I arrived at The Royal in September 2015 as Head of Music and joined the Senior Leadership Team in January 2019, initially heading up logistics, but adding technology to my remit more recently (more about that later).
It seems odd to say that I have technically retired once - I'm still 'reasonably' young - but having taught since I left university, whilst juggling a career as a professional singer, including my early days as a chorister, I managed to clock up around 32 years service! I have had the privilege to work in some amazing cathedrals, concert halls and recording studios, plus toured all over the world. My last post was in the choir of St George's Chapel, within Windsor Castle; this was a live in position, so yes, I lived in a castle for 9 years!
I am absolutely passionate about all things music and firmly believe that it has the power to change lives. It is with us at our most happy times, but also the sad times too and it etches itself into our brain, often acting as a memory 'checkpoint'. How many times have you heard a piece and known exactly where you were standing when you first heard it?! One of my favourite parts of being a music teacher is putting the final touches of performances together and those final rehearsals are the point at which a musician can finally lose themselves within the music. It's an incredible healer for a bad day too!
My current role, as Assistant Head Logistics, means that I do a lot of what is often referred to as 'back office' tasks, to help the school run smoothly; I have inevitably spent much of the last six months buried in government guidance for schools! One of my more recent and exciting projects has been to begin putting together a digital strategy for The Royal School, which will not only bring us firmly into the 21st century, but more importantly allow for technology to facilitate the learning process. Collaboration in the classroom is an essential part of learning and using technology to achieve this will give pupils the ability to take more ownership of their education. Our pupils will all be 'tech ready' for the next stage of their education journey or career.