MY BURFORD - MR JAMES MILLARD - SECOND IN HISTORY DEPARTMENT

Burford's Mr J Millard, Second in History Department reflects on his role and time at Burford School as part of our new 'My Burford' series.

This feature series aims to shine a spotlight on the superb staff team at Burford who make it possible for us to offer 'the best of education' to our students.

"I am a newcomer to Burford, having only started in September 2023 as Second in the History Department. I joined Burford after deciding to move out of London to be closer to my Westcountry roots and to enjoy a bit more countryside than is available in the capital! Before joining Burford I worked in a number of schools in London, most recently in a small independent school in Chelsea.

As mentioned, I am Second in the History Department at Burford, which covers a multitude of things.  Firstly (and most importantly!) I teach History throughout the school and Politics at A Level. Within our department I am responsible for our Key Stage 5 (A Level) provision for History and Politics. The position also entails a wider role in which I support (and occasionally deputise for) Ms Thomas, our Head of Department. Outside of the department, I am the Reach Coordinator, which is a wider school role focusing on ensuring that our highest-attaining students are supported in achieving their full potential, both inside and outside of the classroom. 

I really enjoy all aspects of my job, both the student-facing side and also the challenge of working with other members of staff to improve our teaching and general provision so that all students have the opportunity to think hard and be challenged. Ultimately, however, it is the students that make teaching, and the students at Burford are second-to-none. I absolutely love my time in the classroom, helped by the fact that my subjects are becoming more and more relevant in our current, slightly crazy, world.

In my short time here, it has become clear that Burford is a special environment. From the beauty of the site and location to the range of extra-curricular opportunities on offer, it seems hard to be bored here. I have particularly enjoyed the opportunity to become involved in activities outside of the classroom - from helping to take the GCSE PE students climbing (a long-standing pastime of mine), to meeting with Reach students and organising activities such as a Burford School presentation at the Oxford International Kids' Conference with a group of Year 8s and the first ever Burford School Mooting Competition, which will be held in July with Year 12. I am sure that, as I spend more time here, I will have many more similar opportunities.  

Even since I started at Burford, I have seen the school become more and more purposeful in reaching its objectives. Spurred on by our recent OFSTED inspection, it is clear that all staff are dedicated to fulfilling the school's main aims of Respect, Participate and Reach, both inside and outside of the classroom. In the longer term, I hope to play my part in this as Reach Coordinator by helping students make the most of the fantastic extra-curricular opportunities to really stretch themselves through creative arts, public speaking, academic clubs or any other opportunities. The Music and Sports Departments already lead the way in this respect, and it is clear that given the chance, Burford students can shine in numerous (and sometimes surprising) ways. However, in the near future, top of my to-do list is to excavate and rationalise the piles of books which currently take up quite a lot of my classroom, so that my long-suffering form group can actually have their desks back. 

Outside of the classroom I spend a lot of time outside. I have surfed and climbed since young and, although we are fairly landlocked, I can often be found making the journey over to Wales or down to the South-West in order to brave the cold and either get in the water or cling onto some rock. I am also a bit of a political nerd and enjoy reading about, listening to and watching all sorts of political commentary (happily, in this respect, my job is also my hobby!).   

Burford in 3 words:  Varied, Ambitious, Kind"