Reddford House Northcliff head looks back at the year that was
Caryn Brinkley, head of Reddford House Northcliff, looks back at the years she's been in charge, hoping she's made a difference to the lives of her students.
It was a year not only filled with the introduction of new ideas, and staff members, but also with short walks over to the junior school on days head of Reddford House Northcliff Caryn Brinkley needed her spirits lifted.
Though her first year as head of the school was a busy year, it was also an engaging one. It allowed for her to implement new ideas that will, hopefully, see the school grow. “I want to see this school be the school of choice on the West Rand,” she said. To aid in this endeavour are the batch of new staff members who she expects will help add a different, fresh, new vibe to the school.
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Although she was also principal at the previous school she worked, her role there only saw her lead a senior school, unlike this one, which has her leading both junior and senior schools. “It is so amazing to look after junior primary children,” she said. Grades 1 to 3 are her favourite part of the school. To her, children at these ages dote over the teachers, the principal, and the school. On days she needs a pick-me-up, she walks to this section of the school, which is the highlight of her day, serving as a breath of fresh air for her.
She noted the difference in approach junior school children have versus seniors, saying that when they are little, children have a love for their teachers, and as they get older, that love turns to respect. That teacher then becomes someone a learner looks up to, to get them where they need to be. Even though its the littles that make her smile, it’ll always be the seniors that she loves to teach.
Also read: A new era of leadership at Reddford House Northcliff
Brinkley didn’t always know she wanted to be in education. “I wanted to be a charted accountant, much like my dad. It was my passion,” she said. After she had been accepted to study the subject at Wits University, she woke up one morning, the day before registration for the education department closed, and decided she would rather study teaching, so she could teach home economics. “I loved cooking, and the process of preparing different meals for my family, as well as baking and sewing.” She ended up being a geography teacher, and now, 25 years later, she celebrates the decision she made, the last quarter of a century only reaffirming that she made a great choice.
She loves engaging with children, and how they beam when they finally grasp a concept. As head of school, she wants her staff to have a passion for teaching, and wants them to be the best they can be. “It is not always about getting those A’s,” she said. “It is about that average child getting a B, or getting a child who just couldn’t pass, to pass and improve.”
Brinkley ultimately hopes children remember her most for her kind nature, coupled with the freedom she hopes she gives them to come to her. For them to know their principal always cares for them, and has their best interests at heart.
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