Bruce Grindlay is swapping Kent for Thailand in September. IE learns about the current headmaster of Sutton Valence School’s passion for music and cooking, and how he is preparing for his new role.
‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It’s good, old-fashioned, compelling storytelling and beautifully crafted. The narrative is chronological, but there are clever jumps in time, so the reader fills in the gaps of family events the characters know and from which they are still experiencing emotional fallout. It has a great saga feel; family sagas interwoven with powerful events in Nigeria’s history.Â
Q. If you weren’t in education what would you do instead?
I will be finding out more about Thai culture and trying to learn some basic words and phrases. I will be in close contact with the school and aim to meet as many of the staff as I can through various Zoom conference calls. I will also be spending some time up at Rugby School working with the team there and interviewing for some new teachers for the 2021/22 academic year.