Headmaster Shaun Fenton awarded OBE
Over the weekend, it was announced that our Headmaster, Shaun Fenton, is awarded the OBE for Services to Education. This is a great honour for him and something for the whole Reigatian community to celebrate. Mr Fenton immediately pointed out that the award can only be a testament to the talented students, hardworking staff and supportive parents of RGS.
Mr Fenton’s career has seen him work in schools serving disadvantaged communities and he was also part of a local authority team that was sent in to help failing schools. He is the only person in the country to have been Headteacher of a state comprehensive school, a state grammar school, an academy and now a leading independent school. His last headship at Pate’s Grammar School in Cheltenham saw that school named school of the year; he has been a National Leader of Education, Chair of the Grammar Schools Heads’ Association, Chair of HMC and he is a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teachers.
At RGS, he has led the schools to multiple awards; integrated Chinthurst into our family of schools; pushed hard to develop our bursaries and local community partnerships; and had the vision to pioneer our international schools programme that now sees us with partners in China, Morocco and Vietnam. About his award, Mr Fenton summed it up, quoted in the TES and other national media this week:
“The important thing is the positive experience of children in our care every day and the impact of our partnership work on the local community. It is a privilege to be a teacher. I will remember forever the moment I was able to share the news of my award with my children.”
Of course we know Mr Fenton won’t stop there and will continue to improve RGS, to push ahead with our sports hall and school theatre plans, to strengthen further our pastoral care, to build our capability for online learning in case of partial school closure and he has a long and urgent list of so many other areas where he will focus his energy for the good of current and future RGS children and adults for years to come. We are very fortunate to have Mr Fenton as our Headmaster.
Of course, this follows hot on the heels of the announcement that RGS has been awarded the accolade of Best School in the UK from the school Oscars: The Tatler Schools Awards. It has been quite a week for Reigate Grammar School!