‘Disruptor’ Mr Wilcox plans to raise expectations

NEW LONGRIDGE headteacher Jon Wilcox has taken in his first week with the whole school having started an exciting new year – and quickly declared that he is out to “disrupt” education.

‘Disruption’ is not perhaps what staff and pupils, or parents, might have expected to hear from the new head, but there is an intriguing contrast in how he explains he wants to disrupt expectations in education to ensure that all children who come through Longridge have a much less disruptive learning experience.

Originally from Cornwall, Mr Wilcox has taught as far north as Orkney and as far south in the world as Australia and New Zealand, and he is full of ideas on how he wants to improve opportunities for children from Early Years to Upper Sixth at Longridge.

He was quick to praise the foundations in place at Longridge but stated that he wants things to change, and is eager that more people across Northumberland, the Scottish Borders and East Lothian see Longridge as the solution for “distraction-free learning”.

‘Emphasis on quality, uninterrupted learning’

“Taking on the leadership at Longridge is an incredible opportunity,” he said. “My family and I have enjoyed settling into the area, and running the Dunbar parkrun up in East Lothian recently gave me that space to breathe, reflect and think deeply about why I’m here and what we need to build.

“In Queensland, my previous school was non-selective and accepted every child, like Longridge, yet the educational culture placed a massive emphasis on quality, uninterrupted learning. There was a fundamental expectation that no pupil was ever permitted to interfere with another child’s right to learn.

“That experience shaped my philosophy completely. Regardless of entry criteria, every young person thrives when boundaries are clear. I want to take the very best of global educational standards and weave them directly into the fabric of Longridge.

“So, if a parent sees their child struggling to concentrate, falling behind or feeling frustrated by continuous classroom noise and low-level disruptions, that is a clear signal something needs to change. When focus in the classroom is compromised, hardworking, ambitious pupils pay the price.

“At Longridge, I will be focusing heavily on creating protected, distraction-free learning environments. By combining clear, firm boundaries with our small class sizes, our teachers can dedicate 100 percent of their energy to stretching and inspiring pupils rather than managing behaviour. Every child deserves the space to maintain deep concentration without interruption.”

‘We want life-ready young people’

Independent schools are experiencing a period of transition with UK Government changes to VAT and charitable benefits, and energy and maintenance costs rising in historic old buildings such as at Longridge. However, Mr Wilcox says he sees real opportunity to do things differently and prepare children more effectively for a new world of work.

“I believe that we are in a period of exciting transition,” he said. “My goal isn’t to tear up what came before – we will honour and build upon strong foundations at Longridge – but my focus will be relentlessly forward-looking.

“The team here are focused on ensuring we deliver the right course for the right child at the exact right time. We are not interested in producing merely compliant students; we want to build ‘life-ready’ young people.

“Society and the workplace are changing at a staggering pace. We need to equip our pupils with the resilience, adaptability and critical thinking required to thrive anywhere in the world, and, in short, make them truly awesome additions to their communities.”

Aiming to change perception of Longridge

Intriguingly, he is also keen to change the image of independent schools, and address a ‘them and us’ perception of a school like Longridge being only for wealthy families. Also conscious that many Borders and Northumberland families send their children to the parents’ or grandparents’ old schools in Edinburgh or Newcastle – at double the cost financially and in travel time – he wants them to think again and enable their children to be educated closer to home.

He added: “I learned a lot of how we approach schooling in the UK compared to how they do in the southern hemisphere, and there is a lot we can learn. It is about finding the right school for your children, rather than just following old trends.

“To anyone who harbours old critiques or had a disappointing experience of independent schools in the past, my absolute ambition is to disrupt those expectations. I want to silence those doubts not with words, but by inviting people through our doors at Longridge to see the transition that is currently underway in our classrooms.

“There is zero need for families in Northumberland, the Scottish Borders and even East Lothian to send their children on long, exhausting daily journeys to far-off or city schools to find an elite, future-focused education.

“Everything your child needs to concentrate, excel and flourish into the best version of themselves is right here on their doorstep. By keeping our brightest young talent here across Northumberland and the Borders, we also enrich our immediate communities rather than exporting our best minds elsewhere.”