New Head Announced for September 2027

7th August 2026

A Message from the Chairman of Council

It gives me enormous pleasure, on behalf of Council, to announce the appointment of Mr Frank Rumboll as the next Headmaster of Pembroke House. He will take up this role in the Michaelmas Term of the 2027–2028 academic year.

This appointment forms part of a carefully planned leadership succession process. Council is deeply grateful to Mrs Boyd-Moss for her exceptional leadership and stewardship. By the time she completes her time at Pembroke, she will have served over 22 years at the school. The remarkable quality of the candidates who sought to lead Pembroke is testament to the strength of the school she has nurtured and the reputation it enjoys today.

This appointment was undertaken in line with a long-scheduled succession plan for the school’s leadership, building on the excellent position the school currently enjoys, due to the exceptional leadership, oversight, and stewardship of its long-standing Headmistress, Mrs Boyd-Moss.
From this strong field, sixteen candidates were long-listed, and interviewed by a recruitment panel comprising members of Council, including the Chair and the Deputy Chair.

Of the long-listed candidates, four exceptional applicants from New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and South Africa were shortlisted, and travelled to Pembroke for further interviews, to ensure Council and the wider school community were able to engage with them for an extended period, while also giving all candidates an opportunity to spend quality time at Pembroke.

Following a weekend immersed in the activity surrounding Ndume 7s, all candidates’ first, crucial, and perhaps most daunting, task was to present to a group of Pembroke pupils.

Candidates were then extensively interviewed by Council, the Ministry of Education and the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead, and also had one-to-one meetings with the Headmistress. In addition, they were required to complete a series of challenging practical exercises intended to gauge how they would deal with the day-to-day challenges of running one of the world’s leading preparatory schools. This thorough process concluded, on the final day all candidates were asked to make a final presentation to Council.

After careful deliberation, Council has unanimously agreed that Mr Frank Rumboll is the candidate best-placed to lead Pembroke House into its second century.

Mr Rumboll joins us from The Ridge School, Johannesburg – one of Africa’s leading preparatory schools, and a major feeder to leading Senior Schools throughout the continent and internationally, where he has enjoyed a distinguished and highly successful tenure.
Mr. Rumboll brings 23 years of experience as a Headmaster in Africa, both at The Ridge, and at Cedar House School, in Cape Town.
A boarder at Kimberley Boys’ High School, he read English and History at Rhodes University, before going on to train as a Schoolmaster, and to undertake his Honour’s Degree in Literature, and a Master’s in Education, at The University of the Witwatersrand. Before taking on the leadership of Cedar House, he taught in a number of leading schools, and played a senior leadership role at St Stithians Boys’ College, before being Deputy Head Academic) at Kingsmead, and then Head of Cedar House.

Highly active in the Education Sector in Southern Africa, Mr. Rumboll was Co-creator of South Africa’s Advanced English Programme curriculum, and played a lead role in training the country’s AP English teachers to deliver this programme successfully and creatively. He served as Chief Examiner for English at the Independent Examinations Board and a part-time lecturer at The University of the Witwatersrand. He has also contributed textbooks and educational resources, including for Oxford University Press. He completed the Leadership Development Programme for School Heads at Wits Business School, in South Africa, and a Klingenstein Independent School Leadership Fellowship with Teachers College, Columbia University in the City of New York.

Mr Rumboll has an exceptional reputation as a leader in African education, with an excellent track record at both Cedar House and The Ridge. At interview, his passion for children, for learning, and for Pembroke House, was manifestly clear. His focus will be on ensuring that the school continues to foster happy, and adventurous, children. It was this that led to his selection from a broad and strong pool of applicants for the role. Council was struck by the emphasis he placed on the importance of Stewardship and on preserving all that is special at Pembroke House, including the school’s distinct culture and traditions, while also seeking to strive for continual improvement.

This appointment is particularly significant as it coincides with the 100th anniversary of Pembroke House. As we celebrate the remarkable achievements of our first century, we are delighted to welcome a Headmaster who will help shape the next.

This announcement also marks the beginning of an important transition as Mrs Boyd-Moss begins the process of handing over leadership as she leads the school into the 2026–2027 academic year.

Mrs Boyd-Moss has led Pembroke House with exceptional distinction, unwavering dedication, and tangible care for every member of our community. Her leadership has strengthened every aspect of school life while preserving the warmth, values, and sense of belonging that have always defined Pembroke House. Her influence on children and families will be felt for many years to come. We are all profoundly grateful for her remarkable service – it is huge testament to her leadership, and the position of strength the school currently occupies, that Pembroke has attracted such a strong set of applications for the Headship role.

Over the coming year, Mrs Boyd-Moss and Mr. Rumboll will work closely together to ensure a smooth and seamless transition – her guidance and counsel will be key to ensuring Frank is able to apply his broad experience and expertise to the distinct and special context of Pembroke House. We look forward to introducing Mr. Rumboll, his wife Debbie, their daughters Kim, Jaidan and Sarah, and their labradors, to the Pembroke House community, and know they will receive the warm welcome for which our school is renowned.

As we honour the achievements of our first century, we look forward with confidence to the next. We thank Mrs Boyd-Moss for her continued exceptional leadership and are proud to welcome Mr Rumboll as the Head who will lead Pembroke House into its second century.

Yours sincerely,

Thomas Wright
Chairman of Council