Meet Nik Pears, KC Prep's new Head

Published on isbi School News dated Wednesday 12th of October 2016

1.What are you most looking forward to about joining Kent College Prep School? There are many reasons that I am looking forward to joining Kent College. It is a school that I have admired for many years. With such a lovely warm and welcoming atmosphere, it is very clear from the moment that you walk in the door that it is a very special place. KC’s enviable reputation, not only for high academic achievement, sporting success and outstanding creative arts, but also for its wonderful ethos and first class pastoral care means that I am really looking forward to our family becoming part of the community. 2. What are your favourite pastimes / ways to relax? I am a keen musician and enjoy singing, playing the drums and piano. I love sports and especially enjoy rugby, both playing and watching! As a family we enjoy skiing and try and hit the slopes whenever possible. One of my favourite things to do in life is to be in the mountains, skiing – blue skies, sunshine and being together with my family. 3. What is your vision for KC Prep School? As evidenced in its recent inspection report, Kent College Prep School is an excellent school and my vision is of course for it to continue to be a place in which academic standards are high, opportunities for sports and the creative arts abound, but above all the well-being of our girls is priority one. I am wholly convinced that children who are happy, feel secure and valued will want to learn and thrive. I am committed to ensuring that KCPS does not become complacent but continues to build on the success of its past, maintain the excellence of the present and have its eyes firmly fixed on the future, striving to provide the very best education possible for every girl in its care. My vision is for KCPS to be as committed to preparing its pupils academically as it is to helping them to develop resilience, independence, critical thinking and a deep sense of curiosity. I am committed to ensuring that we are a school which recognises the importance of assessment but is committed to preparing pupils for the test of life not just a life of tests; a school which actively rewards tenacity, kindness and other qualities. It is important to me that Kent College Prep School fosters innovation and problem solving which helps pupils feel confident to present and communicate their ideas to others. I would like us to continue to be a school where the individual and individuality is nurtured, where a balanced and well-rounded education, both inside and outside of the classroom, is given and a place where pupils are happy, safe, free to fail and to learn from their mistakes. Kent College Prep School will continue to be committed to ‘protecting childhood’ and to be a place where children skip into school at the start of each day and don’t want to leave at the end of it! I want to ensure that an environment is created in which each pupil understands that their ability is not fixed and that through opportunity and hard work, they can achieve. I see a school committed to its Christian principles, a place in which John Wesley’s call to "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” truly resonates in the hearts and minds of our pupils, parents and staff. 4. What or who are you inspired by? I am inspired by numerous people, as a Christian, my faith is important to me and significant figures from church history who put their faith into action have inspired me. People such as William Booth who founded The Salvation Army. Social scientist, Malcolm Gladwell, Psychologist, Carol Dweck and two great heroes from the world of education; Sir Anthony Seldon and Edward Oatley, former headmaster of the first school I taught at. 5. If you weren’t a Head what other career would you have liked? I spent some years outside of education working in the music industry and enjoyed that time immensely. I guess at heart I am something of an entertainer and an entrepreneur - two characteristics that I actually find very helpful as a teacher and as someone leading a school. 6. What do you feel is your greatest achievement to date? Being married to my wife, Emma and having two amazing children, Josiah and Jessica! I don’t take those things for granted!