Headmaster Lecture Series

Katie is well recognised in the field of social business strategy and digital transformation, She has delivered two TEDx presentations and is a frequent commentator on BBC TV and radio. 

Sh has an MBA and a career spanning 28 years, during which she has advised and coached leading brands, schools and universities. She is Group Chair or the UK PR industry body and the PCRA. 

Owais was born in Pakistan and is a former English cricketer who represented England in all forms of the game. An adolescent cricketing prodigy, Owais has played for Middlesex, Essex, Hampshire and a variety of clubs in the Indian Premier League. 

Matthew runs his own Media Production Business, Janno Productions, which he started in 2015 off the back of an inspirational 1600 mile charity walk from John O’Groats to Lands End via all 16 cancer research centres in the UK. He documented his journey, which acted as the catalyst to start his own media production company. 

Author of the ‘Keeper of the Realm’s fantasy series. Marcus is a champion of literacy and has built a strong reputation for inspiring today’s youth to put aside their devices and pick up a book. With his use of modern language and his background in adrenaline sports, his talk was peppered with tales of adventure and had Year 7 and 8 enthralled. His talk certainly embodied resilience coupled with creativity. His popularity was evident by the amount of pupils who lined up for his autograph at the end!

An ex-Lingfield student, Philip presented his PhD research work at the University of Manchesters to the senior years. His lecture was a fascinating insight into the variety of ways that new materials can be manipulated to perform different tasks. He linked this to GCSE and A Level Physics and Chemistry, demonstrating how current studies can be applied in the real world. 

Matthew spent four years cycling around the world, visiting 61 countries over five continents. Living on £5 per day, Matthew told our student body of the challenges of nature he encountered plus the trials of logistics and his strength of will which was often tested. He encouraged our students to follow their dreams,  to listen to those who encourage them and to ignore anyone who tells you that you can’t do something. Marcus presents tales of his journey to schools to raise money for the charity SOS Children’s Villages. He gave a truly inspiring talk of resilience and empathy.

Anna graduated with a degree in American Management Studies and joined Barclay’s as a graduate over 20 years ago. Her career has predominantly been spent in HR roles, specifically focusing on the graduate recruitment market. Anna spoke to our senior students about the importance of preparing for employment prospects and being able to capitalise on opportunities that arise. She emphasised that it is never too early to start preparing for a career. Our students felt confident and empowered with useful career advice.

Philip spent 25 years as a major in the British Army on operational deployment in Iraq, the Falkland Islands, Bosnia, Kosovo and Australia. He spoke to our students about his career as a Royal Engineer. We were fascinated to hear from someone who had travelled the world and gained a thorough understanding of life in the army. Philip is now a Geography teacher at Lingfield and our Duke of Edinburgh Co-ordinator. 

Aaron was 15-years-old when he contracted Meningitis C and Meningococcal Septicaemia which led to the amputation of both legs and most of his fingers. Not letting this experience define him, Aaron competed in various road races, took up wheelchair rugby and represented Great Britain in the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Our students were impressed with his amazing strength of character and resilience.  His message was to make positive choices in your life often against adversity. His optimism and positivity were profound.

In 1989 Tracy skippered the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race and subsequently became the first woman to receive the Yachtsman of the Year Award. Tracy shared her life experiences as a backdrop to emphasise that success takes hard work and dedication. She demonstrated through a series of lively stories that her achievements were due to a combination of teamwork and loyalty. She spoke at length about how trust and respect for others builds invincible teams: an inspiring talk on International Women’s Day!