The sky is the limit for Chagford Primary School

‘Our vision is to build a strong foundation for every child so they are well prepared for their life ahead’

Chagford Primary School’s principal Ed Finch explains that his goal is to make every child feel that they belong, that they matter and that they are valued for their unique qualities.

Ed Finch is about to finish his first year as principal of Chagford Primary School and has made it his mission to make the school an integral part of the community.

Ed came to Devon in January 2021, with his 15-year-old son Douglas, to work within the Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust but was subsequently asked to take on leadership at Chagford primary thanks to his wealth of experience.

Prior to this, Ed lived in Oxford and had been teaching and taking a variety of leadership roles at a large primary school in a diverse inner city area in the east of Oxford.

Before becoming a primary school teacher he taught in a secondary school in Ethiopia and taught English to business people in Poland and in Edinburgh.

His variety of roles have moulded him into the perfect principal for Chagford; bringing his love of learning, music and art to the forefront of the children’s education.

‘There is a lot of history in the school and a great tradition in Chagford for music - I want to re-inspire and reinvigorate this love for music. We have three visions in the school: Community, challenge and care and we take the community aspect very seriously because when you are not part of the community you are only two dimensional. Being part of the community brings joy and love.’

A love for teaching began by accident

‘I stumbled into teaching rather than realising I wanted to be one,’ said Ed. ‘After a decade of building a career in a different field I needed a rest and took time out to teach in a secondary school high in the mountains in northern Ethiopia. It turned out that I loved teaching, I loved the daily interactions with pupils and colleagues, the satisfaction of seeing young people make progress and the chance to be creative each and every day. After my time in Ethiopia I worked for a while teaching in Poland, then in Scotland. Eventually I accepted my fate and became a “proper” teacher in a middle school in Oxford.

Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust

The DMAT was formed around four years ago and Ed praises the trust for protecting the school for its 150 pupils.

‘We have a fabulous building and a wonderful community which is set within beautiful grounds. We are so blessed but I want to see this school singing to its full potential.

‘Our vision at Chagford Church of England Primary School is to build a strong foundation for every child so that they are well prepared for their life ahead. 

‘We believe that every child needs to feel that they belong, that they matter, and that they are valued for their unique qualities. As we learn about who we are, our relationship to each other and to the wider world, we nurture strong values, underpinned by our Christian ethos, in order to bring about the best possible future for ourselves, our communities and future generations. At Chagford, our values inform our aims, and help us to be the very best that we can be.’

Chagford primary ‘should be the school of choice in at the area’

‘We have an amazing community, great kids, terrific staff, a wonderful building and glorious grounds. I want love and creativity to sing out of this place so much so that people are clamouring to get their children in here. We have expanded to a full one form entry structure now so progression through the curriculum is much clearer and we can make sure each and every child is challenged to reveal their talents and reach their potential. The sky is the limit for Chagford Primary.’

The school is working with a range of creative people in the community and a professional theatre director to create a whole school production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ this summer. Ed added: ‘It’s going to be a wonderful way to bring the school and the community closer together.’