Education Manager Announced
May 17 2024
Almost a year ago Mike Palmer, former Chair of the Board of Trustees, wrote a letter (3rd July, 2023) to the School community announcing Edinburgh Steiner School was making changes to the management structure. During the course of this session we have continued to develop the Senior Management Team. We are very pleased to be able to announce that Alistair Pugh has been appointed as Education Manager.
Mr Pugh has, over many years, been a central and key player in the school. Since joining the staff in 2001, he has taught Geography and English in the Upper School.
In addition to his teaching responsibilities at ESS, Mr Pugh has served on the Management Team, as SQA Coordinator, as Chair of the College of Teachers, and as a tutor on the Edinburgh
Steiner Teacher Education Course. He is a former Chair of Trustees of the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship (now Waldorf UK) and has held the post of Chair of Governors at Steiner Academy Hereford – the first state-maintained Steiner Waldorf academy in the UK.
In recent years Mr Pugh has been focussed on the rollout of Integrative Education, a new suite of qualifications developed by and for Steiner Waldorf schools, as well as extending the Advanced Highers diet.
After leaving St Andrews in 1998, he worked for two years as a features writer for the Dundee Courier before training to teach. He still regularly writes about education for a variety of publications. He holds a Masters degrees in Geography (University of St Andrews) and Education (University of Durham), a PGCE (Durham) and a Postgraduate Certificate in the Philosophy of Integrative Education (Alanus University, Germany).
New Education Manager Role
The purpose of the new Education Manager role is to support and coordinate teachers in their roles as Steiner Waldorf educators to ensure a child-centred approach. Work closely as a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) and with the College of Teachers and teacher meetings in consultation with relevant school groups and ensure follow up of meetings’ action points/decisions. And to maintain the pedagogical voice and support to the spirit of anthroposophy in collaboration with all groups within the school.
We look forward to Mr Alistair Pugh starting his new post in August.
Update:
NEWS: Tuesday Notice (28th May):
A Message From The New Education Manager
On Friday, ESS announced the appointment of our new Education Manager. Alistair Pugh will start in his new role from August 2024.
“I am delighted to have been appointed to the new post of Education Manager, starting in August. These are exciting times for our School as we pioneer a fresh organisational structure while preserving the best of our traditions and practices. I am looking forward to working closely with the College of Teachers as they continue to develop and deepen the curriculum, and with colleagues throughout the school to strengthen our delivery of teaching and learning. I am fortunate to know that I won’t be working alone, but as part of a team – a community which will include not only Senior Management and staff, but also the PTA and the Student Council, whose support, insight and advice will be indispensable.
“I am relieved to know that in my new role I won’t be tied to an office and a computer screen all day. I will continue to teach some Main Lessons and an exam course in geography. Teaching is my passion, and being in a classroom, working with eager young minds, will help me stay in touch as a practitioner.
I strongly believe in the potential of Edinburgh Steiner School, which should be a first-choice alternative for parents seeking a school for their children. Any school will reach its potential when new and existing teachers, parents and pupils have full confidence in the quality, validity, consistency and rigour of the educational experience the school delivers at all ages, and where this is expressed via a curriculum which is integrated, respected and understood. My job will be to help to nurture this vision and monitor and report on our progress.
(TN, 28th May 2024)