After five years as Head of The Grange, Debbie Leonard will be departing the School at the end of the summer term. We caught up with her to find out about her time as Head and her plans for the future...
How would you sum up your time as Head at The Grange?
Since joining the Grange in 2016, I have been lucky enough to navigate the school through some periods of change, most notably the last 18 months with all of the challenges presented to us due to the Covid pandemic. If I could sum up my time here it would be that although we have come through some challenging, unpredictable and eventual times, overall this has been an immensely rewarding time in my career.
What will you miss most about The Grange?
The students. The way in which they have navigated these recent times in a balanced and measured way, with good humour and their willingness to have a go makes me so very proud of every single one of them. Grange students, I have found in my experience working here, have always been very supportive of individuality and treat each other with kindness.
What do you feel is your greatest achievement/most proud of whilst at The Grange?
Overseeing the build of our incredible Sports Centre has been one of the most rewarding experiences during my time here. It really is the jewel in the crown of the school and it brings me immense pleasure to see students benefiting from these facilities every single day. Seeing the school through a pandemic has been incredibly challenging but it brought me the opportunity to rise to the challenge and along with my colleagues and our students we made sure that we were there for our community during the tough times, lending a hand where we could.
I have been committed to modernising the school’s infrastructure, ensuring that The Grange stays ahead of the curve. The introduction of the Firefly system for example, meant that we had the ability to ensure communications were clear and accessible to parents and students alike during both lockdowns. I also very pleased to have helped the school maintain its excellent inspection rating too.
Any experiences which stand out from your time here?
I have had so many stand out experiences during my time at The Grange, so it is very difficult to narrow them down. Every day is an adventure and there is always an event or occasion that leaves a memory, a story or an imprint.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are to become a Coach/Mentor for Senior Leaders and join a Governing body.
What advice would you give to our students also leaving the Grange this year?
Seize every opportunity even if sometimes it is uncomfortable and takes you out of you comfort zone. Remember you want to be able to say ‘I gave it my all’ and be happy!
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