A new year has seen the arrival of a new headteacher at Danesfield School in Williton - and David McGrath, who was previously at a school in Frome, says he is excited to have joined.

He has been teaching since 2007 and says he is a huge advocate of the middle school system.

David is an avid sportsman and plays for a number of teams across the South-West focusing on football, touch rugby, golf and fell running. He has completed the London Marathon and the Brecon Beacons, Lulworth Cove and Exmoor Trail half-marathons in the last three years.

He has been playing guitar and drums since the age of 15, having been taught initially by his father and then - due to musical differences! - proceeded to become self-taught. He has played in several bands in Bristol but now concentrates on solo projects and is attempting to learn piano.

He and his wife love to travel and try to incorporate their passion for walking and food into their excursions. They have recently returned from Vancouver in Canada where they climbed Mount Blackcomb and Mount Whistler in a day. They also travelled to Austin, Texas, where they observed the American political system in action as the Capitol Building held an important congressional vote.

They then walked a 15km section of the Mississippi in New Orleans, Louisiana, and David, a geographer, reflected on the damage and lasting impact Hurricane Katrina had caused in 2005.

He has written several articles for The Times Educational Supplement at the request of one of its projects and content editors. He has also written about areas including issues surrounding ’left-field lessons’, Growth Mindset and how to structure curriculum-led budget plans. This also coincided with his first foray into radio in Teacher Hug radio’s leadership surgery on a Saturday and Sunday.