Bernard
Trafford and his wife Katherine
Dr Bernard Trafford was educated at Downside School in Somerset and then read Music at St Edmund Hall, Oxford. He started teaching music at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, and moved to become head of department at Wolverhampton Grammar School in 1981, having just married his wife Katherine. In 1987 he became head of sixth form at WGS and, in 1990, became its Head. In September 2008 he left Wolverhampton to take up the Headship of the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne. He is a member of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC), was its 2007/2008 Chairman and is resuming that role on a short-term basis from December 2008 to April 2009. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Commerce and Manufactures (RSA) and Chair of Trustees of School Councils UK.
In 2006-7 he stepped down, after many years, from being an elected representative for independent schools on the Council of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) (formerly Secondary Heads Association – SHA), Chair of youngchoirs (now SingUK), and a Trustee of the National Schools Symphony Orchestra.
Bernard regularly speaks and writes about education, particularly focusing on leadership, personal development, democracy, school/student councils and children’s rights.
Music remains a favoured occupation for his spare time: he
composes, sings, plays the trumpet and enjoys
playing jazz with a group of old friends: the band - the Catte
Street Rhythm Wreckers,
formed when
Bernard and his friends were at Oxford -
has been
together for more than 30 years. He
tries to keep fit by cycling and running, loves walking in the hills of
Northumberland (where he and Katherine have a cottage) and is particularly addicted to
classic American detective fiction.
Their two daughters graduated from
university in 2007.
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