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31
Head Master
Summer
2013
im Stubbs has been Second Master
throughout Stephen Wright’s Head
Mastership. He reflects on what it has
been like working with him over the
past nine years
The second half of the Summer Term
1993 was an interesting time at Merchant
Taylors’ School with speculation rife as
to whom the Governors would choose to
succeed Jon Gabitass; the final shortlist
was down to three and although Stephen
did not know it he was in pole position to
win the race to be the next Head Master.
The giveaway was an aside from Geoffrey
Holland during the Company reception
that year; “I like Wright” whispered Sir
Geoffrey and it seemed to those of us
who heard this that the die was all but
cast. There was a rather neat symmetry
to Stephen coming to Sandy Lodge as
Head Master as he had been a pupil at
The King’s School, Macclesfield which is
another school in the Merchant Taylors’
family of schools. After reading History
at Queen’s College, Cambridge, Stephen
began his teaching career at Woolverstone
Hall in Suffolk, before moving on to
Framlingham College as Head of History
and subsequently a House Master. On
leaving Framlingham, he became Deputy
Head of the Judd School in Tonbridge
and four years later the Head of Borden
Grammar School in north Kent.
T
Steve brought with him to Taylors’
a wealth of experience and it rapidly
became clear that he had an exceptional
understanding of the way in which a
school works. After a year of listening to
what staff, parents and pupils had to say, he
put this knowledge to good use, building
carefully and sensitively on the work of
his predecessor, strengthening the school
and taking it forward, always with the key
objective in mind of improving the welfare
and development of the pupils. The list of
changes to the school over the last nine
years is a testament to Steve’s hard work
and determination: the introduction of
hour-long lessons, the increase in tutorial
time, the introduction of new subjects to
the curriculum, the major improvements
to disabled access, the restructuring of
scholarships to enable more bursary
support to be offered and the building of
the perimeter road in preparation for the
new Design and Technology building have
all happened on Steve’s watch. All this has
been achieved whilst retaining the relaxed,
friendly and purposeful atmosphere which
is the hallmark of Merchant Taylors’
School.
From a personal point of view, working
with Steve has been a pleasure; he has
been unfailingly approachable, supportive,
considerate and courteous, as well as
being refreshingly self-effacing. It has been
extremely comforting to have someone
of his experience and ability at the helm
– he has always been a source of sound
advice and reassurance during difficult
times. Steve’s capacity for hard work has
made it difficult for the rest of us to keep
up – always keen to lead from the front he
insisted on teaching History to the Fourth
Form and, typical of the man, he made sure
that his lesson would be observed during
the last inspection (no surprise that the
Tim
Stubbs
tribute by
…building carefully and sensitively
on the work of his predecessor,
strengthening the school and taking it
forward, always with the key objective
in mind of improving the welfare and
development of the pupils
lesson was rated as outstanding).
As many governors, staff and parents
will confirm Steve and Penny are
welcoming and genial hosts and Steve’s
long experience has enabled him to build
up a fund of entertaining anecdotes
which have enlivened many a gathering.
Steve will have completed fifteen years
as a Head Master at the end of this term
and he and Penny have certainly earned
a long and happy retirement. It must be
the aim of all Head Masters to leave their
school in a better state than they found it,
but taking over a school at the top of its
game as Steve did makes this an especially
demanding task – that Steve has succeeded
in moving the school forward over the
last nine years is a tribute to his skill as a
leader. We shall miss him.
