My friend John Hunt, who has died aged 71, was a teacher who rose to be the head of a prep school in Oxfordshire.
One of John’s proudest achievements was the publication of his book, Schooled for Life, in 2016. It presented a history of British educational policy and trends since the second world war, mixed in with his own experiences at school, both as a pupil and teacher. The book was scrupulously researched and its conclusions critical and thoughtful.
John was born in Cheadle Hulme, Manchester, to Gerald, who was head of Wootton Bassett primary school in Wiltshire, and his wife, Marjorie (nee Golder), also a teacher. He attended Commonweal grammar school in Swindon, where the two of us met as pupils – I remember him as a something of a rebel who was outstanding on the sports field.
After teacher training at Loughborough College, Leicestershire, John worked for many years at Cheltenham junior college, initially as a PE teacher and then as head of history and eventually deputy head. He moved on to become head of Ferndale preparatory school in Faringdon, Oxfordshire, in 1991, and stayed there until 2001, when he moved to be an education coordinator for the group of schools to which Faringdon belonged. He retired in 2007.
In the social sphere John was humorous, sometimes acerbic and always loyal to his many friends, with whom he kept in regular touch. Telephone calls with him rarely lasted less than an hour, while he ranged over a wide variety of topics. His views on any subject were characterised by a dislike for hubris, arrogance and insularity. Letters were frequently sent and published in newspapers, and he corresponded with MPs to tell them the errors of their ways, particularly if they supported Brexit.
John had many talents outside work. He wrote poems and played several musical instruments, was an accomplished artist and, with a prodigious ability to recall from memory, an outstanding contributor to any pub quiz night.
He is survived by his wife, Sue (nee Hall), whom he married in 1970 and who worked as a bursar at Faringdon prep, by their children, Lucy and David, and grandchildren Ella, Lily and Tom.