Bringing a wealth of experience

Nicola Dudley joined QM in September 2024 and has quickly become an inspirational leader to our girls and the QM community.

Nicola has over 24 years' experience in independent education and was most recently the Principal of Surval Montreux School for Girls in Switzerland. During a rigorous recruitment process which yielded an international field of candidates, Nicola stood out as a perfect match for QM because of her enthusiasm for girls’ education and her vast experience of working in boarding schools in the UK and overseas.

Terry Burt, Chairman of the Board of Governors said “We are delighted to have appointed a high-profile Head who is already a specialist in small-scale, girls-only education. When Nicola joins QM I am sure we will all appreciate her deeply-held conviction that girls' education is relevant and necessary in the modern world. Nicola will also bring an abundance of energy and drive which I am sure will percolate throughout the school.”

Nicola was educated at Wycombe Abbey, another leading girls school in Buckinghamshire, before gaining a first class honours degree from Jesus College, Oxford. A linguist by training, Nicola has taught at several leading independent schools before taking on a series of leadership roles at Lomond School (Deputy Head Teacher), Scottish Council of Independent Schools (Deputy Director), Malvern College International (Director of Education) and Malvern College Hong Kong (founding Deputy Head).

An introduction to Nicola Dudley, filmed before her commencement as Head of QM in summer 2024.

Self-Belief at QM: an introduction from Nicola Dudley including her own story of self-belief.