Headmaster, Mr Ettinger, reflects on the philosophy and principles which have guided his teaching career and 23-year tenure leading Cokethorpe.
Twenty-three years is a significant stand at the crease. What have been the significant perspectives at that time that guided your approach in building such a successful innings?
We are proceeding directly to the analogies, I see! Well, as with any successful innings, there are moments which call for different approaches to be taken, for different priorities to come to the fore. Even so, as any batting coach worth their salt will tell you, the guiding principles of what determines a batter’s style cannot be entirely coached out of them. It is always there. This is also true of life, and in our working lives especially, regardless of role or profession.
I believe that the hallmarks of a good education are built on learning how to think, not what to think, and being given the space within that for personal discovery – for learning how you learn. Schools also have a role, alongside parents, in shaping character traits that will enable each child to not only achieve their potential but do so humbly, lacking any sense of entitlement, and in a way that sees them be an active and positive influence on their communities and wider society. These are the tangibles of our liberal education and leadership models.
Can you expand on the premise of liberal education?
There is some confusion around education today – both in terms of language and politics – but this is not the first time we have faced these issues. If you look back at the 19th and early 20th Centuries, you will see that the idea of a curriculum comes from liberal educational reformers of that era. One of the key figures was Matthew Arnold. He believed that all children in England should have access to a broad, liberal education, and he was willing to use the power of the state to make that happen. His time as a school inspector gave him first-hand experience with the challenges in education, and he was not shy about criticising what he saw as a narrow, provincial mindset among many teachers.
He was deeply concerned that English education was stuck in what he called the ‘prison of Puritanism.’ He felt that this rigid, moralistic approach had stifled intellectual and cultural life in England for centuries. But despite disagreements on the specifics – for example, how much emphasis should be placed on the sciences, modern languages, or the arts – there was broad consensus that children in a democratic, liberal society needed a solid foundation in core academic subjects. These subjects were not just about memorising facts; they were seen as essential for a child’s intellectual, imaginative, and even spiritual growth.
I believe a good education has to develop both intellect and imagination. Some people assume that focusing on reason and intellect means neglecting emotions or creativity, but that is just not true. In fact, thinking in that way reflects a kind of old-school Puritanical belief that human nature is fundamentally flawed. A well-rounded education should help students engage with art, literature, and life, not just by filling their heads with knowledge but by shaping their moral and aesthetic judgment as well.
It is not just about intellectual development; it is also about cultivating character, moral judgment, and an appreciation for art and beauty. Education is not just about collecting facts; it is about helping children develop as whole people, as that makes for civilised societies.
What is the significance to you of character development?
A standard teacher training text used to be Compulsory Miseducation. Its author, Paul Goodman, believed that the goal of education should be to strengthen a child’s innate inclination to discern their abilities, to develop community spirit and, with these, to be useful to those around them.
To educate is to help children unlock and develop these abilities, which vary from child to child, and to help them understand the importance of community. This is a worthwhile goal, and I think Mr Goodman may have pointed the way to an answer. Aristotle said that the only goal which human beings pursue for its own sake is happiness, or what he called eudemonia. This may be better translated as fulfilment or flourishing, and the meaningfulness that comes from a life well-lived. A valuable education encourages diverse young people to exercise their reason, to find their talents, and use them for the well-being of their community. They become happy and fulfilled human beings in the process. What parent would not want to see that developing in their children?
You also touched on the Leadership Programme. What is its purpose?
The Leadership Programme also has at its core the development of good character and characteristics. In this instance, they are the characteristics that we determine to be the essential ingredients of good leaders, and, by providing opportunities and giving encouragement to pupils, we look to gather in our charges these vestiges of good leadership.
There are many ways to lead, and there are as many different scenarios in which those characteristics that define good leadership might be called upon. When we talk about ‘leadership’, it is not in a simplistic context of creating a steady pipeline of future Prime Ministers, CEOs or dare I say Headmasters and Headmistresses. It is about providing children with the tools to call upon in all facets of life after school, acting as good role models and as individuals who inspire others to follow in whatever pursuit or circumstance.
You describe the School as ‘restless’, always striving for better. How does this manifest?
The Restless School is one that, whilst being secure in its systems, values, and successes, is nevertheless at the same time always seeking to change and improve.
One of the things I have always advocated for is continuous professional development. I genuinely believe that teachers should have significant time dedicated to high-quality training, keeping them at the forefront of best practices.
The challenge centres around the avoidance of a culture of ‘carelessness’ – places that are too content with mediocrity and not striving for enough. Every school has teachers who, for several reasons, settle into the routine and resist change. It reminds me of the quotes by the American economist J K Galbraith: ‘Given a choice between changing and proving that it is not necessary, most people get busy with the proof.’ Leadership is key – not just in the day-to-day running of Cokethorpe but also in having a long-term vision for what education should look like in the 21st Century. I have always believed that no matter the challenges, there is always room for improvement. That is something I have tried to instil in my staff – an openness to change and a drive to keep moving forward. And, of course, a bit of humour along the way never hurts!
Over your tenure, more than 3,000 pupils have passed through the School, going on to rewarding and varied careers. To what extent does the School influence the Head and the Head influence the School?
In my experience, Heads are generally appointed based on four things: vision, values, ambition, and on the ability to lead the School in pursuance of them. With regard to influence, I think it is more of a partnership. A Head’s duty is to understand the school, to know its foibles and its strengths and to support the school in making a success of them. In Cokethorpe, I have been blessed with a school equipped with many strengths that have influenced my tenure. I hope that I have been successful in deepening the influence of those strengths.
What I think is missing from that question is the influence of parents and pupils. It is the pupils who define a school. Everything else is determined by them and the means by which to support them, to guide them, and to model for them what the institution’s ambitions for them are, and what their parents are seeking for them in choosing the School.
What are your hopes for the future of the School?
It was pointed out to me recently that I have led Cokethorpe for more than a third of the time the School has existed. Across that time, I have always been ambitious for the School and our pupils. Partly, that is a consideration for the person our pupils will be at 25, at 40, and so on, and their ability to live happy and rewarding lives. Education is about lighting fires, not filling buckets, as William Butler Yeats had it. It is also about the position of the School within the community, about what it represents, its reputation and success. It is undoubtedly an excellent School – one that I have been immensely proud to lead – and that ambition, that hope for the future, would be to see the School continue its march to be recognised as the foremost co-educational day school in the region. As I have described, in that pursuit, it is crucial to recognise that the goalposts are constantly moving. Cokethorpe must remain restless, never once resting on its laurels in its pursuit of excellence, ever vigilant for the googly and always playing with a straight bat.
The means by which that is continually strived for are soon to be for Dr Squire to determine, with the ready support of our staff, our Governors, our parents and pupils, and I have every confidence that she will deliver.
