Appointment of New Head Master at Merchant Taylors' School
Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood is delighted to announce the appointment of Mr Sam Baldock as its next Head Master. He will take up the role in September 2026, following the planned retirement of Simon Everson, who has led the School since 2013 and will continue in post throughout the 2025–26 academic year.
Mr Baldock is Vice Master at Bedford School, having recently served as Acting Head Master there. His appointment follows a rigorous and highly competitive recruitment process, during which he impressed the Governors with his clarity of vision, depth of experience and strong alignment with the values and ethos of Merchant Taylors’.
Chair of Governors, Commodore Andrew Cree, said:
“Sam Baldock brings outstanding academic credentials, proven leadership and a deep commitment to the kind of all-round education that defines Merchant Taylors’. He shares our belief in nurturing the individual potential of every boy and has a clear vision for the future of the School. We are confident he will lead Taylors’ with distinction.”
Merchant Taylors’ School is currently thriving, with strong demand for places and continued success across academic and co-curricular life. The Governors remain ambitious for the School’s future - to uphold its long-standing tradition of excellence while continuing to innovate and prepare pupils for a rapidly changing world.
Mr Baldock studied Natural Sciences at Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge, before working briefly in commercial research. He spent ten years at Westminster School, where he taught Biology and was later Head of Biology. He went on to serve as Assistant Head at Mill Hill School before joining Bedford School in 2018 as Deputy Head (Academic), later becoming Vice Master and serving as Acting Head Master.
He will become the 33rd Head Master in the School’s distinguished history.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Baldock said:
“It is a tremendous honour to be appointed Head Master of Merchant Taylors’ School. I have long admired the School’s academic ambition, its breadth of opportunity, and its strong sense of identity and purpose. From my first visit, I was struck by the warmth and integrity of the community, and I look forward to working with pupils, staff and families to build on the School’s many successes and shape an exciting future together.”
The year ahead will allow for a smooth and thoughtful transition. The School community will also have the opportunity to thank Simon Everson for his exceptional leadership over more than a decade - a tenure marked by strategic growth, pastoral care, and an unwavering commitment to the boys and wider Taylors’ community.