Current Headmaster

Bradden James Gay
PG.Dip.Ed.(Tech.), B.Ed., Dip. Tchg

Boarding to me is an essential experience in personal development. As a boarder at Lindisfarne College I took my first steps towards independence and have never looked back. Lindisfarne fostered a life long love of learning and so teaching was the obvious next step in my development. I have taught for 19 years in Boarding Preparatory Schools.  I taught at Hereworth Preparatory School for ten years and spent one year teaching in England at Caldicott Preparatory School. My wife Pam also taught at Caldicott School which has a proud tradition of preparing boys for secondary schools such as Eton, Radley and Harrow. In 2000 Pam, Henry and I moved to Huntley School and since 2004 I have been Headmaster.  Our second son, Jack, was born here in 2001.

I passionately believe that the years spent at Preparatory School are arguably the most important ones in a boy's education and development.  The skills that are learned, the habits that are formed, the values and standards that are absorbed, stay with a boy not only through his time at Secondary School, but into adult life as well.  Huntley School is in a better position than most Prep Schools because it has the benefit of a long established boarding tradition.  It is this immersion in a boarding school culture that gives Huntley its X-factor.  A competitive edge that other schools can never really capture.

I have a clear vision for the future of Huntley and this is based around the Huntley Boy. Over the last five years with the help of the the staff, board and school community we have revamped a number of programmes in the school. We have undertaken an extensive rebuilding programme and this has gone a long way to meeting my vision for the school. It is all about providing a warm and supportive environment in which a boy can flourish and grow in a holistic way, academically, culturally, spiritually and personally.  Huntley School is a place where each individual feels that they are valued.  I believes that any educational environment must have input from the students, staff, parents and other stakeholders in the community.  This collective input is vital for any learning organisation to create a collaborative culture.

Adventure is a word I like to use often when I talk about the experiences boys receive whilst at Huntley School.  The adventure of learning; the adventure of sport; the adventure of music; the adventure of developing independence; and above all the adventure of boarding. Huntley is all about preparing the boys for the adventure of life.