Richard Ward
Housemaster
Having lived in Spain and Italy and being part of a dual heritage family, I feel lucky to have enriched my life by understanding different cultures and I feel privileged to work in our diverse school community. In Abney, Mr Gacs and I, along with the whole Abney team, will be ensuring every student has a voice; ensuring every student is recognised; ensuring every student grasps opportunities on offer at the School and feels part of a fun and welcoming environment in which they can be themselves, and diversity is celebrated. We look forward to welcoming you and your family into the House.
After beginning my working life in the wine industry and international trade, I moved into education in 2010. Since then, I have worked in a variety of settings ranging from small inner-city state schools in my native Yorkshire to larger Multi Academy Trusts in Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire before coming to work as a Teacher of Spanish at the Grammar School in 2013. As well as teaching Spanish to years 8-13, since 2016 I have been at the heart of keeping boys safe at the School in my roles in safeguarding and PSHE.
My interest for learning Modern Foreign Languages was sparked by an inspirational teacher at my comprehensive school in South Yorkshire and this passion took me to university where I studied Spanish and Italian. It was at university that I met my wife, whose family originate from Gujarat on the Western coast of India, and since then I have enjoyed learning Gujarati. I have two children, both of whom are at Fairfield, and enjoy spending time with my family walking, cooking and just generally having fun.