Stuart joined Eastern Education Group from King Edward VI Upper School with the creation of the Abbeygate Sixth Form. Drawn in by this exciting opportunity, he worked closely with our CEO Nikos Savvas to create this new College – which opened in 2019 (with the first year being located on the top floor of The Gateway), before moving into its new building in 2020. Stuart is now Group Sixth Form Deputy Principal, and his standout memories are of helping students to achieve their potential.
What made you join Eastern Education Group?
The vision for post-16 education – where students receive the full and extensive range of services and specialist support that they need, alongside the full gamut of courses available – made the prospect of joining EEG an exciting one. Working closely with Nikos to create a brand-new college, from the ground up, was a rare opportunity to impact the educational landscape and make something new, impactful and exciting. I think we have done that.
How did the creation of Abbeygate Sixth Form College come about?
I was Head of Sixth Form at King Edward VI School when we were approached by Nikos Savvas about creating a new Sixth Form College for the town. We were going through the School Organisation Review (the removal of middle schools) at the time and the future of Sixth Forms needed consideration in a 11-18 world. Working closely with Geoff Barton (Head, King Edward VI) and Nikos Savvas, I worked on the design/build and curriculum boards for the proposed new college. We closed King Edward VI Sixth Form and transferred Y12 (230 students) to be the first cohort into Abbeygate. I applied and was successful in becoming the College’s first Director of Curriculum.
Do you have any special memories from your time with us?
The obvious answer would be the day we were recognised as an Outstanding college by Ofsted. But I hate Ofsted and don’t believe it creates real and positive change – we do that in our work every day. One of my favourite moments was being thanked by a young man who we worked tirelessly to support; he was wheelchair bound and his health made studying challenging. We had extended his programme to three years, and he thrived – going on to a degree apprenticeship at AstraZeneca. He felt that the College had changed his life; he was supported, and he never felt that he was treated differently. He felt as valued and respected as any other student. He would recommend this College to any student who had issues accessing education. These are the moments that matter.
Is there a message you would like to share as we celebrate our 100 years of history?
Teaching always has been, and must remain, an art form. The peculiar alchemy that happens in an effective classroom changes lives, and inspires young minds to ask, to seek, to go further, and to become restlessly inquisitive about the world. We can help young people become amazing learners, committed citizens and lovely people – that is what we have been doing for a century, and we mustn’t let anything dissuade us from continuing that great work.
Lastly, do you have any advice for future students and staff at EEG?
To all future students, I would say this – get stuck in. The joy of being in education is partly the classroom experience, but what you really have is an opportunity to invest in yourself and build your character. That happens as much on a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition as much as in a physics classroom, a debating club as much as doing homework. You have the chance to immerse yourself in so many clubs and activities that will help you become the open-minded, forward-looking person you want to be. Avoid social media – just be social, and you will learn more about yourself and the world around you than you ever knew possible. Grab this experience and thoroughly enjoy it.
