Dear Old Kimboltonians, 
 
Now that the first key moment of the term is out of the way (the Ladies‘ OK hockey vs the School!), I wanted to write to introduce myself formally. My family’s arrival seems to have been a long time coming, and we are delighted finally to be here as part of the Kimbolton community. 
 
I feel lucky to have had an extensive handover since my appointment in December 2022. I have benefited from the experience and kindness of Jonathan Belbin, who has been generous with his time, thoughts and hospitality. I have met with Jonathan Gray (Chairman of the Governors) regularly and talked with a good number of academic and support staff in that time. I look forward to building on the achievements of Jonathan’s long and distinguished Headship. It is a great privilege to be assuming the leadership of a school with such a rich history and strong reputation as Kimbolton, with such an engaged body of alumni. I have enjoyed meeting a good number of OKs since I arrived – staff, parents, Governors, and more – and am very grateful to be received so warmly. I am honoured to be a Vice President of the OKA and will do my utmost to ensure that the School’s relationship with its alumni remains strong. I am a great believer in the importance of a school’s old girls and boys to help relationships formed at school thrive in adulthood, to nurture and teach current pupils and to support the school. 
 
Since I started teaching in 2005, I have learnt something about young people, and the concerns of their parents and teachers. My values for the current crop of future OKs are simple: be kind, work hard, do the right thing, be curious, and be yourself.  I see education as a conversation between generations, and as much about learning how to treat others well as it is about writing an A* essay. It is about developing great human beings who can contribute broadly and positively to society in the future.  
 
My career to date has encompassed various aspects of school life. My degree from Durham University is in Ancient History, and I have taught Latin, Greek, Classical Civilisation, Ancient History, PSHE and English (I will add Modern History to this in September!). I gained my PGCE from KCL, after a short spell in London made me realise I could not spend my life behind a desk. I was at Uppingham for 11 years, where I was Head of Classics, then a boarding Housemaster, before becoming Deputy Head at Gresham’s, where I oversaw pastoral care, safeguarding, boarding and compliance for 5 years. I took the Headship of my alma mater, Cranbrook (a Kent boarding grammar school of 880 pupils, 11-18) in January 2021 – a real privilege as an Old Cranbrookian. The role and school were fascinating, and I enjoyed the professional challenge a great deal, but my wife and I came to recognise that it was not the right place for our children to grow up. This could not be further from the truth at Kimbolton! They are all thrilled to be here, and I hope you will meet them soon. My wife Hannah is a physiotherapist and teacher, and my children Bea and Aggie (First Form) and Teddy (Year 5) are loving school life already here. We can’t wait to be an active (and probably noisy) part of the Kimbolton family with our spaniels, Ruby and Pippi. 
 
I look forward to engaging widely with the OK community in the coming months and years, not least at the first OKA Committee meeting. 
 
Yours sincerely,