Ed Wesson, head teacher at Skinners’, tells SO about the educational ethos of this historic grammar school…
Having spent my teenage years in Kent, joining Skinners’ in 2013 felt rather like a homecoming. It has also given me the chance to broaden the range of opportunities for each pupil at the school. As a result, I am as proud that we have produced dozens of engineers, but have also been national chess champions and that our performing arts centre is a hotbed of activity.
There is great pleasure to be had in working with young men who are eager to learn, have spirit, curiosity and camaraderie. Creating polymaths is central to our identity. It is not unusual for a student to arrive at 8.15am, complete a band rehearsal, attend five lessons, play chess at lunchtime and train with his sports team after school.
But we retain a clear academic priority. Our A-Level and GCSE results are outstanding, reflective of our hard-working and dedicated students and staff, and we pride ourselves on matching the right university and employment destination to each student.
In order to be part of our thriving community we require a strong performance in the 11 plus exam, after which places are largely allocated on the basis of distance lived from the school.
Following recent adjustments, we now recruit from a wider area in West Kent and East Sussex (with pupils attending from Sevenoaks and Crowborough).
Edward Wesson joined Skinners’ as Head in 2013, moving from an independent/academy conversion in the North East. He attended Tonbridge School, before reading Law at Cambridge University.
