Berkshire


<p>Meet Luke Walters, the newly minted Head of <a href="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/leighton-park-school-reading/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Leighton Park</a> school in Reading, who arrived in September 2025 with his boots laced, sleeves rolled, and the school’s compass already firmly pointing toward the future. Fresh from his impactful years as Deputy Head at Christ’s Hospital, he’s brought a fizz of energy to Reading’s Quaker haven, slotting into Matthew Judd’s shoes without missing a beat. </p>



<p>Now living onsite with his family, Luke is fully immersed in the school’s daily ebb and flow, walking the same pathways as the pupils he leads. He inherits a school in already brilliant shape, yet he’s not a man who coasts. His vision is rooted in Leighton Park’s Quaker ethos, elevating kindness from slogan to operating system, while championing those quietly powerful soft skills that shape thoughtful, socially conscious young adults. It&#8217;s all very exciting. We caught up with Luke to find out how he&#8217;s settling in and the words of wisdom he lives by.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1154" height="1731" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/08/leighton-park-ASC_8268-luke-walters-approved-edited.jpg" alt="luke walters head of leighton park school reading" class="wp-image-81525" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/08/leighton-park-ASC_8268-luke-walters-approved-edited.jpg 1154w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/08/leighton-park-ASC_8268-luke-walters-approved-edited-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/08/leighton-park-ASC_8268-luke-walters-approved-edited-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/08/leighton-park-ASC_8268-luke-walters-approved-edited-267x400.jpg 267w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/08/leighton-park-ASC_8268-luke-walters-approved-edited-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/08/leighton-park-ASC_8268-luke-walters-approved-edited-1024x1536.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1154px) 100vw, 1154px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-30-second-elevator-pitch-for-your-school-sell-it-nbsp">30-second elevator pitch for your school – sell it!&nbsp;</h3>



<p>What I love about Leighton Park is its remarkable focus on the potential in every child. The school encourages courageous thinking and the environment produces young people of character and confidence, with a commitment to shaping a better world.</p>



<p>It begins with an educational philosophy that has its foundations in the principles of Simplicity, Truth, Respect, Integrity, Peace, Equality and Sustainability, the cornerstones of Quakerism. What makes the school unique is its commitment to coupling an exceptional values-led education with sector-leading personal development and an award-winning, future-ready curriculum. The school combines strong values, distilled over centuries, and challenges students’ thinking skills to encourage them to look to the future. This gives all of them the opportunity to flourish in our fast-changing world and makes the school really special.</p>



<p>There is excellence underpinning this approach. Leighton Park is the only School in England to be recognised by the Independent Schools Inspectorate as having a Significant Strength for its values-led approach and won the national Independent Schools Association Award for Future-Readiness in 2024-25.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-would-you-like-to-star-as-you-in-the-movie-nbsp">Who would you like to star as you in the movie?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>There would be two different versions of this film: the action adventure would be Chris Hemsworth (my choice). The comedy would be Jack Black (my family’s selection). The tragedy would be that I would end up with the comedy version!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-did-you-choose-to-join-leighton-park-and-why-now">Why did you choose to join Leighton Park and why now?</h3>



<p>By chance, I had the opportunity to visit Leighton Park before applying and saw immediately that it was different from any other I had seen. Quaker values run through everything in the school does, from the smallest interactions to the largest events and trips. You can see it in the quality of the relationships and the exceptional nature of the academics. At the school’s heart, there is a calm sense of purpose, drive and ambition. I’ve always worked in schools in whose values and ethos I believe and what happens on a human level here is exciting.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-you-hoping-to-achieve-in-your-first-year-and-beyond">What are you hoping to achieve in your first year? And beyond?</h3>



<p>More than anything I hope to build on the outstanding successes that the school has already achieved. This will all be in due course though, it is vitally important that I take the time to get to know the school. I’m already clear that Leighton Park is confident in all areas of its provision, its Quaker values and itself. In a year’s time, I would like to see the school doing more of what it’s doing at the moment, and exploring whether there are ways to improve.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/leighton-park-Luke-with-laughing-students-LR.jpg" alt="leighton park head luke walters" class="wp-image-85090" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/leighton-park-Luke-with-laughing-students-LR.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/leighton-park-Luke-with-laughing-students-LR-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/leighton-park-Luke-with-laughing-students-LR-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/leighton-park-Luke-with-laughing-students-LR-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/leighton-park-Luke-with-laughing-students-LR-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-describe-your-own-childhood-school-days">Describe your own childhood school days </h3>



