‘A culture where all will succeed’: Tonbridge’s Head of School outlines goals for coming year
Lower Sixth student Ethan Glucina (PS4) has been named as Tonbridge’s Head of School for the 2024-25 academic year.
He will be assisted in his duties by Ben Adams (OH4) and Freddie Skarbek (MH4), newly appointed as Deputy Heads. The boys are pictured with Headmaster James Priory.
“It is the sense of community we have at Tonbridge, where we build each other up rather than push each other down, that inspired me to apply for this position,” Ethan said.
“It was thanks to our community that I found my own voice and discovered my passion for public speaking and debate. The School fosters an environment where boys are encouraged to dream, to try and not to be afraid to sometimes fail, and one of my goals for the coming year is to strengthen our community spirit still further.”
A member of the School’s Debating Society, Ethan says that winning the novice final at this year’s Oxford Schools Debating Competition (alongside fellow Lower Sixth student Max Teh) is one of his stand-out moments. Other highlights include being chief editor of the Social Science magazine, the Bull and Boar, and scoring his first three-pointer for the basketball first team.
Ethan has been a regular visitor to Long Mead Primary School in Tonbridge, where he has given introductory mindfulness sessions to pupils. He was recently selected as one of three global youth ambassadors for the Mindfulness in Schools Project, an international charity which aims to improve mental health and wellbeing for children and young people.
He is considering both UK and US university options, and potentially a career in law. For now, however, Ethan is focused on the coming year. “The Head of School must be an active member of our community who is friendly and approachable,” he adds. “I would like to promote diversity, widen access and encourage a culture where boys from all backgrounds will succeed.”
Freddie combines his interests in sport (especially rugby and squash) and music (saxophone) with academic pursuits. He has a strong interest in reading Classics at university, saying: “It’s a versatile degree with skills applicable to employment in almost any sector”.
As Deputy Head, Freddie wishes to “maintain and grow Tonbridge’s community relations and its ability to produce socially aware, quality young men.” Balancing a fun life with a productive one is among the key lessons he has learned at Tonbridge, and he has been announced as 1st XV captain for next season.
Ben’s passion is for the creative arts, with music and drama playing a large part in his time at Tonbridge. “My experience has been packed full of brilliant opportunities,” he said. “One of the highlights has to be taking part in Les Misérables – not only was the experience great fun, but we were all incredibly proud of the final production itself.”
Ben hopes to study Fine Art, possibly via a course with The King’s Foundation in London, and in his role as Deputy Head will be encouraging boys to pursue creative subjects. “I believe these are immensely important for boys’ independence and work ethic, giving them the confidence to create and explore freely,” he said.
Housemasters will now be leading the process of identifying Heads of House and making recommendations for next year’s School Praes.
