Leading public school appoints director of external relations

Lydia Horbury (nee Butterworth) has joined the Senior Leadership Team at Rishworth School as their new Director of External Relations.

Rishworth School is an independent, co-educational, boarding and day school, located in magnificent buildings, with extensive grounds in the idyllic Ryburn Valley in the Pennine Hills. With its own Preparatory School, Heathfield, it offers a continuous education for children from age three to 18.

The School is characterised by the warmth of its welcome, its sense of purpose and its focus on the happiness and success of each individual. It will shortly be celebrating its 300th anniversary. Notable alumni include: Blue Peter Presenter John Noakes and Leicester Tigers and England Rugby player George Ford.

With a background spanning 18 years in a variety of educational settings and roles, Lydia brings a wealth of experience to the post. Starting her professional life teaching business, enterprise and professional CIM qualifications, Lydia progressed to the marketing and management of commercial activities in a variety of academic institutions.

Career highlights include: being invited to a Buckingham Palace Garden Party for her dedication to enterprise education in 2015, being awarded 2016 ‘Business Enterprise Manager of the Year’ by Peter Jones (of Dragon’s Den fame) and in 2019 leading her marketing team to success, winning 2 national education marketing awards for Social Media Performance and YouTube Performance of the Year.

The Rishworth School motto is: Res non Verba (Deeds not Words) and it seems that Lydia has been living by this adage, changing jobs, moving house and giving birth to a gorgeous baby boy, Samson, all in a whirlwind 12 months. We wish her every success in her new role.