Page 6 - Androvian2021

4 | HEAD START
HEAD START
A Q&A with our new headmaster,Tom Gregory
What were you like at school?
I remember enjoying every element and every second of my time at St Andrew’s. I was in plays, learnt instruments, learnt to roller boot on the Long Asphalt, played sport and was a full boarder even though you can see my childhood home from the school fields. I absolutely loved St Andrew’s and shared the experience with some very good friends.
What was your path into teaching?
I formerly worked in investment banking in London but
had always loved the idea of teaching. My wife, Esther, is a career teacher and just before we were married in 2007 she suggested I considered retraining. As I had fallen into a career in banking, I jumped at the chance to become a teacher.
What do you love most about teaching?
It’s probably a bit cliché but watching the children develop.
I love that every day is different and, as prep school teachers, we can create opportunities for the pupils to develop on the sports field, in the classroom, in the theatre and in the boarding house. It is a privilege not only to educate the children academically but emotionally too and to be a guide and mentor while they are in our care.
What’s the one thing you know now that you wish you could have known when growing up?
I wish I could have known what a privilege it is to be a teacher and made the decision to retrain earlier. My previous experience of working in industry has helped me as a school leader and in other ways too, so I don’t feel like they were lost years; but I now feel very lucky to have found something I genuinely love doing every day.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Treat others like you would like to be treated. I believe kindness is a key quality and it is important to consider our words and actions and the impact they can have on those around us.
What do you hope to achieve at St Andrew’s Prep?
I want to support the outstanding teachers and support staff at St Andrew’s to provide an excellent, all round education for each child in the school.We are blessed with our location, grounds and facilities, so we are in the perfect position to provide a first-class education and prepare the children for the next stage of their learning, while ensuring they are happy and fulfilled.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
Without doubt being appointed Headmaster of my own Prep school! It is truly a great honour and I feel very privileged. It is not too much to say it is a dream come true.
Can you reveal something unexpected which pupils won’t know about you?
I once got locked in the school stationery cupboard by a friend and was discovered and set free by the Headmaster, Mr Davis-Jones!