The new headteacher of Penrith’s Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, David Marchant, has moved to the area from the South East to lead the school.
He brings with him a wealth of experience of working with highly academic students, having spent seven years as a senior leader in grammar schools across Kent.
He has now settled into the Penrith area with his family and is making the most of all that Cumbria has to offer.
When asked about his priorities for the school, David said: “It is important to me that the school continues to enable students to receive the best academic results possible while also ensuring they have the widest range of opportunities outside the classroom.
“I believe education goes beyond the school and it is our duty to push young people outside their comfort zones.
“I am passionate about the idea that our job is not just to ‘impart knowledge’ but to enable students to be independent thinkers; able to make links beyond each lesson, exploring connections between subjects and with the wider world.
“It is vital that the young people we work with are ready for their next step when they leave us and they will only be able to do this if they are able to think and question once outside the school gates; if they are ready, and engaged, with the wider world.”
In relation to the proposal for Queen Elizabeth Grammar School to join West Lakes Multi-Academy Trust, he said he was clear: “This represents an exciting time for QEGS. It is always helpful to work with partners to share experience and best practice so to create a formal partnership is the next logical step.
“Joining a trust with such a clear vision to ‘change lives through learning’ fits perfectly with what we do here at QEGS and enables us to continue to do what we do well, while also having a wider network of collaboration to provide the best opportunities for students across the county.”
We asked David what he is looking forward to most in the next year at QEGS.
He said: “Firstly, I am looking forward to getting to know the school community, there are so many amazing staff and wonderful students and their parents, and I have only met a few of them so far, I can’t wait to meet everyone else.
“I am also really excited about some of the fantastic events which take place at QEGS. From the sponsored walk to our musical – which this year is Shrek – and our Christmas carol concert at the church.
“There are so many things going on and such a balance of the traditional and the modern – I cannot wait to experience all these wonderful events at QEGS.”
