London Headteacher Admits Dangerous Driving After Injuring Cyclist

Catherine Hitchcock, the headmistress of Donhead Preparatory School, a private institution in London where tuition costs £20,000 annually, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. The charge stems from an incident on February 10 where her actions caused cyclist Robert Atkinson to fracture his wrists.

Ms. Hitchcock, 49, pulled into the path of Mr. Atkinson at a mini-roundabout on Belvedere Grove in Wimbledon, south-west London. Although her Peugeot did not directly collide with the cyclist, the maneuver caused him to fall forward onto his handlebars, resulting in his injury. The accident occurred in the affluent Wimbledon Village area, between the school and Ms. Hitchcock's residence.

Appearing at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court via her lawyer, Ms. Hitchcock admitted that the cyclist had the right of way. Her legal representative stated that she apologized for the crash and noted that there was a significant distance between her vehicle and the cyclist at the time, describing the injuries as "minor."

Ms. Hitchcock, who also serves as a governor of Putney High School, was fined £911 and received five penalty points on her previously clean driving license.

Ms. Hitchcock pursued her higher education in geography at the University of Oxford, where she also completed her PGCE. She furthered her teaching qualifications at University College London. Her teaching career began in 1999 as a geography teacher at Finchley Catholic High School. She joined Donhead Preparatory School in 2015, serving as Assistant Headteacher until 2021 before becoming headteacher in January 2024. She has also held governor positions at several elite London private schools and is involved with the Independent Schools Inspectorate, an arm of the Department for Education responsible for inspecting private institutions.