THE headmistress of one of Oxford’s top independent schools is to leave after seven years to go on an Australian adventure.

Anne Coutts, headmistress of Headington School since September 2003, will leave in December after being headhunted to become the principal at Canberra Girls’ Grammar School, in the the Australian capital.

Mrs Coutts said: “I have loved every minute of being at Headington – it’s been absolutely fabulous.

“This is an exciting next phase of my career.”

Last year the girls’ school was ranked top in the UK at GCSE level for average points scores, the first time it had been ranked in the top five.

In last year’s exam results, 41.6 per cent of all results were graded A* and 82 per cent A or A*.

Mrs Coutts said: “I have loved being in Oxford. It’s a very historic and special place.

“Ironically, Canberra is totally different. A modern city, so it’s a total contrast. I shall obviously miss the girls and the staff who I have really enjoyed working with, and I will miss the ancient buildings of Oxford.”

She said she was proud of work she had done to improve facilities and academic results, along with building the school community.

Since Mrs Coutts has been at the school, a new boarding house, dining room and music school have opened.

The mother-of-two was interviewed for her new job online over Internet telephone service Skype and by video conferencing, before being flown out to meet the Australian school’s board face-to-face, when she was offered the job.

She will begin work in Can-berra next January.

Headington School’s chairman of governors Helen Batchelor said: “We thank Mrs Coutts for the enormous contribution that she has made to Headington School and wish her every success in her new role.

“I will be working with the governors over the coming months to appoint a new head.”

Upper sixth-form pupils Lily van den Broecke, from Cowley, Bea Swords, from Summertown, and boarder Sarah Halpin, all 18, started at the school at the same time as Mrs Coutts took up her post.

Head girl Lily said: “It was quite a shock to us all but we’re really excited for her.

“I think she has set up the school in such a way that anything that happens in the future will be good for the school.”

Bea, head of day girls, said: “It feels quite special, because we arrived at the same time.

“She has really built up a strong teacher-student rapport.”

And Sarah, head of boarding girls, said: “I know it’s going to be different here afterwards but I think she has set something up so well it will run very smoothly when she leaves.”