There was a surprising human side to Richard Booth, headteacher of The Reach Free School, or perhaps less surprising when you consider the personal and passionate reasons he had for planning, creating and building a secondary school completely from scratch. 

What started as a drawing on the back of a pub napkin, is now a beautiful, purpose-built school, in the heart of Mill End and Maple Cross; home to just under 800 pupils. 

After a greatly successful interview with the headteacher of The Reach Free School, Richard Booth, tells-all of the trials and tribulations, highs and lows, satisfactions and upsets of being a headteacher.

Mr Booth describes his school experience as “not mischievous, but could have tried harder”; it is this experience that drives his determination to encourage all his students to take advantage of every opportunity available to them. 

Mr Booth wanted to start the school after seeing the Maple Cross’s area need for a  local community school and he wanted to give back to the community that treated him well in his younger life.

In addition, he attributed  the school’s beginnings as being ‘at the right place at the right time’.

There are some downsides; he described the worst part of his job as suspending or excluding people in the rare occasions where behaviour does not meet up to his, and the school’s expectations. 

On a brighter note, he mentioned that the best part of his job is ‘celebrating successful people’ through Reach Points, Achievement assemblies and the Annual Awards Ceremony at Watersmeet Theatre.

When asked about imposter syndrome, Mr Booth talked briefly about his experience; in the beginning he did have some personal doubts but less so now due to experience.

Mr Booth believes, that every positive thing can be put under the one of the three pillars of the The Reach Free School’s ethos: Achievement, Community and Enjoyment. 

He certainly embodies all three.