The Independent Schools Council is a politically independent, not-for-profit organisation representing 1,270 independent schools educating more than 500,000 children. It exists to promote choice, diversity and excellence in education, developing talent at all levels of ability and from all backgrounds.

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Independent Schools Council appoints new Chief Executive

16 April 2008

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) has today announced the appointment of Chris Parry CBE as its new Chief Executive. Chris (54) will take up the post on Monday 28 April 2008 and will be based at ISC's head offices in London.

Chris Parry's most recent appointment has been as Director General, Development, Concepts and Doctrine in the Ministry of Defence, where he was responsible for determining the future strategic context for Defence and for formulating how the United Kingdom's Armed Forces should best operate, both on current operations and in the future.

His wide-ranging career has included several sea commands, extensive academic engagement and influential contributions to Central Government policy and strategy development. As well as planning and implementing several complex change management programmes and major operations, he has also headed a number of professional educational establishments, research bodies and operational centres of excellence.

Commenting on his appointment today, Chris Parry said:

"Independent schools are a great British success story. Both collectively and individually, they deliver substantial benefits to the pupils they educate and to the wider community. I very much look forward to working with ISC's associations, its staff and Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas in ensuring this world class organisation maintains its justified reputation for excellence and innovative thinking."

ISC Chairman, Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas, added:

"My fellow council members and I are delighted that Chris is joining us at ISC. As well as a distinguished academic reputation, he brings a powerful combination of strategic vision, operational skill and practical leadership. These qualities will undoubtedly help the independent education sector to evolve and to explore new and challenging opportunities."

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

Independent Schools Council
The Independent Schools Council (ISC) is a politically independent, not-for-profit umbrella body, representing around 1300 independent schools educating more than 500,000 children in the UK and Ireland (80% of all children in independent education). 1,044 of its schools are charities. ISC schools include the well-known boarding schools, though the majority of ISC schools are day schools with strong local reputations. ISC schools cover the entire academic range and take pupils from a broad cross-section of backgrounds, with nearly a third of children receiving help with fees. Overall, ISC exists to promote choice, diversity and excellence in education; the development of talent at all levels of ability; and the widening of opportunity for children from all backgrounds to achieve their potential.

Chris Parry
Chris Parry was educated at the Portsmouth Grammar School and read Modern History at Jesus College, Oxford. He joined the Royal Navy as a Seaman Officer and subsequently became a Sea King, Wessex and Lynx aviator, operating all over the world in a variety of front-line appointments and in operations in the Gulf, the Falklands and Northern Ireland. He was mentioned in despatches during the Falklands war and received the 1983 Prince Philip Helicopter Rescue Award from the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators.

After command of the air defence destroyer HMS Gloucester and the amphibious assault ship HMS Fearless, he was, from 2001, directly responsible to Ministers for independent assessments of operational capability, capability audits and lessons from operations. In 2003, he took command of the UK's Amphibious Task Group and NATO's UK/Netherlands Amphibious Task Group. On promotion to Rear Admiral in 2005, he formed the Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC) and spent three years as its Director General, responsible for strategic development, international and academic engagement and operational best practice.

A graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies, he has throughout his career been closely involved with the professional education and operational training of high-performing teams and individuals. Academically, he has lectured, broadcast and written extensively on strategic and historical themes and has helped determine all Defence options, cost studies and reviews since 1989. He is a Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute and the Chartered Management Institute. He was appointed CBE in 2004.

Chris Parry is married with two children (24 and 18). His interests include hill-walking, historical study and archaeology. He is an avid follower of Rugby League and Chelsea Football Club.

Press enquiries: Alexandra Caish, Head of Press, ISC

Telephone: (office) 020 7766 7060 (mobile) 0788 5620713
Email: alex.caish@isc.co.uk