Surrey


<p>Matthew Bryan joined <a href="https://surrey.muddystilettos.co.uk/school-reviews/kingswood-house-school-epsom/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kingswood House School</a> in Epsom last year. He was previously headteacher at Longacre School in Shamley Green for six years, and before that was at St Ronan’s in Kent where he was Deputy Head (Academic).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="713" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/Kingswood-House-School-Matthew-Bryan-Headmaster-1000x713.jpg" alt="Kingswood House School in Epsom, Surrey." class="wp-image-57365" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/Kingswood-House-School-Matthew-Bryan-Headmaster-1000x713.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/Kingswood-House-School-Matthew-Bryan-Headmaster-800x570.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/Kingswood-House-School-Matthew-Bryan-Headmaster-400x285.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/Kingswood-House-School-Matthew-Bryan-Headmaster-768x547.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/Kingswood-House-School-Matthew-Bryan-Headmaster.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-give-us-your-30-second-elevator-pitch-for-your-school">Give us your <em>30 second elevator pitch for your school.</em></h3>



<p>Kingswood House is a happy school which believes in its pupils. It&#8217;s a school in constant search for greater inclusivity, opportunity and friendliness. A school which believes that every child has some tangles, and actively looks forward to helping them to work on these while remembering the exceptional value that everyone brings to the community.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-the-top-three-things-to-tackle-in-your-inbox-nbsp"><em>What are the top three things to tackle in your inbox?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p>Getting the amount of homework right throughout the school, delivering on my promise to the school council to upgrade the water fountains, racing against time to book a couple of extra trips into next term’s calendar!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-would-you-like-to-star-as-you-in-the-movie-nbsp"><em>Who would you like to star as you in the movie?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p>Clive Owen</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-ve-been-given-1m-what-will-you-spend-it-on-nbsp"><em>You’ve been given £1m, what will you spend it on?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p>An endowment to fund life-changing bursaries in perpetuity. Giving access to as many children as possible is more important than facilities.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/Kingswood-House-School-Matthew-Bryan-with-pupils.jpg" alt="Kingswood House School in Epsom, Surrey." class="wp-image-57364" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/Kingswood-House-School-Matthew-Bryan-with-pupils.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/Kingswood-House-School-Matthew-Bryan-with-pupils-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/Kingswood-House-School-Matthew-Bryan-with-pupils-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/Kingswood-House-School-Matthew-Bryan-with-pupils-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/11/Kingswood-House-School-Matthew-Bryan-with-pupils-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-describe-your-own-childhood-school-days"><em>Describe your own childhood school days</em></h3>



<p>Mostly, I loved being at school. Sometimes I wished senior school had been more like prep school – a bit quirky, with inspirational teachers who cared.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-was-the-common-theme-of-your-school-reports-nbsp"><em>What was the common theme of your school reports?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p>The line that my parents used to quote at me was ‘Matthew has taken concision to the point of brevity’.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-worst-teachers-at-your-childhood-school-and-why-nbsp"><em>Favourite / worst teachers at your childhood school and why?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p>Mr Jackson, Mrs Beasley, Madame Impey, Mr Waterfield. All genius story-tellers who took no nonsense but loved their subjects and inspired the same love in me. The memory of a couple of teachers who ruled by fear still makes me shudder now.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-best-and-worst-subject-at-school-nbsp"><em>Best and worst subject at school?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p>Best was Latin; I still can’t believe I managed to get a degree and make a career out of mythology stories! Worst was Biology – I couldn’t draw diagrams and used to faint and fall off my stool when we did dissections.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-did-you-go-to-uni-nbsp"><em>Where did you go to uni?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p>St John’s College in Cambridge</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-did-you-study-nbsp"><em>What did you study?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p>Classics (Latin and Ancient Greek)</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-was-your-high-and-low-of-student-life-nbsp"><em>What was your high and low of student life?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p>Being taught by the most incredible people like Mary Beard ties with feeling like James Bond when I was in charge of security for the college May Ball. The low point was some serious times of stress and self-doubt, failing to find control through alcohol and not eating.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-if-you-weren-t-a-head-teacher-what-would-you-be-nbsp">If you weren’t a head teacher, what would you be?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>A wine broker</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-describe-what-s-on-your-work-desk-nbsp"><em><strong>Describe what’s on your work desk…&nbsp;</strong></em></h3>



