When the children of St Michael's Prep School in Otford return to class after Christmas it will be to a new headmaster.

Nik Pears is taking charge.

Mr Pears said: "I’ve always liked St Michael’s and have been visiting it for several years as part of sports fixtures with my previous schools.

"Something that has always impressed me about St Michael’s is the atmosphere and people that belong to it.

“The sense of community you feel when walking through the doors of the school is extraordinary."

Mr Pears' own ambition for St Michael's was to bring a "growth mindset."

He said: "In this ever-changing world, our children need to be prepared for life outside of the classroom."

“Pupils need to be adaptable, resilient and perseverant, and learn to accept their failure and mistakes as important parts of their personal development.

“By equipping children with the right interpersonal skills during their school years, we can set them up for a future in which they may have to fight for their place in the world.”

Mr Pears is currently head at the Kent College Prep School in Pembury.

He said the challenges posed by Covid-19 could teach schools a lot about the importance of flexibility and community.

Mr Pears said: “These unprecedented times have been a huge learning curve for schools.

“Navigating a school through a global crisis was never going to be easy, but it has shown just how necessary it is to put pupils at the heart of every decision.

"As someone who has experienced the period as both a teacher and parent, it is very clear that we are all battling the same storm in different boats.

“It is incredible how people have found new and creative ways to deal with the circumstances.

"From Zoom concerts, to helping food banks, to keeping each other’s spirits high with funny videos, this period has shown us a lot about community which we will learn from and remember.”

Mr Pears is married to Emma, and they have two children Jessica and Josiah, and a pet hamster called Charlie.

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