Getting to Know Our New Head

As we prepare to warmly welcome our new Head, Mr Alex Frazer, to Bancroft's, we took a moment before the term begins to get to know him better. He spoke about his experience as a Modern Languages teacher, his background in education, his passions, vision, and his love for travel.

Can you tell about your background and what brought you to Bancroft’s?

I’ve been in independent schools, mostly in London, all my working life – as a Modern Languages teacher, form tutor, Head of Department, Deputy Head and Head. Outside the classroom, I’ve had a lot of involvement in co-curricular activities, particularly trips and cricket. Simply put, Bancroft’s is an excellent school whose values of positive ambition, academic endeavour, cultural diversity and mutual respect are close to my heart. It is an immense privilege to be joining the School as Head and I am delighted to have the chance to build on that tradition of excellence over the coming years.

What led you to pursue a career in education?

I spent a year teaching English at a school in the South of France as part of my degree and found the experience rewarding and fun, so it felt like a natural continuation to look towards education as a career. Academically I was very interested in my subjects – I still am – and wanted to continue working with them after university. I was also attracted to the idea of belonging to a community, and that’s exactly what I discovered in my first school and indeed all the schools I have worked in since.

What do you enjoy most about working in a school environment?

First and foremost we are here for our pupils – and working with teenagers and children is great fun, never dull and always rewarding, even in challenging situations. It’s a teacher’s truism, no doubt, but I still get a kick out of seeing young people growing in confidence academically and more widely, developing new enthusiasms and gaining a greater understanding of themselves and the world they are part of. But I have also always enjoyed the camaraderie among colleagues that is particular to schools. That side of life is a little different when you are a Head, but many of my most treasured friendships are with great people I taught with earlier in my career.

What are your main priorities for Bancroft’s School in the coming years?

The government’s recent confirmation that VAT will be added to school fees from January 2025 presents a significant, albeit anticipated, challenge for all independent schools. Fortunately, a lot of sensible planning has already taken place at Bancroft’s, and it is an absolute priority for me to provide parents with the best possible value by ensuring that the education we offer their children is second-to-none in its quality and effectiveness whilst taking place in an environment that continues to be vibrant, inclusive and encouraging for all. Bancroft’s has a strong identity locally but I’d like us to be better known outside our traditional catchment area, and I’ll be working hard to highlight the School on a larger map over the next few years.

Can you share any specific initiatives or programmes you’re particularly excited about implementing here?

Whilst I’ve had a comprehensive and generous handover from my predecessor, Simon Marshall, and have spent a good amount of time at Bancroft’s since my appointment last December, I need to see for myself more of how the School works before I can be certain of what new ideas might be helpful. Let’s not forget that Bancroft’s is a highly successful school, so evolution, not revolution, is likely to be appropriate. However, I am very excited about the link I’ve brought with me to a primary school in Morocco, where I shall be taking a group of 12 Lower Sixth Formers next February half-term to teach English for a week and discover something of this amazing and inspiring country.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

That an apparently intractable problem will always look slightly less alarming and a good deal more approachable after a decent night’s sleep!

What’s your favourite way to unwind after a busy day?

I’m not sure Heads manage to do a whole lot of unwinding, especially in term-time! But reading is my guaranteed mental “time out”, and I always have a book to hand.

What’s one thing about you that might surprise people?

I don’t know if it counts as surprising, but my wife and I are extremely enthusiastic travellers. We went to Australia for the first time earlier this year, visiting five of the ten states and territories in just under three weeks, experiencing everything from the gritty streets of Melbourne to the sandy beaches of Western Australia and tropical rainforest in Northern Queensland. Over Christmas we shall be exploring the ice fields of Patagonia with our four children, of whom three are enjoying their post-school lives while the youngest is excited to be joining the Sixth Form at Bancroft’s.

We look forward to officially welcoming Alex to the Bancroft’s community at the start of term!