Thomas Campbell is the newly appointed Head of Geography at King Edward’s Witley. Mr Campbell, who takes up his new position in September 2016, joins King Edward’s from Langley Park School for Boys in Kent, where he has been working for the last six years.
In addition to his responsibilities as Head of Department at King Edward’s, Mr Campbell has also accepted a new pastoral role as Assistant Housemaster of Wakefield House, a senior boys house where he will work with the Housemaster and Matron to share responsibility for 33 boarding and 16 day boys.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Campbell says: “I am passionate about Geography and committed to demonstrating its wide ranging application to not just explaining our past but also predicting the future. Of course I am slightly biased but I genuinely believe that the subject is unique and should be recognised as a field which truly enables students to make sense of the ever changing world around them. September will represent a trio of challenges for me, firstly further enhancing the profile of Geography within the School and planning more trips for pupils, as well as starting my MA (distance learning) qualification in September, while at the same time applying my skills and experience to an Assistant Housemaster role. It’s an exciting time for me and I’m eager to get started!”
The school has also appointed Daniel Tobias as the new Housemaster of Edward House, a senior boys’ boarding house. The position will be effective from September 2016. Mr Tobias is currently the Assistant Housemaster and teaches English in a Senior Boys’ house at Monkton Senior School, Bath. Monkton is a co-educational independent boarding and day school for two to 18 year-old children.
A former professional actor (working for Thames TV and in various West End productions in the 1990s), Mr Tobias moved into education in 1997. Mr Tobias uses life experiences such as these to instil in the boys that are in his care, a genuine sense of inner confidence, as well as the courage to follow one’s passion. He is a firm believer that all young people have dynamic potential and that all things are possible with self-belief.
He said: “As a Housemaster I believe passionately that it is my duty to really listen to the children and for them to feel confident that I will actually act on what is being said, rather than just pay lip service. My mandate as a Housemaster is also to provide the pupils with a positive experience of all the amazing opportunities afforded by attending a modern boarding school such as King Edward’s Witley. It is a true privilege to witness the development of individuals in in the house and to chart their transformation from when they join as boys, to the time they leave as exceptional young men.
“In terms of my decision to join King Edward’s, I was immediately attracted to the friendly, sincere and down to earth atmosphere that permeates throughout the entire school, which is against the backdrop of an educational establishment renowned for its superior pastoral care and ability to encourage excellence and ambition amongst all pupils, as evidenced by the recent outstanding ISI report. The school’s rich heritage of supporting children from all walks of life, from a variety of backgrounds, nationalities and circumstances was another key factor that influenced my decision to take up the role. King Edward’s Witley is truly unique.”
