Can you tell us when you started at St Gregory’s School?
I started in September 2022, after spending seven years at a high performing Catholic School in West Sussex as a Deputy Headteacher.
What attracted you to the role of Head there?
I feel I have been called to St Gregory’s. I was incredibly impressed by the students and by the fantastic teachers who all work so hard and have great relationships with the students. I see amazing lessons by teachers who genuinely care.
Which school had you been at before?
I was at St Paul’s Catholic College where my main role was Head of Sixth Form and I was proud of taking the Sixth Form into the top 1% of Sixth Form Colleges in the UK.
Can you tell us a little about the school’s involvement in the Kent Catholic Schools’ Partnership?
We are part of a Catholic family of schools, which benefits students and staff. For example, I am currently working with two local primary schools in the Trust and this will benefit students with SEND provision. We are also in a cluster of schools with St Simon Stock in Maidstone, which means we have additional support and resources available to us.
What key changes are you planning on making at the school?
All schools are faced with challenges, and St Gregory’s is in a similar position to many schools. My main drive is on standards. I firmly believe that successful schools are built on high expectations, supporting students, and challenging students and families when things go wrong. We need to ensure our families are well supported, and this is done by great pastoral care and amazing teaching and learning. I need to guarantee parents that when they send their child to us, that our students behave impeccably and make us all proud.
What are the key things you would like to keep the same or improve?
Our ethos, built on the Gospel Values, means that our pastoral care is outstanding. I want to develop this even further, so our students leave St Gregory’s achieving their God-given potential and making a positive difference in a changing world. Recently, we have been working on our expectations and standards in a number of areas. We are also looking to increase the wider opportunities for our students. We have an excellent reputation for sport and are always looking to develop this further.
Are your GCSE and A-Level results improving year on year?
We had a great set of results last year thanks to the hard work from staff, students and their families and we are looking to build on this in the future.
What is the spirit at St Gregory’s like?
There is a great connection between the staff and students. Our teachers are very passionate about education and providing the best for those in their care.
In an ever increasingly secular world why is it so important to have faith at the heart of the school?
Faith builds communities. In our society today, we see many divisions between communities and countries. Faith is a way to bring people together, and to serve one another. With faith at the heart of the school, our students are growing up as well-rounded, caring people.
How important are the extra-curricular activities at St Gregory’s?
It is so important for children to explore different activities and find out what they are interested in. The extracurricular offer we provide enables students to have a more balanced life and improved wellbeing.
In what ways do you ensure that every student’s needs are addressed and looked after at the school?
We have a dedicated pastoral and SEND provision. I live by the words from St John Bosco, which are ‘students should be known and loved’. Our staff work incredibly hard to support our children, by getting to know them and finding out how they learn best.
