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Five Questions...with Dominic Neville, Director of External Relations at Dean Close School

Thanks for doing this, Dominic. Let's get right into it!

1. The King is visiting tomorrow - what will you show him?

King Charles cares deeply about nature, the environment and sustainability, and with Dean Close nestled within 50 acres of beautiful parkland in one of England’s finest regency towns, we are very excited to be taking His Royal Highness through our beautiful grounds and green spaces including one of our performance spaces, our Tuckwell Open-Air Theatre.

King Charles is also a great supporter of sports and so His Royal Highness will see our Dean Close elite sports programmes and meet our pupils who play at international level and our hockey teams as they prepare for national finals.

King Charles is also a great supporter of the Arts, and if we can’t persuade His Royal Highness to play a cameo role on stage in our 550-seat theatre, we will visit our Classics Department to see the preparations for a re-enactment of a Classical scene from Ancient Rome.

Then on our way to the Cricket, just beyond Chapel, we will take His Royal Highness to visit the phenomenal Art Department and to hear our superb choirs, ensembles, soloists and orchestra in rehearsal. This term we are performing Rachmaninov’s iconic Piano Concerto Number 1.

But of course no visit to Dean Close could be complete without sampling some of the fine gastronomic delights produced by our wonderful Sixth Form students who are training for the prestigious Leiths Cookery Course.

2.Two weeks of rain - what will the children remember?

There is a phrase that says “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain”. Making the most of every opportunity, come rain or shine, is an important part of our community spirit, the can-do approach that gets things done, that enables all our pupils to flourish. Children at Dean Close tell us they really cherish the warm, welcoming community spirit as they settle into Dean Close life, and the fun of house activities as an amazing way to make new friends at the start of September.

Our aim is to give every child the very best start in life, and so our young people tend to remember the incredible opportunities they had at Dean Close, which are so often tailored to the specific interests and talents of our young people. For some this may be learning to cook the perfect Crème brûlée or mastering the perfect tennis serve, and for others it will be inspirational moments of academic discovery or developing the courage to perform on stage. But above all, our pupils remember how they felt at Dean Close, the love they were given and the care and support that enabled them to flourish.

3. Always connected or totally unplugged? How does your school approach digital devices and social media?

We take a balanced approach to technology. It’s important everyone gathers the skills to manage their digital devices alongside making the most of the benefits that technology can provide. Community, communication and connection are very important to us so we like to keep some places - and various times of the day such as meal times – completely phone-free.

4. What’s the most creative excuse a student has ever given for missing a lesson or getting into trouble?

We have a thriving careers and futures programme to help all our young people develop the skills to be able to prepare for their future careers and flourish. On one occasion, a pupil missed a lesson because she was speaking to someone from NASA!

5. What’s one tradition at your school that baffles outsiders but is cherished by students?

In September each year, we host an amazing event called ‘House Shout’. It’s nothing like shouting. Instead, this is the most amazing way to integrate all our new pupils, to form friendships and have fun. Our pupils sing in house teams in harmony and occasionally even a bit of dance! It is such a beautiful representation of our community spirit.

Thank you, Dominic, for your answers.

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—Five Questions...with Dominic Neville, Director of External Relations at Dean Close School

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Five Questions...with Dominic Neville, Director of External Relations at Dean Close School