Meet our Deputy Head

‘When I was in school,’ Heywood Prep’s Deputy Head Gareth Edwards tells me, ‘my favourite subjects were Maths and Performing Arts. People find that odd, but it really didn’t seem strange to me. I once missed a maths lesson because I had a clashing drama rehearsal, and my teacher, Mrs Davies, said, “One day Gareth, you’re going to have to choose between maths and drama.” I loved Mrs Davies. She was a brilliant teacher. But she was wrong. You don’t have to choose. You can do everything. And if you want to, you should.’

If you get a chance to sit down and have a chat with Gareth, take it. Intelligent and articulate, he is an incredibly comfortable person to be around. The conversation darts off on all sorts of fascinating tangents, reflecting a wide and eclectic range of interests. So it’s no real surprise that offering children the kind of education that opens as many doors of interest and enquiry as possible is what he wants for the pupils at Heywood Prep too. Maths, Drama, and everything in between. And while that is probably true of all the staff, Gareth’s personal experience evidences it. The winding path he took to where he is now, with numerous diversions to explore different opportunities and experiences, is a living embodiment of the Heywood ethos.

Teaching was never the plan for Gareth. When the psychology degree he started didn’t spark whatever he was hoping for, he took a job in the energy industry. He worked his way up to quality assurance and staff training, which might have been a bit of a hint as to where his skills lay. Ignoring these signs, he took another turn in a completely different direction again: training in music and drama and, after completing his degree, pursuing a career as an actor.

‘After some work in voiceovers and audiobooks, I ended up working for a company doing theatre in education and I absolutely loved it,’ Gareth says. ‘I even thought I might do it long-term.’ Bit by bit, the emphasis shifted from drama for education, to education via drama. Gareth finally succumbed, taking a job as a teaching assistant, and subsequently qualifying as a teacher with a PGCE. After a stint as a Year 5 and English teacher in London, he moved to New York, where he worked as a Head of Science and a leader of Key Stage 2.

After a few years in the States, Gareth returned to the UK and began his life at Heywood. He clearly made a strong impression in his application. Although he couldn’t make the allotted interview time, Heywood were happy to be flexible. He flew in overnight to London Heathrow and drove straight to Corsham to visit the school and teach a lesson.

‘I just knew it was perfect as soon as I arrived. It was a wet and windy day, which could have put a dampener on things, but the people really stood out. The staff were welcoming, and the children were so polite and inquisitive.’ The feeling was mutual. Gareth joined the team and then turned his attention to making a difference.

‘It’s true to say that the school was in a great position,’ he says. ‘There were lots of teachers who were passionate about their subjects. Children’s reading levels were excellent, but to my mind, not everyone had a true passion for the written word. The first thing I wanted to do was actively and visibly promote a love of literature’

He put in place a range of measures to raise the profile of reading for pleasure, creating a wonderful library, somewhere children would want to get hooked on a book, and building a

programme of events such as World Book Day, author visits, and collaborations with the local independent bookshop.

Gareth believes in building this passion for reading into the structure of the curriculum. Comprehension for example, the bane of every schoolchild’s life, he reimagines through storytelling, drama and art.

‘Part of our job is to prepare pupils for entrance exams and comprehension is a critical element of that. So of course, we do have to practise. But imagine how much more fun you can make comprehension, by reading a passage and then performing it, or drawing the character described, to demonstrate that you have properly understood the text.’

This imaginative, multi-faceted approach feeds into Heywood’s Individualised Learning (IL) sessions too, daily half-hour slots that give children the opportunity to expand their learning and experiences. Gareth’s Shakespeare option for younger pupils was a wonderful example of diversifying learning to meet different skills and needs. ‘Shakespeare meets different children’s needs in different ways. So, you get those who are fascinated by strange language and want to decode unusual words. Others love a good story. And then there are children who want to get out of their seats and be Oberon or Helena and learn through performance. That’s the magic of IL. One session doesn’t have to only address one area of learning.’

He points to Sport as another example of something that can feed and develop children in a whole raft of ways. Health, fitness, team building and sportsmanship are the obvious, but not the only, benefits. ‘Anything is interesting if you look into it deeply enough,’ he says. And while he loathed participating in team sports as a child, in his 20s, he discovered the potential joys of running. Introducing children earlier to things that they might love gives them more time to enjoy and develop expertise. ‘I had an email from a parent recently, because their child has blossomed through being in the fencing club. What an amazing thing.’

The balance to Gareth’s creative and imaginative focus is his responsibility for all things pastoral. There are lots of logistics in safeguarding, but he still sees the wider picture in providing safe and nurturing spaces. ‘My job is to create an environment where children can feel safe and yet still go outside their comfort zone. That means physically, in the playground for example, but also trying new things, making mistakes, falling out with their friends and making up again. We have worked hard to make playtimes more successful for all. While some children are letting off steam outside, others can do calm colouring, Year 6 might be helping out in the nursery playground, and others will have a read in the library.’

Pastoral support also includes providing opportunities for children to learn character. A big chunk of that, Gareth says, is down to the influence of all staff, from teachers to kitchen staff, and office support to the Head. ‘That first time I came to Heywood, I walked into the staffroom and someone offered me a cup of tea. You would be surprised how often that doesn’t happen in other schools. So, if I had to characterise this school, I’d say it is the kind of place where people offer you a cup of tea. It says a lot. And makes a big difference to our pupils too. Our staff are setting an example from the moment they walk through the door. We need to model exemplary manners, inclusion, kindness, and admitting our mistakes.’

Alongside the multiple responsibilities of Deputy Head, Gareth is still filling his days with all the variety he encourages the children of Heywood to explore.

‘Some days I’m enjoying geeky maths stuff. Sometimes I’m leaping about doing Shakespeare. Sometimes the Head of Music lets me conduct the choir. I’m still not choosing. You don’t have to choose. Whatever Mrs Davies thinks.’