In Episode 3 of my History of Prep Education project, I interview Mark Johnson.
Mark (known to all his pupils as MRJ) attended prep boarding school himself aged 6 (!). As a teacher, he taught at Summer Fields for 17 years, becoming Deputy Headmaster, before becoming Headmaster of Cheam in 1998 – a post he held for 18 years, growing the school from 120 boys to 420 boys & girls and winning much acclaim in the process.
In this interview, we talk about:
- Mark’s own (Dickensian!) prep school days
- The story of Mark’s entrance into teaching
- What makes an outstanding prep school teacher, and head
- The magic and eccentricity of prep schools, and how these can be preserved in the 21st Century.
We also touch on a near-death experience Mark had, and the difficulty of growing up with his father serving in the Army on the other side of the world.
Listen on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/willorrewing/will-orr-ewing-interviews-mark-johnson
Or YouTube below
Will Orr-Ewing 