King Edward’s Witley has appointed Mr Daniel Tobias as the new Housemaster of Edward House, a Senior Boys’ Boarding house. The position will be effective from September 2016. Mr Tobias is currently the Assistant Housemaster and teaches English in a Senior Boys’ house at Monkton Senior School, Bath. Monkton is a co-educational independent boarding and day school for 2-18-year-old children.
A former successful professional actor (working for Thames TV and in various West End productions in the 1990s), Mr Tobias took the interesting decision to change career in 1997, after being attracted to a career in education. His original entry into the world of acting went against the advice of his tutor at Bradfield College, the boarding school he attended for five years in the 1980s and equally, many years later, his announcement that he wished to leave acting and pursue an alternative profession was met with similar reservations by his London agent. Mr Tobias uses life experiences such as these to instil in the boys that are in his care, a genuine sense of inner confidence, as well as the courage to follow one’s passion. He is a firm believer that all young people have dynamic potential and that all things are possible with self-belief.
“As a Housemaster I believe passionately that it is my duty to really listen to the children and for them to feel confident that I will actually act on what is being said, rather than just pay lip service. My mandate as a Housemaster is also to provide the pupils with a positive experience of all the amazing opportunities afforded by attending a modern boarding school such as King Edward’s Witley. It is a true privilege to witness the development of individuals in in the house and to chart their transformation from when they join as boys, to the time they leave as exceptional young men. In terms of my decision to join King Edward’s, I was immediately attracted to the friendly, sincere and down to earth atmosphere that permeates throughout the entire School, which is against the backdrop of an educational establishment renowned for its superior pastoral care and ability to encourage excellence and ambition amongst all pupils, as evidenced by the recent outstanding ISI report. The School’s rich heritage of supporting children from all walks of life, from a variety of backgrounds, nationalities and circumstances was another key factor that influenced my decision to take up the role. King Edward’s Witley is truly unique.”
Mr Tobias grew up in Richmond, Surrey and the new appointment at King Edward’s represents an opportunity for him to return to his ‘home’ county with his wife Penny and two young sons, Oliver (11) and Benjamin (9). A keen swimmer and sportsman, Mr Tobias is also an enthusiastic football coach. He has directed 14 school plays in his career, most recently writing a comedy for his senior school, from which he derived immense enjoyment!
Mr Tobias’ favourite school motto, is ‘Every child matters, every child has something to offer and every child is worth listening to’.