The King's Team

Gareth joined the King’s Foundation in September 2020 as the 36^th Headmaster since its refoundation in 1541, following six years as Headmaster of Dover College. Appointed to his first Headship at Milton Abbey aged 32, Gareth was educated at Eastbourne College, studied History at St. Andrews University, and earned his teaching qualification through Cambridge. A national campaigner for holistic education and a fierce defender of the independent sector, Gareth began his career at Taunton School before working as a Housemaster Oakham.

A member of HMC, Gareth served as Chair of the BSA South East region from 2018 – 2020 and sits on the Society of Heads Education Committee. As Headmaster he teaches Year 9 pupils, has been a newspaper columnist, makes regular contributions to BBC radio and TV, and has been a guest speaker at numerous conferences on the subject of leadership and education. Married to Jess with two children who both attend King’s St. Alban’s, in his free time Gareth is a political anorak and current affairs junkie who likes to cycle, run, cook, listen to music ranging from David Guetta to William Byrd, as well as play the piano and emulate Les Dawson on the organ.

I joined King’s in 2011 from Exeter School where I was Director of Science. I had previously taught at Nottingham High School and Sherborne School for Boys.

As Senior Deputy, I am responsible for pastoral care, safeguarding, discipline, event management, compliance and deputising for the Headmaster in his absence. I inspect schools on behalf of the Independent Schools Inspectorate and, up until December 2018, I was a Governor at Dodderhill.

I am married to Niky, who is a Form Teacher at King’s St Alban’s, and our daughter left King’s after seven very happy years, in 2018; she is now studying Accountancy and Finance at Bristol University.

Outside of school, I enjoy walking, cycling and recreational running and I am also a scuba diving enthusiast having achieved his PADI Advanced Open Water qualification.

I started my career in engineering for Smiths Industries and then in various management and strategic roles for British Airways. When my youngest child started school, so did I and I returned to education to undertake a PGCE. I joined King’s in 2010 as a teacher of Mathematics, later becoming the Academic Challenge Co-ordinator, then taking up the role of Assistant Head – Pupil Development, and now Deputy Head – Academic.

I am married to Ed and we have three children, all of whom have enjoyed their time at King’s Hawford and King’s Worcester. Our eldest, Theo, has just graduated from Oxford University in Engineering and Beatrice and Luke are both in the Sixth Form at King’s. In my spare time I enjoy reading and my main interests outside of school are riding, running and skiing.

I joined King’s in September 2018 as Deputy Head – Staff and Co-Curricular. Having taught at international schools in Berlin and Brussels, as well as schools in both the UK independent and maintained sectors during my career, I joined King’s from St Swithun’s in Winchester where latterly I had been Director of Professional Practice and formerly Head of English.

An early love of literature led me to the University of Warwick and a degree in English Literature before I moved to the University of Oxford to undertake a PGCE. Having recently completed a Masters degree, I am currently studying for an EdD in Education, exploring teachers’ professional identity and the link to their professional learning and development.

I joined King’s in 2016 having spent 21 years in boarding schools and always worked in residential institutions.  I studied Hotel Catering and Institutional Management then joined St Anne’s College, Oxford as a Junior Bursar, before moving to the Hertfordshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture, followed by the BBC Engineering and Operational Training Centre at Wood Norton.

In 1995 I joined Stowe School as Operations Bursar, then in 2002, I joined Tudor Hall School as Bursar, where I completed a Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership with the Institute of Chartered Managers.

I joined King’s Worcester in 2008, bringing transferrable skills from my previous careers in mortgage lending and estate agency.  I love the role that I am in, as I have the very privileged position to be the first contact for the school and I hugely enjoy building relationships with families and watching their children develop into outstanding young adults.

I am married to Andrew and both my children are now OV’s, Edward studying at Oxford University and Niamh at The University of York.  Outside of work I enjoy hiking with my two very energetic spaniels and spending time gardening and on my new found lockdown hobby of floristry.

Having completed a BA (Hons) degree in Strategic Marketing at Bournemouth University and the Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma in Marketing, I started my career path working at Global Advertising agency TBWA, followed by a local Award-Winning Marketing Agency in Worcester. Following that I took up a Marketing Campaign Management role within Endsleigh Insurance, part of Zurich Group.

Here I discovered my passion for persuasive marketing campaigns and a love for engaging with both new and existing customers. My career then took me to RWE Npower where I spent nine years gaining a variety of experience across multiple marketing disciplines including Digital Optimisation, Marketing Campaign Management, Social Media and Product and Marketing Teams.

I was fortunate to join forces with senior management teams, delivering strategic marketing projects and driving high performing teams. I joined King’s in August 2018 bringing a range of commercial experience across multiple marketing disciplines and a real passion and energy to view the world through the eyes of the customer.

Married to Ben, who is Assistant Head of Safeguarding at a school in Birmingham, we have two children Rosie and Charlie, who happily skip daily into school at King’s St Alban’s. Outside of work I’m kept occupied by my energetic family. A keen interior designer and fitness fanatic, at weekends you’ll find me planning my next colour scheme at home or enjoying the great outdoors with my family.