NEW HEAD TAKES ON A NEW MISSION

As the new school year commences, Emma Taylor will take the helm at Christ College Brecon and become the first female head teacher in the school’s 465 year history. Here she expresses her feelings about taking the headship at one of Wales’ oldest schools and her views for the future.

I come from a naval family and I have often reflected that my father, who passed away thirty years ago this summer, would have recognised the emotions that I am experiencing as I prepare to become Head of Christ College.

A school is not unlike a ship; a community of people who are mutually dependent and bound for adventure and discovery. They both share a community where people are drawn from numerous walks of life with a driving need to work together for a common goal and who recognise the vital role that each individual plays in maintaining the momentum of the vessel.

As my father took up his first command, there is no doubt he was aware, as I am today, of the weight of responsibility for hundreds of lives but also the great privilege of serving and leading a wonderful community.

I was one of many that applied for the post of Head at Christ College and from the outset it struck me as a place with all the right values. It seemed a school which encouraged individual excellence and where every pupil would be given the encouragement to maximise their potential, but not at the expense of teamwork, mutual support and a sense of community.

When I first visited the school, my initial impressions were underlined. I met senior pupils who spoke passionately about their school and they were anxious that a new Head would not lose sight of the things they thought were important, such as listening to the views of the pupils, encouraging leadership, and continuing to support visits overseas. They had bright ideas about how recognition could be given to high achievers and support given to those who might be struggling.

I also met staff who were clearly highly qualified, motivated and committed. We discussed how we could continually improve the performance of teaching staff in the classroom as well as in other key areas of the school; the pastoral care, the provision of excellent coaching on the games field and the cultural life of the school. Importantly, we talked about the development of ever greater links with the wider community, starting locally in Brecon and in Wales, and also out into the global village. I left this visit feeling encouraged and invigorated.

While the interview process was gruelling but fair, and during this time I developed a high regard for the governing body that had put together a series of tasks and discussions which really tested the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes of the candidates. I felt whether I got the job or not, I would trust the decision made. I’d been put through my paces and had felt the interview panel understood not only what I had to offer, but knew my character, leadership style and what I believed in.

The governing body were also refreshingly honest about the school, open to change and yet keen to maintain the special quality of relationships already present at Christ College. I feared I was beginning to fall for the place, although I was hesitant about raising my hopes.

My husband Simon and I had supper in a pub that night. We were both smitten, not only with the school but with the area. Many years before we had been together to Brecon as assessors for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and had happy memories of nights under canvas in the Beacons. The romance of the place had got to us. When the job was offered we jumped at the chance.

Having worked in three major independent schools in England in various capacities, I am conscious of the scrutiny such schools are under. Unlike the maintained sector, we have the freedom to make choices about the academic programmes our pupils will follow and the way in which we acknowledge their achievements. Of course, A level results or the equivalent will continue to be a passport to university and therefore to future success, but there is so much more to education than this.

At Christ College we will be continuing to look for ways of acknowledging and applauding success and progress in every area, particularly in the development of character, teamwork and leadership. Skills can be learned; but character must be developed like a fine wine over a longer period, and will ultimately determine an individual’s future in career, family life and the community.

After 17 years of teaching in independent schools, I have all too often heard people talk about pupils leaving school to enter ‘the real world’. I believe passionately that school, especially boarding school, should be a training ground for the world that pupils will face when they leave at eighteen, and one in which they can, and should, learn all the skills and gain the personal qualities they will need as they go on into their lives beyond school.

To suggest that schools like Christ College are separatist, privileged institutions where pupils are somehow protected from reality would be a damning indictment indeed and one which I believe is not supported by the evidence.

In the end, the only way to make a judgement is to visit the school and see for yourself the achievement, optimism and vibrancy of the place. On Saturday 13th October (10.00am to 12.00 noon), Christ College will be hosting an Open Morning and I look forward to meeting and speaking with as many people as possible, and to sharing my hopes and vision for the future.

More importantly, it will give visitors the chance to see at first hand the pupils, teachers, facilities, and to experience that special, intangible atmosphere that makes the school a magical place in an unbeatable setting.