<p>A not very neat pile of papers, a standing desk where I spend too much time sitting, a fountain pen, and a fidget toy my son made on his 3D printer.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-and-what-s-in-the-top-drawer-nbsp"><em>And what’s in the top drawer?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p>Half a multipack of Club orange biscuits.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-us-your-favourite-books-in-childhood-uni-and-now-nbsp"><em>Tell us your favourite books – in childhood, uni and now.&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p>I loved C.S. Lewis’s Narnia stories; I’ll go for <em>The Voyage of the Dawn Treader</em>. At uni, the epic scale and emotions of Dumas’ <em>The Count of Monte Cristo</em>. I’ve just finished two books, both brilliant but rather different: Susan Cain’s <em>The Quiet Revolution</em> and Richard Osman’s <em>We Solve Murders</em>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1415" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2025/01/pont-du-gard-france-pexels-Vincent-Rivaud-pexels.jpg" alt="The Pont Du Gard in France" class="wp-image-57892" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2025/01/pont-du-gard-france-pexels-Vincent-Rivaud-pexels.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2025/01/pont-du-gard-france-pexels-Vincent-Rivaud-pexels-800x755.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2025/01/pont-du-gard-france-pexels-Vincent-Rivaud-pexels-1000x943.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2025/01/pont-du-gard-france-pexels-Vincent-Rivaud-pexels-400x377.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2025/01/pont-du-gard-france-pexels-Vincent-Rivaud-pexels-768x724.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Pont Du Gard in France. <em>Photo credit: Vincent Rivaud / Pexels</em></figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-best-school-trip-childhood-or-current-you-ve-ever-been-on-nbsp"><em>What’s the best school trip (childhood or current) you’ve ever been on?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p>You get the best trips as a Classics teacher! Nothing has yet matched seeing the Pont du Gard for the first time when our PGCE tutor took us on a trip to the south of France.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-play-book-and-film-should-be-on-every-child-s-cultural-bucket-list-nbsp"><em>What play, book and film should be on every child’s cultural bucket list?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p>Anything which really stirs the imagination. On stage, Tim Minchin’s&nbsp;<em>Matilda</em>&nbsp;is incredible. For a book,&nbsp;<em>Five Children and It</em>&nbsp;by E Nesbit. Movie, I’m going for&nbsp;<em>The NeverEnding Story</em>. Genius.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-if-you-want-to-hide-from-the-kids-and-staff-for-half-an-hour-where-do-you-go-nbsp"><em>If you want to hide from the kids and staff for half an hour, where do you go?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p><em>I&#8217;ve learned that if you go for a walk around school holding a clip board, everyone leaves you alone.</em></p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-song-you-sing-at-full-volume-when-everyone-s-gone-home-nbsp"><em>The song you sing at full volume when everyone’s gone home?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p><em>Tragedy – </em>the Steps version.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-advice-would-you-give-to-your-younger-self-nbsp"><em>What advice would you give to your younger self?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p><em>Read and believe every word of the essay by Mary Schmich which Baz Luhrmann released as a song called ‘Everyone’s free (To Wear Sunscreen)’.&nbsp;</em>Sometimes you&#8217;re ahead, sometimes you&#8217;re behind<br>The race is long and in the end, it&#8217;s only with yourself.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-and-your-current-students-nbsp"><em>And your current students?&nbsp;</em></h3>



<p>Walk. Whether it’s 10,000 steps or anything else, walking (without headphones!) is the best way of staying healthy and having great ideas.</p>



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<p><em><strong>Kingswood House School is progressive co-ed school in Epsom for ages 7-16 that’s proudly non-selective and wholly inclusive. Matthew Bryan has been headteacher since April 2024. <a href="https://surrey.muddystilettos.co.uk/school-reviews/kingswood-house-school-epsom/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read our review.</a> </strong></em></p>



<p><strong><em><a href="https://kingswoodhouse.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kingswood House School</a>, 56 West Hill, Epsom, KT19 8LG</em></strong>.&nbsp;<em><strong>Tel:&nbsp;<a href="tel:01372723590">01372 723 590</a></strong></em></p>


Head’s up! Matthew Bryan, Kingswood House School, Epsom

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