Headmaster's Blog: A Day in my Life

James playing boules

One prize lot in our 25th anniversary charity auction was the chance to spend a day as Harrodian Headmaster. Mr Hooke explains why he loves his daily life.

7am: I like to arrive early to get a head start on whatever has landed on my desk, so on Mondays it might even be earlier. But it’s no hardship. With the sun rising over the trees on a summer morning, a lovely golden mist over the playing fields and the steam rising invitingly from the swimming pool, it’s hard to imagine a more beautiful location in which to work.

With  lovely golden mist over the playing fields and the steam rising invitingly from the swimming pool, it’s hard to imagine a more beautiful location in which to work.

 

_EVW7616FF.jpg8am: We always start the week with a full staff meeting in the dining hall (below). First item on the agenda is a rapid-fire review of the diary. Every week is full of action. For example, last week’s packed agenda included Pre-Prep Sports Day on Monday, the Harrodian Golf Competition on Tuesday, Common Entrance exams on Wednesday, 11s Parents Evening on Thursday and an A Level Geography Field Trip to Devon on the Friday, among many other activities. After the diary review, our Heads of Year share any issues relating to their pupils and any special circumstances we need to share with staff.

2staff_EVW7635F.jpg8.40am: The staff meeting will be over in 15-20 minutes and after dealing with any immediate questions that come up, I have the ten minutes I always keep for meeting and greeting incoming Harrodians and their parents. Then I may well be required for one of the assemblies that start the morning timetable throughout the week. Pre-Prep, Prep and Senior assemblies are always full of fun, engaging and constructive topics for pupils to think about. I’m always amazed by the quality of music performed at assemblies, whether that means communal singing or a song by one of our talented musicians from within the school.

 I love watching all our children mixing and mingling at events like our charity cake sales

 

9am-12pm:  Shortly after 9, I’ll be back in my office and in front of the computer, picking up my emails/messages, but there’s no time to waste getting through the inbox. Meetings, whether that means a weekly catch up with one of our heads of school or a candidate interview for a teaching position, come thick and fast from here until midday. I’m sure to be meeting some would-be Harrodians too. I make myself available to meet prospective parents and pupils we welcome on our regular school tours. I like to give an informal flavour of the school.  Whenever possible I ask an unsuspecting passing Harrodian to provide his or her own particular take on our special Harrodian spirit. He or she almost always comes up with something I would never have thought of.

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12.30—2pm: The breaks at mid-morning and midday are my favourite moments of the day. I think one of the special things about Harrodian is the unique context it provides for children from 4-18 (see the picture of our oldest and youngest pupls below) to interact with each other in a positive way. As I make my regular morning and lunchtime circuits through the courtyards, I love watching our different age groups mixing and mingling at events like a charity cake sale (above).

If I have time, at lunchtime, I’ll be playing my own small part in one of our many school clubs. There are quite a few pupils in Prep who share my enthusiasm for Boules (top) and pupils keen to pit their chess skills against my own are always easy to find in every age group.  For my own lunch, I love to sneak up on some unwary Harrodians in the Dining Room and plonk myself down next to them whilst we chat over a delicious Josef meal. I take every chance I can to catch up with Harrodians, to quiz them about their latest projects or achievements or to hear the latest news from the top of the school from the Sixth Formers gathered in the dining hall or in their favourite corner of our cosy café.  It’s vital to keep listening to the pupils both informally and through the Student Councils we have set up at every age group level. I want to hear what our children think, not least because they are such a great source of good ideas. The new sandwich and wrap bar that has just become a fixture in the Harrodian daily menu was introduced thanks to a suggestion earlier this term from our Prep Student Council.

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2-4pm: There’s always a big pile of paper to get through in my inbox but as well as getting to the bottom of it, I’m determined to keep on the move as much as I can. I’ll drop into some classes and sit in for a bit, to see how things are going ‘at the coalface’, whether that means the Pre-Prep or the Sixth Form. I will also get out onto the playing fields. Parents at Harrodian are aware how important sport of all kinds is to Harrodian culture and I like to give my own touchline or poolside support to our teams as much as possible. 

It’s vital to keep listening to the pupils both informally and through the Student Councils we have set up at every age group level. I want to hear what our children think, not least because they are such a great source of good ideas.

 

4pm: At 4pm, you are sure to find me patrolling Harrodian’s pathways and pavements, keeping an eye on the entrances and exits, sharing conversation with parents and ensuring that all our pupils are leaving the school for the day both safe and happy.

4.30-7pm:: I will be back in my office before the end of the day to spend an hour or two on the important paperwork and meetings that are part and parcel of the job. But in the meantime, I will be trying to squeeze in a visit to one of the many extracurricular activities that, on many days, keep the Harrodian buzzing until early evening – a music recital, a short play, a swimming gala, perhaps. It’s the richness and variety of life at Harrodian that has made my job at Harrodian such a privilege and a pleasure for the past 23 years, so even a long busy day never feels like hard work to me.

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