Kentish Express Ashford & District
New Towers head counting on team effort for success
sawilliams@thekmgroup.co.uk Student achievement and behaviour will be the main focus at the Towers School and Sixth Form Centre in Ashford, says the new head teacher.
Richard Billings started at the Faversham Road school as principal this term, which started on Tuesday, following the retirement of the previous headteacher, Graham Ralph.
First on the former maths teacher’s list for his new role was to introduce four core purposes he wants staff and students to follow. There are: vision, expectation, achievement and care.
He has also appointed five colleagues, Justin Davey, David Leddington, Rob Gaygan, Chris Brett and Tara McVey, to join a senior leadership team.
He said: “For me, it is a team approach. I have chosen my leadership team very carefully and placed them in roles I know they’ll excel in.
“The school needs to focus on moving forward to provide world class education to the Ashford community. We have high expectations of students’ behaviour and achievement.”
Before term started, all members of staff gathered at the Ashford International Hotel to launch the new core principles. New signs have also been installed which include the school’s new slogan, Excellence in Everything.
Mr Billings, 47, from Whitstable, said: “We’re going to have a strong focus on literacy and numeracy but excellence in everything must be reinforced.”
He added that there will be no changes to the existing school uniform and PE kits, which were introduced in September.
Mr Billings started his career as a maths teacher 17 years ago after deciding to leave his role as a foreign exchange dealer in the city.
He said: “I wanted to show passion and give something back to the community.” He worked his way up from teacher, to head of department, to vice principal, working at schools in Canterbury, Westgate and Broadstairs, before signing up to become the new head at Towers.
He added: “I am very proud to take on this position. I want to make everyone count, from students to staff, parents and governors. We’re on this journey together - let’s start now.”
An open evening will be held for the Sixth Form Centre on Thursday, January 16, from 5pm at the Kennington School, where new courses will be announced.