Above: Mr Bolton, Estates and Facilities Manager

You’re a recent addition to the Dame Allan’s team, what were your first impression of the Schools?

My first impressions are that everyone clearly loves the Schools. Not just as a place of work or study, but as a community. My recollection of waiting in the main reception to go into my interview, which I turned up for an hour early, was a positive experience. Seeing staff and students walk through the reception with a smile on their face, looking my way, taking the time to say hello to a total stranger- I felt a sense of genuine welcome. This has, thankfully, transferred into day-to-day life at Dame Allan’s, with staff, and especially the teams I work closely with, really taking their time to get to know me, helping me settle in and creating that feeling of togetherness.

Can you tell us a little more about your role as Estates and Facilities Manager?

I guess the clue is in the name, but essentially, I am responsible for the short, medium and long-term planning and execution of development to the Schools’ facilities and estates. My ongoing responsibility is to ensure that while I’m in post, the Schools are compliant in their statutory obligations under the HSE authority – basically to ensure we are working safely, keeping pupils, staff, parents and visitors protected. My remit, in a nutshell, is to ensure Dame Allan’s is the best in class when it comes to facilities, and develop a plan to ensure that actually happens.

Can you tell us a bit about your career before coming to Dame Allan’s?

I started my career as a fine dining chef, and spent nearly 20 years in the hospitality industry. 12 of those years were spent running my own businesses; a delicatessen/tapas/restaurant/wine bar, and cafe (I love my food!).

I was approached by a large split site academy in London to assist with their business development, and loved it there so much I decided to retrain in business management, health, safety and fire compliance, specifically tailored to schools, and stayed there for 10 wonderful years (yes, I am that old!) I left that school as Director of Business Operations and went to work in the private school sector, before leaving London to make the big move up to the North East. I have spent a few years working with hospitals, delivering their projects and maintaining statutory compliance – which brings me here, to Dame Allan’s!

Which part of your role are you most excited about?

The people are what make my job what it is. Yes, delivering great facilities and managing projects is what I enjoy, but seeing the people I’m doing this for really enjoy and benefit from the hard work me and my team put in – that’s what I do this for and what excites me about the role.

Looking after the two sites of Dame Allan’s is a huge job, what are your priorities for your first six months of the role?

I have a model I work to in terms of laying foundations for school development. This is primarily driven by several key factors – statutory compliance, clear communication, creating a cohesive team, and effective working. Building relationships across the school, absorbing the culture, communicating my vision, understanding the Schools’ direction and appetite for areas of development are all key to prioritising and building a clear plan of action. Between now and the summer break, I plan to absorb as much information from staff as possible, to ensure I have a well-informed understanding of the people that make the Dame Allan’s what it is.

And finally, what do you like to do in your spare time?

When I’m not ferrying my kids around their social schedule that is far better than mine, I’m a keen camper, motorbike enthusiast, cold water swimmer, and yes, I’m one of those weird people who love the cold and spend time dipping into an ice bath every morning. I still love to cook of course, and sports-wise, I love boxing, swimming, surfing, football – come on you bees! ….and rowing (although having performed dreadfully in the school rowing challenge, I may need to rethink that statement…)