Tulse Hill School - Brian Evans

Brian Evans - Rugby Tour of USA - THS Syllabus - News Clippings - Photo's - Inquiry Report - Ali Visit

Brian Evans - Deputy Head 1971-73, Head 1973-1981

Brian Evans – Career outline

1994-present - Independent Education Consultant and Additional inspector (Ofsted); Overall involved as RgI, lead inspector or team member in over 300 Ofsted inspections since 1994.

Also 2005-2008 - working in partnership with a leading edge schools to support quality of provision within the London Challenge initiative.

1989-94; Senior management consultant - Surrey LEA; working with HTs, senior staff and governors on a wide range of management issues – including school development planning, self-evaluation reviews, LMS, curriculum development, headship appointments etc.

1981-89; District inspector – Lewisham [DO7 ILEA]; supporting headteachers and senior staff in 50 primary and secondary schools; member of group of senior inspectors in ILEA-wide secondary management group supporting schools with serious difficulties.

[Seconded from inspectorate by CEO/CI in 1988 to Headship of secondary school in Tower Hamlets to retrieve a failing school]

1973-81; Headteacher [Group 12-1400 roll] Tulse Hill 11-18 Comprehensive;

[Seconded during headship to membership of Rampton/Swann Enquiry into Underachievement of Ethnic Minority Groups – represented Committee in nationwide public meetings;].

1971-73; HUS/DH Tulse Hill Comprehensive Lambeth.

1968-71; Head of House/Social Sciences Henry Compton 11-18 Comprehensive Hammersmith.

1964-68: mathematics/geography teacher to all ability levels in all years - Spencer Park 11-18 Comprehensive Wandsworth.

1961-1964: Teacher training – St Luke’s College Exeter

Jan – Jul 1961 – UQ form teacher Redcoat CE school – Whitechapel

1958-1960: National Service - Royal Army Education Corps – based in Singapore/Hong Kong – teaching Ghurkhas, Malays and Chinese and ACE1-3.

First impressions Tulse Hill School

The buildings -

The nine-storey, one classroom wide building, often searingly hot in summer and bitterly windswept in winter, won an architectural design award when built in 1956. At the time it was probably the tallest school building in the UK. By the time I joined in 1971 as Head of Upper School the fabric was already showing considerable wear and tear and maintaining and modifying – [heating costs, replacing countless broken glass panels, servicing the ageing 4 lifts] – must have cost a fortune. It was just as well that the school itself did not have to pay for maintenance and utilities from its budget.

The teaching staff –

in total contrast to the buildings were the very high number of outstanding teachers in a complement of well over 120 staff. For example, just before HT Raymond Long left for a senior post in the ILEA, a small group of staff – led by Chris Power – set up a ‘community cohesion’ conference weekend in Eastbourne to achieve a consensus on the role of the school in a multiracial society. Participants included Tulse Hill teaching staff, sixth form students, governors, politicians, parents, police, social workers, counsellors and a wide range of community leaders. Topics in discussion groups included curriculum, Black Studies, teaching and learning styles and organisation, behaviour, discipline and a host of other relevant educational issues. Working through the night the recommendations from all groups were published in time for the plenary and the high quality of the overall document provided a very valuable reference point for senior managers in subsequent year.

The students - To come (this should be interesting)