Hanover Head of House

Andrew Slater

It was a real privilege to be appointed as the Head of Hanover House in September 2023. I am excited for the opportunities this role brings, and hope to help the house ‘Go for Gold’ in all we do. I am also looking forward to building our sense of house community and identity, so students feel proud to be part of Hanover House and all it represents. Alongside my role as Head of House, I am a History teacher, and have been working at Churchill since September 2020.

My background

I moved to the South-West in 2016 to study History at Bristol University, and have not wanted to leave since! Following my History degree, I did a History PGCE at Bristol University, before getting my first teaching job at Churchill in September 2020. I love teaching History and the connections it can help students draw which help them to understand the world we live in today. It has the best stories you could ever tell, and in the summer, I like to get my classes outside to re-enact them where possible! 

Whilst at Churchill, I have loved the range of opportunities it has given me. I have become an SSAT Leadership Fellow, and completed an MSc Education, which focused on the impact of identity and pastoral leadership. For my dissertation, I explored the importance of teaching students how to interact successfully with the world around them, how to disagree constructively, and ultimately how to be individuals who can encourage and support others despite any differences they may have. This is work I am always trying to build into my role as a Head of House, taking the opportunity to speak to students not just about what they have done previously, but also what they can do differently going forwards showing kindness, curiosity and determination.

My interests

Outside of school, I love music, and play the cornet and the guitar. I also really enjoy the great outdoors and going walking, especially on the Quantocks, which are on the doorstep from where I currently live in Taunton. The Lake District is my favourite place in all seasons, and I will take any opportunity to head north and climb a big hill! I have also been involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award with school, leading on some of the Bronze and Gold expeditions, and completing my assessor’s qualification. This is something I hope to continue with in the future, and would encourage all the students to do the same. 

I am so excited to be working with Hanover House, and look forward to building a real sense of community and belonging for all. The House system at Churchill offers every student the opportunity to contribute in all sorts of different ways, and I want Hanover to be a house where every student feels their unique contribution is valued. Along with the tutor team, my role is to support the students to get the most out of their time at Churchill, and I am always happy to discuss this with students or their families if it would be helpful, so please feel free to get in touch. 

I look forward to taking Hanover House to new heights going forwards – let’s go for Gold!