Ed Wood: Meet the Leader

With Ed Wood on the cusp of taking over in his new role as Head of Prep, we caught up with him for his reflections on the school that holds such significance for him and his family.

I have been part of the Senior Management Team for almost 10 years and a Senior Deputy Head for 5 years. I have always looked to challenge myself and gain experience within different areas of the school, and have particularly enjoyed working with colleagues from the Senior School on timetabling and safeguarding.

I have always worked hard to use my analytical skills in my teaching and leadership duties and the operational side of my current role certainly allows this. In my current role, I am responsible for timetabling, line managing departments, overseeing staff development as well as developing the various procedures that are in place to ensure the school runs smoothly. I have been involved in leading teams for school events such as Speech Day and Carol Services, as well as more complex, longer-term challenges, such as leading preparations for inspection.

My leadership philosophy is one of inclusion; I make a point of this when consulting on any changes we need to introduce. Knowing staff as I do, I make the most of their strengths and insights. Having risen through the different levels of responsibility, I am attuned to the expertise of middle leaders, and as a consequence I am always eager for middle leaders to be closely involved in initiatives that are aimed at improving the school’s performance.

At the heart of my teaching and leadership style is a focus on excellent communication skills. I am fortunate to have acquired considerable leadership experience in my current role, which I will put to good use as I move into my new role.

Absolutely. I introduced CPOMS (Child Protection Online Management System) to track the School’s safeguarding responsibilities. This system ensures that there is one central record of any safeguarding concerns we have about a pupil. It allows us to track actions and ensure that each issue is being followed up with rigour and individual attention.

I also oversaw the introduction of a new behavioural policy at the school, which was drawn up and implemented with the full collaboration of staff and pupils.

I was lucky enough to do my gap year in a school and I really just fell in love with teaching. During my gap year I was given opportunities to coach sport, go on school trips, work in a boarding environment, and work closely with other members of staff. All of this experience opened my eyes to the tremendous opportunities that teaching could give me. It also made me realise what I could offer children and families, many of whom were experiencing formal education for the first time.

I have had a long history with the school, firstly as a boy and then a teacher and finally a parent. I have very fond memories of the school as a child; from playing in the woods to the introduction I had to a range of subjects and sports. When the chance to teach at Langley (then Taverham Hall) presented itself after university, I jumped at the chance to come back and teach Maths and Sport. Since then, I have been lucky enough to have both of my children go through the school from Nursery to Year 8, and then onto the Senior School.

It has to be Maths. As a child I really struggled with elements of reading and spelling because of dyslexia, but numbers just worked for me and still do. Even though I have taught Maths for over 20 years, I still get enthused about it and it is great to see pupils find a love for it too.

I had planned to join the Army, but a shoulder injury put a stop to that.

My vision is not one of revolution, but of evolution. Langley’s Executive Head, Clare Rackham, has achieved an enormous amount in her first year with Langley, and I want to build on that work.

I have been thinking a great deal about what good looks like. The answer to that question is quite simple, but of course the work to get there has to be done and improvements must be sustained.

I want to ensure that Langley Prep is a community that instils pride in every child, parent and teacher. Together we will build an environment where every child will find their place.

I want to ensure that the curriculum is varied, engaging and fit for purpose and that we remain a forward thinking school that is prepared to adapt to any challenges that come our way. In recent years, we have had to adapt often, due to external and legislative changes, but I want to retain a singular focus on what children need from us in order to discover their interests and talents and be supported as they develop.

Ultimately, I want to ensure that Langley Prep remains a school that provides an environment where pupils feel listened to and are challenged to be the best that they can be, whether in or out of the classroom. Character matters hugely; we encourage kindness towards others as a hallmark of the Langley experience.

Without a doubt, the pupils. They are a delight to teach, incredibly supportive of each other and the greatest ambassadors for the school.

Over my career, I have witnessed the comings and goings of trends, schemes and policies, but what has remained in the front view mirror for me is that every child is entitled to the very best in education. I believe it is the responsibility of a school and its teachers to provide an environment in which children can grow, thrive and develop a love for lifelong learning. This belief lies at the very heart of my values and my desire for children to thrive in their environment.

In my role as a pastoral lead over the last few years, I have had first hand insight into the challenges that our young people face today. I have been lucky enough to work with some amazing staff, putting in place interventions that have had enormous positive impact on childrens’ outcomes. This will continue to be an area of focus for me in my new role; the investment of time and resources in pastoral care is central to our offering.

Investment in curricular and co-curricular opportunities that genuinely help prepare pupils for the future is an area of interest for me. Subjects must be relevant, providing pupils with the right skills for an ever changing world. The curriculum must remain broad and engaging as well as challenging. We have introduced a range of exciting subjects and activities in the last few months, including the Junior Duke programme, our Junior Langley Football Academy, Engineering and the Young Entrepreneurs programme. At Langley, we have considerable freedom to respond to the needs of our pupils, and we will continue to look for opportunities for children to experience new and exciting things.

Thank you, Ed, and we wish you the very best in your new role as Head of Prep!