Head at Oxford University Visits Old RLT School

The first ever comprehensive-educated vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford visited her old River Learning Trust school recently.

Professor Irene Tracey was a pupil at Gosford Hill School in Kidlington in the late 1970s and early 1980s, before studying at the University of Oxford and Harvard Medical School.

When she was appointed vice-chancellor last summer, Prof Tracey paid tribute to Gosford Hill, describing it as a “terrific local school”. She added: “I know well the transformative power that great teachers and a good education can have throughout one’s career.”

Prof Tracey was previously head of Merton College and professor of anaesthetic neuroscience in the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, as well as being president of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS).

She was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2022 for services to medical research.

The vice-chancellor is Oxford University’s senior officer, responsible for the strategic direction and leadership of the university.