#25 - Melvyn Roffe, Executive Head of Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools

About this episode

In this episode, Ruth Benny interviews Melvyn Roffe about leadership in education and the evolving nature of career paths for students.

Welcome back to Destination Education! I’m your host, Ruth Benny, and today we are joined by a true titan of the UK independent sector. Melvyn Roffe is the Executive Principal of Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools, having previously led George Watson’s College in Edinburgh and served as the Chair of the HMC (The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference). Melvyn brings a "squiggly" perspective to leadership—literally. From his early days as an English teacher to a parallel career in politics and observing elections in Romania, he embodies the very breadth of experience he wants for his students. In this episode, we tackle the big questions: Is a school a business or a partnership? Why is "joy" being eroded from the classroom? And how do we prepare children for a world where the linear career path is dead? Grab a cup of tea ☕️ and enjoy this masterclass in educational philosophy! Why Listen? The "Squiggly" Career: Discover why the traditional linear career path is "old hat" and how Monmouth’s Futures Program prepares students for a life of professional pivots. Business vs. Education: Melvyn discusses the tension of running a school as a business while maintaining its soul as a…

People in this episode

Host: Ruth Benny

Guest: Melvyn Roffe

Topics covered

• educational philosophy
• career paths
• independent schools
• leadership in education
• business vs education
• student preparation

Keywords

• education
• leadership
• independent schools
• career paths
• student preparation
• joy in education
• business in education

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools, George Watson’s College, HMC (The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference), Monmouth, Oundel

Places: Romania, London

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