Wealden Times | WT233 | October 2021 | Kitchen & Bathroom supplement inside

Meet the Head
St Andrew’s Prep’s new Headmaster, Tom Gregory,
discusses how his own fond memories of being a
pupil at the school he now heads-up have made
him realise his dream of becoming a teacher
You’re brand new to St Andrew’s Prep,
what have you lined up as your first
tasks for the new year? My first task
is to learn everyone’s name, especially
the children’s. I think I am making
quite a good start but the children
are being very patient. I will also be
looking to build on the excellent
work of my predecessor. He finished
the year with one last inspection
for which we received the highest
possible rating, so I have a very solid
foundation from which to build.
You haven’t always been a teacher
– why the career change? I always
wanted to be a teacher but fell into
Investment Banking after university.
However, a mixture of a long commute
from Suffolk to the City and the
market downturn in 2007 made me
reassess my career and I followed
my dream to become a teacher. I
just wish I had done it sooner.
What drew you to St Andrew’s Prep?
I always wanted to be Headmaster of St
Andrew’s Prep but I never, ever thought
I would actually have the chance. I
am very lucky. I have incredibly fond
memories of my school days here as
a pupil and, while some of the fabric
of the school has changed, it looks
and feels the same and the school’s
ethos and values mirror my own.
As a former St Andrew’s pupil, how do
you think your own experiences of the
school have shaped the head you are
today? St Andrew’s provided me with
endless opportunities and experiences
– in the classroom, on the sports field,
on the stage and in the boarding house
(despite the fact that I could see my
childhood home from the window of
my dormitory!). Put simply, I loved
every day of my school career and want
the same for the children in my care.
If you had the chance to teach
anyone, who would it be? Sir Paul
McCartney. I had the pleasure of
meeting him once and we chatted
for a while and he was one of the
most engaging and interesting people
I have ever met. I would have loved
to have watched him develop into
the creative genius that he is.
Can you tell us about an inspirational
teacher from your school days? That’s an
easy one. My art teacher from my senior
school, Eastbourne College. She was
passionate about her subject and she got
the very best out of me by understanding
and working with me – especially when
I was not showing the required level of
enthusiasm! I found my old school reports
recently and I can still feel the genuine
warmth and care in what she wrote.
What do you like to do when you’re
not at work? I like to run as it gives
me time to think; and running along
the seafront, which is just a stone’s
throw from the school, make s me
appreciate how lucky we are to live in
such a beautiful part of the country.
What are you most looking forward to
this coming year? Watching the children
at St Andrew’s develop their knowledge,
skills and character. I believe that happy
children thrive and achieve, so I want
to make sure St Andrew’s continues to
be a friendly, kind and happy school.
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