The image in the header celebrates the occasion of the Claires Court Boat Club’s Annual Dinner on Saturday 5 March 2026. Whatever the drama, school life carries on.

The Headteachers’ Association I am a member of, and as a consequence so is the school is The Independent Schools Association. It’s the largest of the Associations, and it produces a quarterly review. Just in time, as you might suggest, they published in the Spring Journal this post. I’m quite proud of the 3 pages that’s been published, but for followers of my blog, please find below a summary of my life in teaching… thus far!

My career in education spans more than half a century, a period of extraordinary social, political and technological change. It has allowed me to observe, from the inside, how schools respond to shifting family structures, evolving expectations and successive waves of reform. While policies, examinations, and technologies have come and gone, each generation of pupils has revealed something enduring about what young people need to thrive. This précis traces that journey through five generational lenses, reflecting both my personal experience and the broader story of British education.

Baby Boomers: founding, growth and traditional schooling

My story begins before my own teaching career, with my parents and the post-war baby-boomer generation. In 1959, responding to rapidly growing demand for education, my parents—both history graduates—founded Claires Court School in Maidenhead. Like many pioneers of that era, they took considerable risks, driven by the belief that education should combine academic ambition with strong values and personal care.

When I entered teaching in 1975, much of school life still looked remarkably familiar. Textbooks, curricula, and expectations differed little from those of my own childhood. Grammar and public school preparation dominated, and parental trust in teachers was high. Yet even within this traditional framework, innovation was emerging. Curriculum developments such as Nuffield Science emphasised practical understanding, curiosity and experimentation, laying early foundations for a broader view of education.

Latchkey Kids: confidence, coursework and co-curricular life

The 1980s brought significant social change. As more dual-income households formed, children became more independent, and schools responded accordingly. Coursework began to replace some rote learning, careers education was introduced, and work experience became a key feature of secondary schooling. Education increasingly focused on what pupils could do rather than what they could recall.

I assumed senior leadership responsibilities as headteacher during this period, gaining first-hand experience of inspection, regulation and changing pastoral expectations. The school flourished, supported by strong parental engagement and a growing PTA culture. Sport, drama, music and exhibitions became central to school identity, reinforcing the importance of confidence, teamwork and creativity. The acquisition of Maidenhead College in the early 1990s allowed us to establish a sixth form and extend opportunities while retaining independence of thought and action.

Millennials: optimism, reform and early digital learning

The 1990s were marked by optimism. GCSE and A-level reforms rewarded breadth, modular learning and coursework, while access to higher education expanded dramatically. The National Curriculum initially promised balance and opportunity, and early digital technologies enhanced research and communication without dominating classroom life.

As an independent school, we were able to preserve strong co-curricular programmes, leadership development and international links. Independence allowed us to align academic success with wider personal growth, reinforcing my belief that education works best when schools retain the flexibility to respond to individual learners rather than narrow performance measures.

Generation Alpha: screens, centralisation and wellbeing

The new millennium brought sharper tensions. Mobile technology transformed childhood almost overnight, while exam reform and increasing centralisation narrowed curricula and intensified pressure. Collaboration gave way to competition, and well-being concerns rose sharply.

We embraced digital tools where they genuinely enhanced learning, adopting platforms such as Google Classroom and Chromebooks, but remained cautious about screen overuse and distraction. The pandemic further exposed both the resilience of young people and the fragility of education systems, reinforcing the importance of structure, relationships and community. Independence once again proved vital in maintaining balance during uncertainty.

Generation Beta: returning to balance

Looking ahead, I sense we are approaching another turning point. Growing parental concern about screens, social media and mental health suggests a desire to restore balance rather than reject progress. Each generation arrives shaped by new forces, yet the fundamentals remain unchanged.

After fifty years in education, I am struck less by how much has changed than by how often we must relearn old truths. Young people thrive when schools value humanity as much as performance, breadth as much as results, and purpose as much as ambition. Education exists not to serve systems, but to grow people—and that conviction remains my reason for optimism about its future.