We are delighted to announce the appointment of John Edward, Head of Operations at the Scottish Council on Global Affairs, as Chair of the Governors of Fettes College succeeding The Rt Hon Lady Morag Wise who has served as Chair for 5 years. Throughout her tenure Lady Wise has successfully guided Fettes with her outstanding leadership and steadfast commitment to our vision, most recently concluding the successful appointment of Richard Girvan who succeeds Helen Harrison, in September 2026, as the next Head of Fettes.

In anticipation of this handover and becoming Chair, John has been working closely with the Chair and Vice Chair of Governors over the last year but also brings his own considerable experience of governance and the independent education sector to the role.

Prior to joining the Scottish Council on Global Affairs, John was Chief Executive of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS) for 13 years, where he also sat on the Advisory Boards of the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme and the Scottish Qualifications Authority. He is a board member of AGBIS, and a member of the Scottish Commission on School Reform. A graduate of the universities of St Andrews and Glasgow, John was previously Head of the European Parliament’s Office in Scotland and worked in Brussels for Scotland House and the European Policy Centre.

The Rt Hon Lady Morag Wise said, “We are extremely fortunate that John has so readily accepted the role of Chair of the Governing Body. I have greatly enjoyed working with him over the last couple of years and his considerable and very pertinent experience of the education sector and indeed global context has been, and will continue to prove, invaluable in steering Fettes forward in the future.”

Commenting on his appointment John Edward said, “Lady Wise has chaired Fettes through some of the greatest challenges the school, and the independent education sector, has faced in 150 years. The Fettes community and Governing Board have been very fortunate to call on her counsel and leadership, and I am grateful to the Governing Board's trust in me as I take up this role. I firmly believe in the importance of sound and independent governance, and I am committed to do all I can to support the new Head, staff, pupils, families and wider Fettes community as we lead our ground-breaking and modern school forward with the development, wellbeing and joy of young people at its heart."

John’s appointment will be effective from 5^th June 2026.

Helen Harrison, Head of Fettes College, added: “On behalf of the school, I would like to take this opportunity to record my personal thanks to Lady Wise for everything she has done for Fettes during her time as Chair. She has been a constant presence and an outstanding Chair. Her wise counsel and willingness to make herself available at short notice has benefitted the school and everyone in our community in ways too numerous to mention. As she steps down from this role, we are delighted she will continue as a Governor until the end of her 8-year tenure in July and extend our heartfelt thanks and best wishes for the future. We look forward to staying in close contact with her in the years to come. In the meantime, I am absolutely delighted at the appointment of John Edward as Chair - the combination of John as Chair and Richard Girvan as Head will be a powerful and dynamic duo for Fettes moving forward.” 

View the Governing Body: https://www.fettes.com/about-us/governing-body