Framlinghamian 2022 - Flipbook - Page 4
PAUL TAYLOR
PAUL TAYLOR
‘A REMARKABLE HEADMASTER’
2009 - 2019
‘Change and continuity’ was one of the
mantras Paul might have picked up from
teaching the Schools’ History Project GCSE
as a fledgling teacher at Tonbridge, or from
Thomas Babington Macaulay’s pleadings
with Parliament to ‘reform in order that they
might preserve’ (1832). Either way, from his
arrival from The King’s School, Canterbury
in 2009, he has maintained an admirable
balance in his tenure as Headmaster: he
has gently chivvied along the old fogeys,
recognising, like Archbishop Cranmer, that
some need the spur to ‘embrace change’,
but equally he has stood firm when
essential values have seemed threatened,
and kept the bridle on those wanting
change for its own sake.
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THE FRAMLINGHAMIAN 2019
On the continuity front, Paul, with Amanda
never far away, has worked tirelessly to
foster a school in which courtesy and
thoughtfulness for others are central, and
by embodying these values himself, he has
helped set the tone. He made it his business
to learn the names of all in the College
community and the personal interest he
has taken in individuals and the enormous
range of activities in which they are
perpetually engaged, has only enhanced
his standing with pupils, staff and parents
alike. He has always been exceptionally
good at saying ‘thank you’, and those little
personal emails, sometimes despatched
at ungodly hours of the morning, would
be much appreciated, especially by staff
from whom so much is demanded. Some
Heads can disappear up into a rarified
atmosphere of ISCO and HMC jargon,
but Paul always remained a schoolmaster
in the best tradition, quietly appearing on
the boundary at 3rd XI cricket or in a small
audience at an informal recital. Such things
really do make a difference!
Meanwhile, of course, a Headmaster
does also have to see a broader picture,
working with Governors and Senior Teams
to shape the College’s direction of travel.
Paul knew the importance of decisions and
initiatives at this level, and how to get the
best out of his colleagues. This was evident
in the magnificent building project that
marked the School’s 150th Anniversary
and dramatically developed Paul’s Court