UK Headteacher Admits Fault in Cyclist Injury
A headteacher of a London private school pleaded guilty to driving without due care after her vehicle's maneuver caused a cyclist to break his wrists.
Catherine Hitchcock, 49, headmistress of the £20,000-a-year Donhead Preparatory School, admitted to driving without due care after an incident on February 10. The incident occurred at a mini roundabout on Belvedere Grove in Wimbledon, south-west London, when Hitchcock's Peugeot pulled into the path of cyclist Robert Atkinson.
Ms. Hitchcock did not directly collide with Mr. Atkinson, but her maneuver caused him to fall forward onto his handlebars, resulting in fractured wrists. The accident took place in Wimbledon Village. Hitchcock was not present at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court, where her lawyer entered the guilty plea on her behalf. The lawyer stated that Hitchcock acknowledged the cyclist had the right of way and apologized for the injury sustained by Mr. Atkinson, characterizing the injuries as "minor."
Ms. Hitchcock, who also serves as a governor at Putney High School, had a previously clean driving record. She was fined £911 and received five penalty points on her license.
Ms. Hitchcock studied geography at the University of Oxford and completed her PGCE there. She later pursued further teaching qualifications at University College London. She began her teaching career in 1999 at Finchley Catholic High School.
She joined Donhead Preparatory School, which has former students including actor Tom Holland and England rugby player Danny Cipriani, in 2015, serving as Assistant Headteacher until 2021. Ms. Hitchcock assumed the role of headteacher in January 2024. Her experience also includes serving as a governor for several private schools in London and working with the Independent Schools Inspectorate, a body that inspects private schools on behalf of the Department for Education.