Interview with The Head Master How long have you been at St Peter's? I came here in September 1995 from The Edinburgh Academy, where I had Worked for five years as Deputy Rector, and where I spent one year as Acting Head of the Prep School. I started my teaching career at Radley College in Oxfordshire. From there, I moved to Abingdon, also in Oxfordshire. Having been a student at Oxford, I found that I enjoyed teaching in the area.
Where are you going next? My new post is Warden of St. Edward's School in Oxford - it is just on the outskirts of the city, much the same distance from the city centre as is St Peter's to the centre of York. There are about 640 pupils at the School, and of these approximately 70% board, so it is a slightly different system to that of St
more keenly to criticism. I am also proud of the fact that St Peter's is not a specialist school, and many students reach very high
How do you feel about leaving St Peter's? Of course, I feel very sorry to be moving on in that I have been very happy here. I was appointed on a ten-year contract, so the School has had the opportunity to prepare for a new Head Master. I am, however, very happy that I have had such a fun and rewarding experience as Head Master of St Peter's.
What would you like to carry forward from St Peter's ? There is a very positive attitude here to work and commitment from staff and pupils. I am a strong believer in the culture of praise: if you praise a school for its achievements, then it will listen
standards of achievement because the educational experiences are not exclusive of other areas of recreation. It takes time and commitment to bring out the best in students, and St Peter's does this very well.
What is your best memory from the School? I have many happy memories of my time here, but two in particular stand out. One is the rearrangement of the Commemoration and Prize-Giving, which now takes place entirely in the Minster. Before, we would have the Prize-Giving in the Sports-hall, and I remember that 5 years consecutively there were downpours as we made our way back to school from the Minster. We were all sodden and dripping by the time we got to the PrizeGiving!
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e other occasion that I remember particularly was when we had the Millennium photograph taken of II 3 schools, together with all staff, both '•-ching
and
non-teaching
and
wernors. And, of course, there was the Golden Jubilee picnic lunch with Clifton Preparatory School, which we all enjoyed.
What changes have you en in your time as Head Master? When I arrived here, the School had ly recently purchased Linton House. The House is now firmly established, as is the Music Annexe and Dame Judi Dench Theatre. I remember watching Dame Judi play Cleopatra at the opening ceremony, with Mr. Lowe in the role of the servant.
