Alastair Land, Headmaster of Harrow School on sticking to your core principles in the face of change
In the latest episode of Heads & Tales, Henry Faber sits down with Alastair Land, Headmaster of Harrow School since 2019 - a true titan of independent education with a career spanning the very best of British schooling. From his first teaching role at Eton in 1994 through to Winchester as Master in College, then back to Harrow as Deputy Head before his stint as Head of Repton, Alastair's journey reads like a ‘greatest hits’ of independent education.
Beyond the classroom, he's coached rugby, directed plays, commanded CCFs, led natural history expeditions, and even refereed football - embodying the all-round teacher that defines great schools. An evolutionary biologist by training with a deep faith that shapes his leadership, Alastair brings both high intellect and moral purpose to one of Britain's most famous school. As this episode reveals, his approach to leadership is grounded in core values even as he navigates the huge shifts facing independent education today.
🎙️ Episode highlights
The mentoring web: Alastair reveals his most influential mentors, from his wife Madeleine (Deputy Head Academic at Notting Hill and Ealing High) to the often-overlooked school chaplains who as he says "knit the moral fabric" of institutions together
The unexpected vice-captain: A transformative moment at Manchester Grammar School when two alpha students dragged him to see the High Master, leading to his surprise appointment as school vice-captain - a pivotal experience that still shapes how he spots potential in others today
The weight of leadership: His honest reflection on accepting the "cost of responsibility" - knowing that taking on headship means inevitably having to make those devastating phone calls and difficult conversations that come with the job.
Everyday excellence over grand gestures: Why the best moments in education aren't the grand occasions like preaching at St Paul's Cathedral, but instead recognising when "anyone did something today that they couldn't do yesterday"
The analogue approach: His commitment to notebook-and-pen thinking, from tube journey insights to poolside epiphanies, and how his children serve as brutally honest editors for his chapel talks
Timeless over trendy: Alastair's controversial stance that education's obsession with "new initiatives and shiny ideas" misses the point - great schools succeed by relentlessly focusing on quality teaching, pastoral care, and co-curricular excellence
The fabric of society: His urgent warning about the paradigm shift facing independent education and the risk of losing the millions of pounds and thousands of lives touched by community partnership work that has been the sector's moral backbone for many years
Career wisdom: Why every seemingly random job - from "Master in charge of new boy fives" to "Master in charge of cups and trophies" - has shaped his leadership, and why embracing those unexpected moments broadens your scope in education.