Oct 1980

INTERVIEW WITH THE HEADMASTER Andrew Cochrane and Andrew Fawthrop interviewed Mr. Hughes, the new Headmaster, for The Peterite. The questions asked were based on suggestions from many pupils and covered a wide range of topics.

What Q. are your long and short term plans for the School ?

To raise academic standards and to provide a greater variety of opportunities in other internal and external activities, so as to make St. Peter's the automatic choice for parents wishing to send their child to an independent school in the north of England.

What is, in your opinion, the role of the Headmaster ?

Q. A. The role of the Headmaster is to give long term direction to all aspects of the School as there are already boys in St. Olave's who will still be in St. Peter's in ten years time.

Do you think that it is worth having girls in the Sixth Form and do you Q. think the School will become co-educational ?

I think that in the future there will be an increasing demand for girls to A. come into the Sixth Form and it would be foolish to ignore this demand.

There will be a carefully controlled expansion of the number of girls in the Sixth Form to forty. There are no plans to lower the age of entry for girls as this would exclude St. Olave's boys.

What do you think of the balance of subjects in the School at present?

Q. A. At present, the balance is about right, although there will be some slight changes. We are not paying enough attention to computer education and I hope to make this available to all pupils. The number of technical subjects taught will also be increased with the building of the new Centre for Design and Technology.

Do you think that the games system is well balanced at present ?

Q. I would like to see more freedom of choice, but I would be unhappy to A. lose the Athletics. All boys should do four games sessions a week.

Do you agree with corporal punishment ?

Q. A. I do not oppose it, but I cannot see where it is appropriate.

Do you agree with a Sixth Form bar or club ?

Q. A. Yes. It is not the principle which is stopping us having one, but the shortage of space. It is on the list of improvements proposed.

What do you think of compulsory chapel ?

Q. A. I see the role of Chapel as one of the ways of providing a moral education for the school-boy and I do not propose to change that. The present system of Sunday services will also be kept.

Why is School House so important for change ?

Q. A. This is because the number of boarding places wanted in the future will probably decrease as this is the present trend. If the number of places for day boys are insufficient School House can be converted into two Day Houses.

Q. What do you think about the present system of education ? Do you think that the old system was better and what changes would you like to see in the present system ?

A. I never liked the Eleven Plus exam. dividing pupils into academic and non-academic categories and I was not sorry to see it go. A system with much freer exchange between Grammar and Secondary Modern schools would have been better. The present system of education with large comprehensives is also not very good as schools of fifteen hundred pupils are too big. The system in Independent schools is much better in that it has a reference system with the pupils who will be suitable 18