New Caistor head will lead '˜evolution not revolution'

Caistor Grammar School's new headmaster is hoping the school will continue to make headlines under his leadership.
New head at Caistor Grammar Alistair Hopkins EMN-170228-122710001New head at Caistor Grammar Alistair Hopkins EMN-170228-122710001
New head at Caistor Grammar Alistair Hopkins EMN-170228-122710001

The school has consistently topped the county tables and journalist turned teacher Alistair Hopkins is looking to build on the work done by Roger Hale, who retired in December after more than two decades as headmaster.

However, while he has a clear focus on the way forward for the school, he says it will be very much about ‘evolution not revolution’.

He said: This first couple of terms, I am getting to know the school as well as I can.

Alistair Hopkins EMN-170216-125452001Alistair Hopkins EMN-170216-125452001
Alistair Hopkins EMN-170216-125452001

“I have been having one-to-one meetings with our GCSE students and have also spoken to most of the staff to hear their point of view - asking them for one thing to keep and one thing to change.

“Clearly there are things I want to do here, but at the core of the school is what happens in the classroom.”

Mr Hopkins (45) left journalism in 1999 and since then has taught in a number of schools, most recently at Bablake School in Coventry, where he was deputy head.

He said: “Education is a tremendously powerful thing and having done something else before teaching has been personally valuable as it gives you a greater appreciation of what you’ve got.

Alistair Hopkins EMN-170216-125452001Alistair Hopkins EMN-170216-125452001
Alistair Hopkins EMN-170216-125452001

“To work in a unique school like Caistor Grammar is a tremendous privilege.

“I feel honoured to work with these very able young men and women in this crucial stage of their lives.

“We are not an exam factory, even though our exam results are outstanding.

Students need an education that extends beyond exam results.

“Our greatest strength is being a small school and a school where you can be what you want to be.

“We also have some outstanding teachers here and my role is to help them keep on doing what they do best.”

Related topics: