CHANGE is in the air at Tavistock College. The sound of building work can be heard as facilities are created, improved and maintained. And in his office, new principal Colin Eves has been busy preparing for the return this week of the school?s 1,800 students and getting to grips with what must be one of the toughest jobs in town. Even before the term starts, teachers call in to welcome him. He greets them with a smile and a manner that is both friendly and efficient. Mr Eves, 46, has the kind of face that slips into a smile more easily than a frown. He graduated from Swansea University in 1980 with a degree in chemical engineering. His brother, like him, a science teacher, was promoted from his job and recommended Colin for the post. ?Finding science teachers in the early 1980s was like finding hens? teeth. I fell into teaching by accident, but it?s been great and I have no regrets at all,? says Mr Eves. He comes to Tavistock from Ilfracombe College where he was head. The move to Devon came after teaching posts in Berwick-Upon-Tweed and mid and north Wales. Keen on outdoor activities, he has worked close to areas of great beauty. Tavistock is the latest. Where next? ?There is no next,? he says. ?When I was looking to move, the first place I wanted to work at was Tavistock College. When the opportunity arose I was absolutely delighted and my only regret was having to move on from Ilfracombe after a relatively short time there. It was not something I had planned.? Tavistock?s proximity to Dartmoor was a big attraction as he enjoys walking. ?In Brecon we did a 40-mile challenge, walking 40 miles in 24 hours. I?m keen on personal challenges and the outdoors. ?I love sport, all sports, I like the competitive side of team games. But sadly I have never been very talented at any of them. I play squash badly and not as often as I would like.? Mr Eves? parents were brought up in difficult circumastances. They were children during the war and lived through the Blitz in London. His father, through studying at evening classes, made a successful career in water purification. He describes his parental influences as being self-discipline, understanding, tolerance and responsibility for one?s self and to the community. His upbringing was typically ?middle class?. He attended Thames Valley Grammar School in Twickenham ? ?We had the afternoon off when the varsity match was played? ? and joined the boy scouts which sparked his love of walking and outdoor activities. In his spare time he enjoys renovating old properties. ?I lived in a 16th century gamekeeper?s cottage in north Wales and a 16th century farmhouse in mid Wales, both of which needed a lot of work. It?s rewarding to put a lovely historic building back the way it used to be.? He became a deputy head in 1990 when local management of schools was introduced. ?At the time it was a huge success because it gave the opportunity to manage things more efficiently and better do what was right for the institution. ?However, one of my worries is that whenever something does not go quite right, the political response is to make a change and introduce something new. There has been a whole range of requirements and constraints that have inhibited schools from having the freedom that was intended back in the early 90s. ?We do not have the freedom over the curriculum that we used to. For example, citizenship and work-related learning have been introduced. This is highly laudable, but nothing has been taken out of the curriculum for those to go in. Finding the time to do justice to all of it is difficult. ?Tavistock College has a committed and able staff and the contacts I have had with parents and the local community have been very supportive and very positive. ?My top priority is to get to know the college, its pupils, staff and the parents.? On discipline, he says it is essential to set clear boundaries, have good communication and systems that deal fairly with issues that arise. He stresses that the college exists for the students and they need to feel a sense of ownership and responsibility for its success. ?We need to find as many ways as possible of actively including them in the day to day work of the college. ?It?s all about partnership ? staff, students, parents and the local community ? if we are all working in partnership it will result in the greatest benefit for everyone.?
