Further to our search for a new permanent Head Teacher for Deer Park School, Richmond-upon-Thames we can confirm that in March we appointed Mr Alex Lee. Read our announcement here.
April 2020: We took the opportunity to ask Alex some questions so the school communities can learn more about him before he joins us …
Q: What motivated you to become a Headteacher?
A: Throughout my career, my motivation has remained the same in each post I have held: to provide an excellent quality of learning and personal development for the children under my care. An excellent education enables social mobility, bridges societal divides, and affords children the full spectrum of opportunity. As I move to the role of Headteacher of Deer Park, enacting this impact for the children remains my motivation: I look forward to joining a successful team in realising this ideal.
Q: Looking back to your time as a teacher, what are some of the things you are proudest of?
A: I am proud to have worked with some truly exceptional educators, and within teams of cohesion, direction and moral purpose. However, it is the little, individual stories of progress which remain special for me. The smaller, personal instances of a child’s success and development, and the hard work that paid off in helping them to get there: these light-bulb moments are little encapsulations of what makes teaching such a wonderful, inimitable profession.
Q: Tell us one fact about yourself that we would not find on your CV …
A: My family and I love to explore. Last year the Italian coastline, this year Patagonia; at present my daughter surveys the scenery from the baby-carrier, but we have high hopes for her carrying her own backpack in future years. Prior to a career in education, I worked in West and Southern Africa, played sport in New Zealand, and spent four years at an American university. While we now only explore during the school holidays, my family and I love traversing new landscapes, cultures and experiences.
Q: What attracted you to the role at Deer Park and what is your vision for taking the school forward?
A: I feel privileged to be joining Deer Park at this juncture in the school’s journey. The evident commitment of the staff and community, the high expectations, and the clearly articulated BPET vision afford the school a unique opportunity; to build on excellent foundations to become a truly exceptional school for the children and community. The school’s well-deserved reputation for high standards and outcomes is a testament to the hard work and commitment that underpins such success, and I look forward to leading the next steps in the school’s bright future. An exceptional, holistic education must incorporate the high expectations of academic rigour, with excellence in extra-curricular provision. As we work to offer Deer Park’s community the highest standard of schooling, it is through the focused development of these two principles that we will aim to afford each child the opportunity to grow as a learner, as a leader, and as an individual.
We look forward to welcoming Alex to the Trust starting in September 2020.