b'THE YEAR OF THREEAs I sit in a cover lesson (yes, I still like to do my bit!) at King Edward VI Five Ways HEADTEACHERS School and start to put my article together for Mr Organ, I am minded to think back to AUTUMN TERM the 18-year-old Simon and compare him to the 50+ version! As I embark upon my second headship, I find looking back as well as forward quite a revitalising exercise when If you had asked meexamining my route to headship.It is safe to say that if you had asked me when I was 18 thewhen I was 18 if I wanted to be or indeed intended to be a headmaster, the answer would have been an emphatic NO! I went to answer would have beenschool in West Sussex and completed my A levels in the late 1980s. I studied English an emphatic NO Literature, History and Ancient History at A level and planned a career in the army by way of university. At school and afterwards I played school and club level rugby, hockey and cricket. I was a school prefect, house captain, Dr Simon Bird left King Edward VI Handswortheditor of the school magazine, under officer in the CCF and senior sacristan in the chapel. Grammar School for Boys in December 2023 for aIt is fair to say that I enjoyed a broad and new headship. Here he looks back on the variousbalanced education, enjoying many wonderful strands of his teaching career. opportunities.When I left school I embarked upon a gap year (something I fully recommend) and worked in Germany as a youth worker. This was followed by employment as a labourer, which was an interesting experience, especially during the harsh winters of northern Germany where we had to spread grit on the pavements and around buildings in the dark early hours of the morning, whilst then having to shovel it up once the ice had thawedwe were prohibited by German law from using salt! During this time I travelled back to the UK to undertake army officer entry tests, passed my driving test (I first learnt to drive a tank before a car!) and backpacked around North America and Mexico before heading to read history at university.I continued to play sport at university, as well as enjoying the opportunity to travel as much as possible. I had interviews (during the milk roundremember that!?) for careers in banking, and accounting and finance, but quickly realised that I didnt want to be stuck in an office. Some holiday jobs in the City opened my eyes to the perils of commuting across London and the monotony entailed within. I also realised that I had changed my mind about a full-time career in the army, and it was a meeting with a careers adviser that saw me apply to do a PGCE at university.Thus, armed with my history degree and PGCE qualification, I embarked upon my teaching career at a grammar school in Kent. I was told at interview that I would not have any A level teaching in my first year, but on arrival and in receipt of my timetable I had two GCSE groups and two A level groups. I also coached rugby, hockey and cricket, as well as being involved in the CCF and Duke 4'