Surrey Homes | SH79 | August 2021 | Adding value to your property supplement inside

Meet the Head
Mark Hoskins, Headmaster at Reed’s School in Surrey,
shares happy memories of his own school days
What attracted you to the Headmaster
role at Reed’s? The main element was
the fact that Reed’s is a Foundation
School, set up by Andrew Reed to
support pupils who have lost one or
both parents. Although Foundation
pupils only account for about 10% of
the school number, the school’s central
mission has a subtle but profound
effect on the ethos of the school.
Having attended a comprehensive
school myself, this element of Reed’s
inspired me to apply for the role – and
I am delighted that I was successful.
Can you explain a little bit about your
school’s values? Our values seek to
articulate the vision of Andrew Reed
and also provide a language that we
all understand and adhere to within
the school community. Integrity is
fundamental to all the others and it is the
one on which compassion, resilience and
responsibility for example, are built on.
How do you like to spend your free
time? Not strictly free time, but I do love
watching school sport on a Saturday and
on occasions watching Swansea City play
when they are in London. My great love
is being by the sea, having grown up on
the Gower peninsula, any activity that
involves messing about in the surf is my
favourite thing to do when time allows.
What were your strengths when you
were at school? I always enjoyed learning
and so found academic study really
enjoyable. When I was younger my
parents were often told that I would finish
my work and then stop others finishing
theirs (I was very talkative), but I did
eventually grow out of that… I think.
Can you tell us about an inspirational
teacher from your school days? I went
to Gowerton Comprehensive near
Swansea and I have to say there were
lots of inspirational teachers – it was
a great school. If I had to pick three
(apologies) I would choose three of my
A level teachers, Godfrey Rees and Stevie
Gorman were brilliant Maths teachers,
Godfrey was nicknamed ‘God’ because
he knew everything and Stevie Gorman
was not much older than us – but he
was also superb. I would also say my
Computer teacher, Mrs Simon – she
was a legend. All three cared about
the pupils, had high expectations,
pushed us and gave us confidence.
What makes the Reed’s School
community so special? Its authenticity.
Words like community are often
banded around but at Reed’s it really is
the case, from the pupils, the parents,
staff and governors and crucially our
alumni; everyone buys into the ethos
of the school and at its heart is the
Foundation. That central thread is
woven into the fabric of the school and
binds everyone together with a collective
understanding that compassion and
kindness are really important, possibly
the most important, attributes to possess.
For example, we have governors who
are former Foundation pupils and Old
Reedonians who are now in their 90s
and still are engaged with the school.
Can you tell us a little about The
Andrew Reed Foundation? The Andrew
Reed Foundation raises bursary funds
for pupils attending Reed’s who have lost
the support of one or both parents. In
addition to Foundation places, the Reed’s
Foundation also runs outreach activities
with over 40 primary and secondary
schools in disadvantaged areas as well
as a thought leadership programme to
help schools and charities assist children
from vulnerable backgrounds. In one
year alone over 1,300 children attend
our outreach activities. These include
everything from science and mathsbased
courses, to sport, music, drama,
GCSE tutoring and robotics. The aim
of our outreach is to provide a broader
reach of our support, raise children’s
aspirations and attainment and, in
some cases, offer an introduction to the
school for potential Foundation pupils.
What are you looking forward to this
coming school year? Being on the
touchline watching school sport, being
at the music concerts and attending
the school plays – can’t wait!
reeds.surrey.sch.uk
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