King William’s College has welcomed two new staff members to the Boarding remit of the College. Susie Parry assumed the role of Head of Boarding and Lee Batchford as Headmaster of Colebourne House in September.
Susie has lived on site in King William’s College village for 10 years with her husband, 3 children, 2 dogs, 2 cats and an overly large duck! She is now in her 11th year in role of Housemistress, School House, and teacher of Design and Technology and Art. Susie is thrilled to be leading the team, and supporting all boarders, now as Head of Boarding also.
Susie spent the 2 years prior to this role teaching at the Buchan School and College, gained her teaching experience and PGCE predominantly in Nottingham, and she worked for many years in creative fields, rooted in studio and design team management for visual media, animation, trend forecasting, product design, and FMCG graphics, with a little music studio recording management to complete the mix.
Her roles as Housemistress and Head of Boarding encompass many qualities considered essential for good creative management: a warm heart, a cool head, a jack-of-all-trades approach to all things, good interpersonal skills and an ability to problem solve. Additionally, and most importantly as in loco parentis, she is a parental figure to our boarders.
Susie said: “It is a real pleasure to play a part in the lives of our boarders, they are truly wonderful human beings. Their happiness, development, a
nd progress are paramount, and I am never happier than seeing the comraderie, hearing the laughter, or enjoying a good long chat with them. Boarding at KWC brings with it a true sense of community, the international and cultural mix enriches all of our lives, and all those who join us enjoy that Colbourne family feel, and make friends, for life.”
“Boarding is the essence of the College foundations, bringing together those from all walks of life, from all over the world, to an environment where everyone is encouraged to be themselves, to find themselves, is accepted for who they are, and can flourish. Boarding allows for independence, in readiness for future, life skills, resilience, appreciation and consideration of/for others. There is nothing like it!”
Mr Batchford is the Head of Design Technology at King William’s College and has worked in Four schools previously; two large schools in England, one in Guernsey and an all-boys school in Jersey. During his vast experience, Mr Batchford has been Head of Year, Head of House, and Head of PSHE. The combination of experiences from these roles has equipped him with the vast and varied skillset required to be the House Master of a vibrant boarding house.
Mr Bacthford said: “My role is incredibly diverse, exciting, exhausting, but above all, unbelievably rewarding on so many different levels. I am ably assisted by my fantastic House Mother Wendy, who keeps the wheels turning on a daily basis.”
He adds: “I have taken on this role because I feel that my family have so much to offer the boarding community at College. We are genuinely caring people who work incredibly hard to provide each and every boy with exactly the right balance of care and guidance they need as individuals to become the best version of themselves that they can possibly be.”
Mr Batchford explained: “Boarding at KWC is the USP of the school, it offers something that is a truly unique experience for local students and the many international students who we are so fortunate to have. The locals enjoy the structure, security and opportunity to focus on study, whilst benefiting from the quality time they share with the international residents in boarding.”
King William’s College offers boarding to pupils 11 years plus be it flexi, weekly or full time. The boarding community represents around 25% of the College population, with many local pupils choosing to board. There are two boarding houses; School House with space for 56 girls and Colbourne House for space for 46 boys.
King William’s College looks forward to welcoming Susie and Lee into their new roles.
