Andy Brown, as head teacher of Derby Cathedral School, is making some quite radical moves to alleviate the pressures on students and families. He bought 270 new school uniform pieces recently, so that he could create this positive impact. Brown, who is originally from Sutton Coldfield, is only 39 years old. He officially started the role in September, but he’s already been making moves to create a positive school climate.
With such a passionate and creative career in hands-on education, Brown has taught everything from PE to business, economics and English. Focusing on the developing arts, his extensive, varied teaching experience underlies his philosophy of leadership at Derby Cathedral School, which is home to about 1,200 students. Brown understood what a financial burden uniform costs are for so many families. To avoid future confrontations between students and school culture police, he started giving away uniforms.
“We bought 120 pairs of shoes, 25 blazers, 25 shirts, 25 trousers, 25 skirts and around 50 ties,” Mr. Brown stated. This forward-looking action makes certain that no student misses out on school because they can’t afford clothing. It should not be relevant to their admission what their financial situation is.
Brown’s initiative is very similar to a program he implemented at his last school. At the school, he moved quickly and strategically to address uniform shortcomings. “We preemptively had it, and what we said to them was ‘you’re not in trouble, we’re setting a new standard’,” he explained. This strategy really fosters a positive environment for students. Here, they can shift their attention to their learning without the worry of being punished for uniform violations.
The master teacher made it clear that the transition is invisible to students. “They go into the room and get given shoes, tie, a blazer, whatever they needed and then they went straight back into lesson,” he noted. That led to “no detain, no engage,” with officers letting students get back to class quickly, he said.
Sarah Clark, CEO of Derby Diocesan Academy Trust praised Brown’s influence as head teacher. She noted his willingness to take on thorny issues with an eye toward equity. “He has made an enormous impact already, and it was a joy to see that he was addressing uniform issues head-on by providing shoes and clothing for those who required it,” Clark stated.
