A Founders’ Day Announcement: Orchard’s Next Head of School

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Head of School Search Committee, we are thrilled to announce that Robert “Rob” Bradford has been selected as The Orchard School’s next Head of School.


Rob will become Orchard’s 12th Head of School in our 104-year history. As we mark Founders’ Day today, it feels especially meaningful to honor Orchard’s beginnings while also looking toward its next chapter. He continues a remarkable tradition of leaders who have helped steward this school while remaining deeply rooted in the mission and philosophy that have defined Orchard for generations.
 
Throughout the search, we were looking for a leader who understands what makes Orchard special and is excited about where we can go together. In Rob, we found an educator with a deep commitment to progressive education, a genuine curiosity about people, a strong proponent for outdoor education, and a belief that students should remain at the heart of a school’s decisions.
 
The search for Orchard’s next Head of School has been a community-wide effort. Faculty and staff, students, parents and guardians, alumni, and other members of the Orchard community had opportunities to meet our finalists and share their perspectives throughout the process. We are grateful for the time, thoughtfulness, and care so many of you brought to that work.
 
We are especially grateful to the members of the Head of School Search Committee, whose own connections to Orchard span faculty, alumni, current and past parents, grandparents, and Board and Executive Committee service. Their dedication to this process and to Orchard’s future has been extraordinary.
 
During his time on campus, Rob spoke often about the importance of knowing students, spending meaningful time in classrooms, learning alongside faculty, and understanding the everyday experiences that make a school what it is. He sees all of this as essential not only to leading a school and making decisions, but also to sharing its story authentically with families and the broader community. That connection to Orchard was immediate for Rob.
 
“The minute I set foot on campus and saw kids at work and at play, I knew: this is my school. I called my wife, Sharon, that night and told her exactly that. I believe deeply in progressive education, in outdoor education, and in the work of belonging. Orchard lives all of it. Honestly, if I set out to build a school from scratch, it would look just like Orchard. Fortunately for me, y’all have been building this wonderful school for more than 100 years, and I cannot wait to join your community!”
 
Rob comes to Orchard from Sheridan School in Washington, D.C., a progressive independent school where he has served as Head of Middle School since 2021 and also served as Interim Co-Head of the Lower School during the 2024–25 school year. His career has taken him from the classroom to student life and divisional leadership, with experience spanning public and independent education.
 
His work at Sheridan has kept him close to many of the ideas at the heart of an Orchard education: active, experiential learning; intrinsic motivation; strong relationships; student voice; belonging; and educating the whole child. Rob is passionate about progressive education and about helping families and communities understand not only what it looks like in practice, but why it can have such a profound and lasting impact on children.
 
That commitment extends to the adults who make schools possible. Rob recently authored The Heartbeat of the School, a collection of reflections originally written to faculty throughout the school year about teaching, community, intentionality, joy, and the human relationships at the center of education.
 
Rob will begin his role as Head of School on July 1, 2027, and we look forward to welcoming him and his wife, Sharon, to Indianapolis, along with their children, Taye, 20, and Jadyn, 18. In the months ahead, we will create opportunities for students, faculty and staff, families, alumni, and friends of Orchard to get to know Rob even better.
 
Rob will also find one familiar connection when he arrives at Orchard. Sheridan’s mascot is also an Owl!
 
This is a bright and promising time in Orchard’s story. As we prepare to welcome our 12th Head of School, we are deeply grateful to everyone who has given their time, perspective, and care to this process.
 
Most of all, we are excited for The Orchard School’s next chapter with Rob at the helm.
 
With gratitude,
 
Kevin Martin
President, Board of Directors
 
Deb Thornburgh
Chair, Head of School Search Committee
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