Who or what has had the greatest influence on you as an educator?
My greatest influence was my primary school headmaster, Mr Abrahams. He was a very kind man and very ambitious for his pupils. I went on a school trip to Lindisfarne, Holy Island as an 8 or 9 year old. We had so much fun and I remember how impactful it was – we were really relating our learning to the real world. The whole experience has stayed with me. I also had a fantastic physics teacher called Dr Wilson, he was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about his subject. It was lovely to bump into him at a teaching conference many years later.

Tell us about your journey to your role and describe your leadership style.
I’ve loved every job I’ve had in schools. I started off as a physics and maths teacher and then went on to a head of maths role which I really enjoyed. I’ve meandered to my current role, which, though very different from being in the classroom, is equally rewarding. You have a wider impact on the pupils and are responsible for the teaching staff and the culture of a school. It’s a real privilege and a responsibility, which is lovely. Senior leadership operates on large amounts of goodwill and people’s passion and care for their jobs. It’s important to be collaborative and recognise your place as a servant of the community. We are not a business, though we do maintain good business practices such as being operationally efficient and spending parents’ fees wisely. What we are is a social institution, here to educate and work with parents, so being collaborative is critical.

How was it to hear Ashford School was highlighted by The Telegraph as a ‘good value for money’ school in Mid-Kent?

It was really lovely to see this recognition in The Telegraph. Ashford School has always been run with financial prudence and the top priority is pupil outcome. We’ve never carried any debt and we’re very conscious of how hard working our parents are, so we are really thoughtful about any fee increases.

“…these students and their journeys tell the story of our school…”

We’re a not for profit organisation and we aim to make a modest surplus which is then reinvested into facilities and our pupils’ education. It was great to see our approach endorsed in this way.

How has Covid impacted the independent sector?
Whilst boarding demand decreased dramatically uptake for day places increased as many parents turned to the independent sector after poor

experiences of education through lockdowns and seeing the impact of education close at hand with their children at home. The changes in VAT will undoubtedly also have an impact – I think we’ll see more mergers and closures over the next couple of years.

What sets Ashford School apart?
Our GCSE and A Level results were better than all the surrounding grammar and independent schools and as a non-selective school that really is remarkable. It shows the teachers’ determination and also the parents’ and pupils’ ambition. The sport, music and drama are really inclusive here. If pupils want to take part they can and they do, and then if they wish they can then take things to the next level. From this year’s A Level results we have such a fantastic array of destinations. One student headed off to Drama School, another started a degree apprenticeship with KPMG – remarkable at 18. Others went to study dentistry, medicine and many other impressive fields. We also had a student take a place to study singing at the Birmingham Conservatoire. She found her love of performing here at Ashford. I think these students and their journeys tell the story of our school and what a great place it is.

Find out more at ashfordschool.co.uk