<p>I attended a day-school overseas and enjoyed the experience as the school was made up of nationalities from all round the world. I was a bit of an all-rounder and ‘busy’ would best express my days. Drama, a variety of sports, music and my academics kept me on the go. I made the most of all the opportunities that were on offer.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-was-the-common-theme-of-your-school-reports-nbsp">What was the common theme of your school reports?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>I can’t really recall my school reports particularly but one of my university lecturers described me at the time as ‘an academic rough diamond’. I like to think I’ve gained a little polish since then and should go back and ask her really!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-best-and-worst-subject-at-school-nbsp">Best and worst subject at school?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>English and Spanish challenged me the most and were the ones I enjoyed, studying both for A Level. Ironically for someone who now enjoys sustenance, I struggled with Cookery in Home Economics. Baking is not a forte!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-lesson-do-you-think-everyone-should-learn-before-adulthood">What lesson do you think everyone should learn before adulthood?</h3>



<p>It is a simple one, but aim to ‘know thyself’. If you manage to do this before adulthood, you’re in a better place than most of your peers. It’s an ongoing process, but those who know themselves best tend to be happiest and therefore most successful.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-you-have-any-hobbies">Do you have any hobbies?</h3>



<p>I’m relatively simple in this respect: adventures, books, films and good food.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-if-you-weren-t-a-head-what-would-you-be-nbsp">If you weren’t a head, what would you be?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>I would have been working with people in an international capacity. I’ve always suspected that I would have worked in the Foreign Office or similar.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-book-tv-show-film-or-play-should-all-kids-discover">What book, TV show/film or play should all kids discover?</h3>



<p>It was <em>The Winter’s Tale</em>, as performed by Theatre de Complicité, that had the most profound effect on me in terms of an artistic epiphany, and lead to me studying Shakespeare for my Masters. That said, I don’t think there’s a single book, show or film for everyone, the process of finding your own text for life is the enjoyable bit.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/leighton-park-Luke-with-student-group-LR.jpg" alt="who is the head of leighton park school reading" class="wp-image-85091" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/leighton-park-Luke-with-student-group-LR.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/leighton-park-Luke-with-student-group-LR-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/leighton-park-Luke-with-student-group-LR-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/leighton-park-Luke-with-student-group-LR-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/12/leighton-park-Luke-with-student-group-LR-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-funniest-story-from-your-teaching-career">What&#8217;s the funniest story from your teaching career?</h3>



<p>A few years ago during my first year as housemaster at Marlborough College Malaysia, there was an incident involving a snake in the boarding house. We were really worried about what was going on in there and managed to clear the room and get rid of the snake. However, it was only afterwards the children told me there were two year 7 boys who were hiding in the cupboards who weren&#8217;t supposed to be in the boarding house, just so they didn&#8217;t get caught. It makes me laugh that they made the conscious decision to be in a room with a snake rather than get caught by me!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-song-you-sing-at-full-volume-when-everyone-s-gone-home">The song you sing at full volume when everyone’s gone home? </h3>



<p>Most tracks on ‘August and everything after…’ by Counting Crows. Everyone knows ‘Mr Jones’ and it’s a superb driving album. From the first note of ‘Round Here’ it never fails to get me singing along (badly).</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-advice-you-d-give-your-younger-self-and-your-current-students-nbsp">Advice you’d give your younger self – and your current students?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>It’s a Quaker piece of advice that, upon hearing it for the first time, realised encapsulates everything in which I believe: where you can, make sure you ‘live adventurously’. The world is an incredible place, full of endless possibility and interesting people. Try to live a life that can be enjoyed at the time and also on reflection, when you savour all that has been well-lived. If you can do this, your life alone will give you peace and a sense of achievement.</p>



<p><em><strong>Want to hear more about Luke Walter&#8217;s headship? Read our review of Leighton Park <a href="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/leighton-park-school-reading/">here</a>.</strong></em></p>


Meet the Head: Luke Walters, Leighton Park

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