John joined Moor House in November 2003 and over the years has played a pivotal role in keeping the students and staff safe by ensuring that our site is secure and well-maintained.

His quiet and unassuming manner has endeared him to us all. If there is a phrase that will forever be associated with John it is: ‘leave it with me’. This is the response that you get when you ask him to resolve any issue great or small.

Throughout his time at Moor House, he has been the first one on site in the morning- and other than the residential care staff- the last one to do the rounds at night to make sure that the building is locked up.

He has led the maintenance team ably and together they have taken on the challenge of transforming various parts of the site.

John and his team can be relied upon to deliver these projects on time and in budget and with unfailing energy and enthusiasm, no matter what the weather. John has also made sure that the checks and records required by Ofsted are done routinely and to a high standard. When we were inspected in 2018, the Inspector was so impressed that he wrote this in the report: “A diligent and competent site manager ensures that the necessary health-and-safety certification is in place within the residential setting. He is meticulous in his approach, ensuring that systems are in place to provide the necessary prompts to update certification. Other professionals, such as those in the fire and rescue service, have commented on the standard of excellence and said it is worthy of wider dissemination.”

This is high praise indeed and it was heartening to see John’s work recognised so publicly. It is also fitting to thank his wife Audrey for her patience and perseverance in putting up with the late-night fire evacuations and early morning pool checks, not to mention the opening and closing of the school site on the weekends when it was let to members of the community.

John leaves Moor House with the heartfelt thanks of the whole community. While we will miss him, but we wish him a happy and healthy retirement and hope that he will keep in touch.