Berkshire

In a galaxy far far away, a Star Wars super fan is helping to shape the young minds for a future of the unknown. Say hello to <a href="https://www.sjbwindsor.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Phil Barr, St John&#8217;s Beaumont&#8217;s new head</a> and wannabe spy. Barr is a familiar face here having previously held the position of Deputy Head, before making his head teacher debut at Donhead Prep in Wimbledon. He&#8217;s worked in state and independent schools, co-ed and single sex, is sports obsessed and, it&#8217;s fair to say, he brings with him a ton of experience to the role. 



Barr&#8217;s down to earth and ready to roll up his sleeves up to ensure the school&#8217;s community is robust and super-charge digital literacy and STEAM with robotics, VR headsets, Assisted Intelligence and embed coding into the curriculum. The top priority? For each and every child to be happy in and out of school. In the first of Muddy&#8217;s new Meet the Head interviews, we loosen the school tie and ask the questions we really want to know the answers to. 



<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/5/2023/10/1.jpg" alt="St John's Beaumont School head Philip Barr with Y2 pupil" class="wp-image-57030" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/1.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/1-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/1-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/1-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>Head Phil Barr with Y2 pupil</figcaption></figure>



30-second elevator pitch for your school – sell it!



St John&#8217;s is a school where happy children make incredible progress and are not limited by the use of words like potential.



Who would you like to star as you in the movie?&nbsp;



Harrison Ford. I grew up a Star Wars nut. Both of my children are too. My mum worked for Lyons Maid ice cream who produced the Empire Strikes Back ice cream and I was lucky enough to meet the cast. My son is also called Harrison too. *Drops mic*.



You’ve been given a £1m donation for the school, what will you spend it on?



Give me £1m and I&#8217;ll be getting the architects in to design me two new boarding houses for girls and boys. That could be a new building but we&#8217;re also having discussions about modifying the existing boarding rooms into the enormous roof space. With some clever architecture that could be an option too and give us 2, 3 and 4 bed rooms as well as singles.



<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/5/2023/10/4.jpg" alt="St John's Beaumont School head Philip Barr child in a sherriff's hat" class="wp-image-57033" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/4.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/4-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/4-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/4-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/4-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>A born leader</figcaption></figure>



Describe your own childhood school days.



I was very bright and equally mischievous. I went to Cardinal Vaughn Memorial School in West London – a grammar 11+ entry school. Sport was always a big part of my life. I swam at county level, played football at first XI university level and I still play and coach today. I was sport obsessed, but I was bright as well. 



What was the common theme of your school reports?



Could focus a little more.



Favourite/worst teachers at your childhood school and why?



Favourite teacher was Mr Lavinger – Head of PE. We&#8217;re still friends to this day.



Best and worst subject at school?



Maths was my best and geography was my worst. I was pretty good at it, but happy to get out of it in Y9.



<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/5/2023/10/2.jpg" alt="St John's Beaumont School head Philip Barr university football team" class="wp-image-57031" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/2.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/2-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/2-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/2-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>The legendary St Mary&#8217;s University team</figcaption></figure>



Where did you go to uni, what did you study – and the highs and lows of student life



St Mary&#8217;s University in Twickenham and I studied PE and Mathematics. One of the publishable highs, was being appointed President of the Football Club and winning the league. The low point was leaving uni and starting work. I had four amazing years, then the reality of going to work every day dawned on me.



If you weren’t a head, what would you be?



MI5 or MI6 operative. I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;m James Bond, but I&#8217;m a good investigator. 



Describe what’s on your work desk (and what’s in the top drawer)



In addition to the usual ICT stuff, I have a box for my pens that was made by a former student who left to go to South Africa and has a lovely personal message on it. A picture of my wife and a healing crystal. 



<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/5/2023/10/3.jpg" alt="St John's Beaumont School head Philip Barr FIRST TEACHING JOB" class="wp-image-57032" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/3.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/3-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/3-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/3-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>First teaching post</figcaption></figure>



Funniest story from your teaching career



Ha, this was at St John&#8217;s. We returned from a Y8 sailing trip and I heard from a parent who was apoplectic because her son had been away for a week and hadn&#8217;t changed his underwear once. On the Monday I caught up with the pupil (he&#8217;s now graduated from uni) and said, &#8220;I got into a lot of trouble with your mum&#8221;. He explained he was getting home each day from sailing, showering in his pants, washing, wringing them out and drying them in the microwave to put on the next day. So there was no need for a fresh pair every day.



Your favourite books – childhood, uni and now



As a child, I read Roald Dahl&#8217;s Fantastic Mr Fox on repeat. At uni I discovered a real thirst for biographies and for real-life stories. Nelson Mandela&#8217;s Long Walk to Freedom was truly inspirational. I have just finished That Will Never Work by Marc Randolph the CEO of Netflix.



What’s the best school trip (childhood or current) you’ve ever been on?



Y9 football trip to Barcelona.



The song you sing at full volume when everyone’s gone home?



Jerusalem



If you want to hide from the kids and staff for half an hour, where do you go?&nbsp;



Into the woods.



Advice you’d give your younger self – and your current student?



The advice I would give my younger self is: Don&#8217;t sweat the little things in life. For my students: Believe in yourself and see every mistake as a fantastic learning opportunity.



Read the Muddy review of St John&#8217;s Beaumont School, Old Windsor <a href="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/st-johns-beaumont-old-windsor-berkshire/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.

Head’s up: Phil Barr of St John’s Beaumont, Old Windsor

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