Hackney People
Mark Emmerson - Principal, City Academy, Hackney
It's hard to believe the fit, young-looking man bounding across the reception of swanky central London offices has been teaching for 24 years.
But you soon understand why Mark Emmerson, a 46-year-old father of four, joined the profession and why, with more than 17 years experience in senior roles, he was appointed as Principal of The City Academy, Hackney, due to open in 2009.
His career has seen him gather experience around London, before arriving in Hackney as head of Stoke Newington Secondary School in 2000. He explained: “I’ve always felt I wanted to set up and provide good quality education in areas where, ordinarily, people don’t expect it. That’s why I’ve worked in places like Brent, Islington, Camden and Hackney.”
Having lived in Hackney before he came to work here, Mark already had strong links with the area. His leadership at Stoke Newington helped raise its profile and change the school enormously. But Mark wasn’t prepared to sit back and preside over the improvements.
He wasn’t looking for another headship, but jumped at the chance to open an academy after learning the sponsors were KPMG and City of London, who he already had a good working relationship with and shared values about education.
Mark was also keen to remain in Hackney, where he knows primary school heads and The Learning Trust, which runs the borough’s education services on behalf of the Council. He said:
“To start a new school, to set the name, corporate image, ethos and values of the school is probably as exciting as it gets in terms of being a head.”
This year has been about recruiting staff, making contacts, visiting other schools and getting ideas to formulate a plan for the academy. Mark is currently writing policy, organising open evenings, designing classroom spaces, and looking at new methods of using ICT. His philosophy around behaviour, values and success is guided by his experience as a parent and reflected in the Academy’s motto, ‘Values and Success’.
He is looking forward to seeing the new school fitted out and students arriving on the first day, smartly dressed in their uniform. Over the next year, his team will work hard to make sure the opening is as smooth as possible.
Which doesn’t leave much free time, but when he’s not at work, Mark says he’s mostly ferrying his four children – who were all born in Homerton hospital – around to various activities, taking them on trips to Epping Forest and places around Hackney and London, which he enjoys enormously.
Mark and his partner, who is also a teacher in the borough, live in Haringey with their two sons and two daughters, aged 10 months to 15 years.
With a year to set up the new academy, he says he has rediscovered the luxury of a lunch break and is taking full advantage of his gym membership. “I intend to become the fittest principal in Hackney,” he joked. But admits that will be hard to maintain once the school opens next year.
Curriculum Vitae Mark Emmerson
- 1961 Born in Newcastle
- 1965 Educated Hexham, Northumberland
- 1979 Studies economics at Leeds Polytechnic
- 1982 Arrives in London, works at Debenhams
- 1983 Warwick University, politics and economics degree
- 1984 First teaching job at Preston Manor School, Brent
- 1987 Starts work at Islington Sixth Form College
- 1993 Deputy Head Teacher, South Camden School
- 2000 Head Teacher, Stoke Newington School
- 2008 Appointed Principal, City Academy, Hackney
More information
Details of the Academy at: www.thecityacademy.org.
Page updated: 15 Jun 2010
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