St John’s Grammar School to begin search for new principal after its head Richard Anderson announced his retirement

An Adelaide Hills school leader has made a major decision after spending 25 years at the institution.

An Adelaide Hills private school is set to begin a search for a new principal after its current head announced he would retire next year.

St John’s Grammar School principal Richard Anderson will retire in July 2025 after more than 25 years at the school and more than four decades in education.

“I’m 62 next year and I thought that’s probably enough,” Mr Anderson said.

“It’s an all consuming role, you wake up with the role in your head, you go to bed with it, you wake up in the middle of the night with it.

“Retirement for me represents a time where I might be slightly liberated from that.”

Mr Anderson joined the Belair school in 2000 and was appointed by the then principal to be co-ordinator of student welfare and head of mathematics.

He also served as head of senior school and deputy principal before taking the top job in 2017.

Adelaide St John's Grammar: Premier Peter Malinauskas with St John's principal Richard Anderson

“Despite the fact that I love the school and I love the people in it, I’m looking forward to having the capacity … to think about post-school life,” Mr Anderson said.

His three daughters Meg, Ella and Jessie all went to St John’s from the early learning centre through to year 12.

Mr Anderson’s wife Amanda coached netball at the school and his father worked as a relief teacher at St John’s.

The mid-year timing of his resignation “allows for the successor to come in and spend a little bit of time with me in handover”.

The school will now begin the search for a replacement for Mr Anderson, St John’s chairwoman Naomi Lindermeyer told its community in a letter home to parents.

“As we begin the search for our next leader, rest assured that the board is approaching this process with the utmost seriousness and care,” Ms Lindermeyer wrote.

“We are committed to finding a new principal who will carry forward our current values and achievements and bring fresh vision and energy to our School.”

During his retirement Mr Anderson said he would spend time with family and is “looking forward to not just clearing my desk but clearing my head”.