MY BURFORD - MR O Abrahams - Deputy Head of Boarding

Our Deputy Head of Boarding Oliver Abrahams 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 first joined Burford School for a placement during my PGCE in October 2019, before leaving at Christmas to go to my next placement. In the January of 2020 I was offered a Maths teaching role at Burford to start in September 2020 and gladly accepted as quickly as I could, looking forward to picking up where I'd left off at the end of placement.

At Easter in 2021 I took up a duty position in Boarding, working one evening a week and one day every other weekend. I spent two years in the Maths Department before leaving my teaching role to take up a full time role in Boarding because I'd found my passion in my duty role and wanted to take on a more significant position in the Boarding House.

I then spent a year as Resident Medical staff and the following year in a Pastoral Role on the Boys side of the House. Since September of this academic year, I've taken on the role of Deputy Head of Boarding after Mr Kaaber-Gore's departure.

The role is all encompassing, I find myself wearing a dozen different 'hats' everyday. From nurse, constable, taxi driver, teacher of every subject under the sun, to semi-pro table tennis player and occasional baker. Certainly every day is different and that's what makes the job so special. 

Obviously in Boarding we have different events throughout the year, the annual paintballing and Thorpe Park trips, and our Christmas weekend are particularly great. Along with Leavers weekend which is normally very enjoyable, if tinged with a hint of sadness to be losing students we've gotten to know so well, sometimes over the course of seven years and other times just the one or two years.

Outside of work I used to play American Football for the Swindon Storm (on the Offensive and Defensive lines) but I've recently 'retired' from collective injuries over the course of my playing career. Now you'll often see me and Frodo (a one and a half year old sprocker spaniel) out and about on local walks around Burford. I help with the school's DofE programme and last Easter went on the Junior Sports Tour to Gibraltar as well.

Top of the to-do list at the moment is continuing to settle into my new role and to keep learning from the BSA course on Pastoral Care and Boarding Management that I'm currently undertaking. As always in Boarding, new things crop up at the top of the to-do list very regularly, being a stand-in parent to nearly 100 children tends to keep you busy!"