TRIBUTES continued to reach the Times following the sudden death last week of Chris Powell, former acting principal of Tavistock College. Here, in part, are letters from two men who knew him well, former college principal John Simes, and chair of governors Alex Wood: I first met Chris when he was vice-principal at John Kitto Community College. His outstanding record earned him the opportunity to serve as principal of Okehampton College, and in the subsequent years, Chris and I met frequently, sharing ideas on how to move our school communities forward. Not an easy task, often likened to getting a huge container ship to change course, requiring time, energy and a large turning circle. I can certainly say for Chris Powell that he needed less time to achieve it than most headteachers I have ever met. Energy, vision and ideas he had in abundance, a profound sensitivity for the needs of young people, and total commitment to the mission of his school and his staff. Chris stepped in during the interregnum between my departure from Tavistock College and the appointment of my successor. He did this brilliantly, enthusing and engaging staff and students under the pressure of school inspection, and creating a new platform for success. Schools and communities need leaders like Chris Powell. Although his time at Okehampton and Tavistock was tragically cut short, his legacy is rich indeed. John Simes AS chair of governors at the college, I asked Chris to stand in as acting principal for two terms from early January while we selected a permanent new head to start in September. He made an immediate decision to take on the challenge. Chris more than exceeded all our expectations. In the spring term, he was putting 90-hour weeks in to prepare and lead the college for its Ofsted. His leadership was very much hands-on and from the front, and inspired students and all the staff to achieve results much better than we all expected. All of us at Tavistock College feel very privileged to have worked with him very closely for these two terms. In the short time he was with us Chris made a real and lasting difference to Tavistock College. Chris? approachability, huge energy, inventiveness and skills touched all of us here - parents, students, staff and us governors - for the better. He didn?t just believe in an individual student-centred approach to learning, he lived it. Everything Chris did in Tavistock was about that. He inspired all of us to rise above our expectations. Chris? inspirational leadership and guidance leaves a genuine legacy here in every part of of our college and has set us up for a much brighter future than we would have had without him. His influence will be with us for years to come. Alex Wood
