My curricuIum vitae

I worked in preparatory schools for many years before moving to senior education, always believing passionately that making a difference in young people’s lives is the most fundamental and exciting principle of all. Before retiring from the classroom and subsequently working with two international educational consultancies, I was often engaged as a private tutor or consultant to families in the United Kingdom and around the world. I now work as an independent teacher, mentor and consultant and as before, my engagements range from a few days of academic and/or personal tuition and support to courses in interview technique, as well as support work and general preparation for examinations to school and university.

I combined my training as a teacher at Westminster College with study of the organ at University College, Oxford with the university organist, Dr John Webster and piano with Vernon Jones. I was appointed to the staff of Papplewick School in Ascot and while still a young man I was invited to become Second Master, having been Head of the Lower School for two years. I was subsequently elected as a member of the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools. I combined my teaching with the post of housemaster, a position which prepared me well for my next post as Headmaster of Amesbury School in Hindhead.

After five years as a headmaster and now with a young family, I decided to step down from headmastering and return to teaching, my first love. I was appointed to Summer Fields School in Oxford by the legendary headmaster, Nigel Talbot-Rice, to be one of the five housemasters and to teach throughout the school. At both Papplewick and Summer Fields I taught English, French, Latin and Religious Studies, as well as other subjects as and when required. At both schools I was a member of their chaplaincy teams and school organist. I was appointed Senior Master of Summer Fields, a position I held for ten years.

I am an organist, pianist, recitalist and composer. As well as having been a director of music in schools and churches and having taught many private pupils, I have accompanied choirs and played as a solo performer in many of the cathedrals and churches of the United Kingdom, France and the USA. While living in Oxford I played regularly for services and other events in several of the university’s college chapels. In 2004, I was elected as an Honorary Fellow of the National College of Music and Arts, London, for services to music and appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2022. I was a member of the group of lunchtime recital organists at Sherborne Abbey from 2015 to 2018 and I am the organist and choirmaster of two Dorset churches.

Through the auspices of Monash University, one of Australia’s Group of Eight universities, I became involved with the development of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Kabul. I was charged with designing the music curriculum for the Institute, and when the programme I devised was accredited internationally I was appointed as an Adjunct Research Fellow of Monash University’s arts faculty.

After retiring from Summer Fields, I took up a part-time post as Lay Chaplain to Milton Abbey School in Dorset, and eight weeks later I was asked to become a full-time acting housemaster for the remainder of the academic year. After retiring from Milton Abbey in 2012, I returned to the classroom one final time and concluded my career as a teacher at Sherborne Prep School as Head of Latin and school organist.