Dear Members of the Michaelhouse Community
NEW RECTOR ANNOUNCEMENT
Following Antony Clark’s announcement last year of his intention to retire at the end of the 2025 academic year, the Michaelhouse Board of Governors mandated a Recruiting Committee comprising the Chairman and Deputy-Chairman of the Board, Board Subcommittee Chairmen, President of the Old Boys’ Club, Anthony Hewat and Antony Clark, to commence with a global search for a new Rector. Leon Ayo who is an experienced global recruiting consultant and well known to Michaelhouse, was retained late last year to commence with a recruitment exercise. Local and international advertising led to 188 applications from 48 countries being received. Leon and his team screened the applications in the context of the advertised role criteria, and compiled a shortlist of candidates for interviews with the Recruiting Committee. First round interviews were concluded in the first quarter of the year, and led to two exceptional candidates being selected to progress through a detailed second round interview process, including psychometric testing, reciprocal school visits and meetings with referees.
As an outcome of the recruitment process, I am delighted to announce that Bart Wielenga, who is currently head at Blundell’s School in Devon in the United Kingdom, has been appointed as the 18 Rector of Michaelhouse effective mid-July 2026. The appointment date is based on Bart’s availability following the conclusion of the academic year in the UK in 2026.
Bart has historic connections to Michaelhouse having taught at the school from 1999-2003 and he and his wife Lara have deep roots in KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa, where Bart grew up in a missionary family in Richmond. He was educated at Alexandra High School for Boys in Pietermaritzburg, and later completed his B.Com, B.Com (Honours) and B.Ed (Honours) degrees in South Africa. During his Michaelhouse tenure, Bart was Head of Department (Economics and Management Science) and Deputy Housemaster of Founders. Following his role at Michaelhouse, Bart sought out international experience and spent nine years teaching at the renowned Wellington College in the UK, covering HOD and Housemaster roles whilst there. He thereafter took up an opportunity as Deputy Head at Blundell’s in 2012 and has been Head at Blundell’s for the last six years from 2018.
The Recruiting Committee were unanimous that Bart’s passion for education, deep South African roots, South African and international teaching experience in the UK including HOD, Housemaster, Deputy Head and Headship roles, were strong differentiators and an excellent match for the Michaelhouse Rectorship. I met in person with all of Bart’s four referees which included two highly regarded Independent School Heads he has worked closely with over his career in the UK, and their feedback was unequivocally positive that Bart is an exceptional educator with impeccable Christian values, who exercises strong and effective leadership in the senior roles he has covered.
Antony Clark has made a recommendation accepted by the Board, that Win de Wet, currently Deputy Rector: Academic, will cover as the Acting Rector for the first two terms of 2026 prior to Bart commencing his new role at the beginning of the 3rd term. Win has taught at Michaelhouse for over twenty years and is both highly experienced and respected. She will be well supported by an outstanding team of Deputy Rector colleagues and an experienced and highly capable Exco. Bart’s involvement in the school will begin prior to his commencement date and he has committed to an active and engaged handover process with Antony Clark and the Board, including a number of Board and Exco meeting attendances during 2025 and 2026.
Bart together with Lara, are looking forward to returning to South Africa. It is exceptionally positive for Michaelhouse and South Africa, that an educator of Bart’s caliber with extensive international experience, has chosen to return to South Africa to progress his career locally.
Yours faithfully
Andrew Schaefer
Chairman