Each month we invite a headteacher or college principal to share their views on education. This month we are delighted to speak to Tom Arrand, Principal of the UK's highest performing A-Level school. Students at this outstanding college achieved over 94% A*/A grades at A-Level in 2025, earning them a coveted Best-Schools Crystal Award.

What first sparked your interest in education when becoming a teacher?

I had the privilege of being offered a full scholarship to attend an independent school for sixth form and so, at the age of 16, my entire outlook on education was transformed. Unlike many teachers, I think I knew from about the age of 17 that this is what I wanted to do. The ability to be fully imersed in one’s own academic subject and to impart this to others, while enjoying the music, sport, debate, theatre and vibrant life that UK independent schools offer, is not so much a career choice as an absolute privilege. I have enjoyed every single day and look forward to many more to come.

How did your own teachers influence your teaching style?

In a word, it was their passion. Whether that was being taught English Literature by a former Ireland rugby player or music by a cathedral organist, I was blessed to be educated by genuine role models who showed me that deep, intellectual appreciation of one’s own subject is something worth striving for and that one can never be bored by learning. I remain in contact with the people who taught me, even to this day, and if I have had even a fraction of the impact on former students as they had on me, then I have done a decent job.

What makes a great school?

The people. We are in the process of opening a brand new school building in Cardiff and this has been the project of a lifetime, but as I always say when introducing the project to prospective families, the fundamental heart of Cardiff Sixth Form College never changes. It is the hundreds of astonishing young people who make up our student body; it is their hopes, dreams and aspirations, their drive to succeed and their determination to learn. It is the expert teachers whose passion fuels that academic ambition and it is the wider community of all staff who support that mission. The best schools in the world do not need state-of-the-art facilities to deliver exceptional provision, they just need exceptional people. However, when blessed with both, we can do truly exceptional things.

What is your favourite part of the school day?

Leading a school comes with various challenges, highs and lows, and a fair amount of relatively mundane administration. That is why the best part of the day, and indeed the best part of the job, is interacting with young people. Whether that is meeting with prefects, teaching Year 10, having a chat in a corridor or watching students deliver assemblies, it reminds us of our purpose and never fails to delight.

What’s your favourite interview question for a prospective student?

I love asking students what questions they would like to ask me. Unlike grown-ups, who often anticipate such a question, young people tend to be surprised by this and respond with genuine authenticity. I’ve been asked if I have any pets, what I like to read, where I went to university, if I am very strict and even who I vote for! It’s wonderful to be able to engage on a human level and to let prospective students know that I am a real person.

If you could change one thing about your school, what would it be?

All schools, just like all students and all professionals, should consider themselves to be on a continuous journey of positive change, positive improvement and continuous development. I may be avoiding answering the question, but the genuine answer is that I would change nothing today other than to work with all of my energy to ensure that the school is always moving in the right direction. I always challenge Year 13 at the start of the year to leave the college in a better place than they found it and they never let me down.

When you tell people you are a Headteacher what is their reaction?

It used to be that I look too young to be a Headteacher but sadly, that is no longer the reaction. Actually, when I’m asked what I do in any context away from my professional life, I tend to just say that I am a teacher because in my heart that is what I am and what I do.

What positive message would you want to give to the world?

Education is the most important thing in the world. Without education and without educators, there is nothing. Without education there are no lawyers, doctors, engineers or politicians. Civil society depends upon education to function and an educated nation is a nation that can thrive. We do the most important job in the world; we change and shape lives on a daily basis. We are the real ‘influencers’.