Shapwick School

Lorraine and Colin took over the running of The Manor in January 2008 and thoroughly enjoy caring for the boys.

Lorraine previously worked as a sports coach working to Key Stage 1 and 2, and runs a netball activity at Shapwick.

Colin continues to work full time within engineering.

A houseparent I<br/> That is my trade<br/> Checking rooms are kept tidy<br/> That beds are well made<br/> That shoes are polished<br/> So bright that they shine<br/> That all girls are clean too<br/> And showered by nine<br/> <br/> At nine thirty each night I send them up the stair<br/> To put on pyjamas, brush teeth and hair<br/> At a quarter to ten I turn out the light<br/> And bid them all a peaceful ‘Goodnight’<br/> At seven the next morning they groan as I say<br/> ‘Good morning girls’ as we start the next day<br/> After giving out meds, checking they are following all the rules<br/> I send them down the road for breakfast at school<br/> <br/> <br/>

Sue is the house mother at Greystones, which is a Senior and Sixth Form girls boarding house.

Sue really enjoys being a house mother. Sue’s greatest reward is to watch each year as shy frightened children grow in confidence and independence. She takes great pleasure from the end of term prize giving when she can see how well her pupils have achieved academically as well as socially in the house.

Ian Walton joined Shapwick on the 1st January 2007 as Assistant Houseparent at The Manor, having taken early retirement from the Brewing Industry as Sales Manager for one of the West Countries Independent Brewers.

Previous to this Ian was a Police Officer in the Avon and Somerset Constabulary serving as a uniformed officer in Somerset, a ‘Village Bobby’ and Criminal Investigation Department.

His wife Jo joined the school in September 2008, when they both took over the running of The Old Vicarage, as Residential Houseparents to the sixth form ‘lads’. Jo had previously trained and worked as a Secretary, as well as bringing up their own daughter and son (now in their twenties)

Ian and Jo enjoy the challenge of looking after the teenagers, and endeavour to create a homely atmosphere for them to grow into young adults by providing the fine line between protecting them from today’s environment and giving them the freedom to develop.