably the most beautiful environment on earth, carrying the full weight of the Wellington name,” he said.
“Backed by the scale, expertise and ambition of Rendeavour, Wellington Kenya is a great success story in international education, and I could not be prouder to lead it as Head of Education, Rendeavour, and Founding Master.”
James Dahl, the 15th Master of Wellington College, welcomed the appointment, describing Parker-Jones as an accomplished school leader who had made a significant impact at Rugby School.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be welcoming Gareth Parker-Jones to the Wellington College Education family,” Dahl said.
He said Parker-Jones had helped raise standards at Rugby School and contributed to the development of its network of schools in England and internationally.
“Wellington College International Kenya could not be in better hands,” Dahl said.
Boarding central to new school
Parker-Jones has extensive experience in boarding education, which Wellington Kenya says will be important as the new institution establishes both day and boarding provision.
The school plans to offer boarding from its opening, giving families the option of either day or residential schooling. Pasted markdown
Rendeavour Founder and Chief Executive Officer Stephen Jennings said Parker-Jones’ appointment reflected the level of ambition behind the project.
“To attract a Founding Master of Gareth’s renown and experience is itself a statement of our intent and the ambition we hold for the school,” Jennings said.
He said the institution aims to combine Wellington’s international educational heritage with a strong local identity while serving families across the region.
Parker-Jones’ education career
Parker-Jones has been at Rugby School since 2015. He initially served as Deputy Head (Academic) before becoming Head Master in 2020.
He studied History at Pembroke College, Oxford, and holds a master’s degree in Colonial and Post-Colonial Studies from the University of London.
His teaching career has also included positions at Harrow, University College School and Sevenoaks, where he served as Head of History.
The Kenya institution will be Wellington College Education’s second school in Africa developed with Rendeavour, alongside Wellington College International Lagos.
Wellington College International Kenya will sit on a 30-acre campus and is expected to feature STEM learning spaces, a 50-metre swimming pool, a certified athletics track and boarding houses.
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The institution’s official website confirms that it is scheduled to open in September 2028.
By Our Reporter
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