A familiar face will help lead the new The Scots College Brighton Preparatory School when it opens next year.
Rod Stoddart has been announced as the first Head of the school which will be housed within Primrose House at Dolls Point.
It will be a return to the area for the educator who was born and raised in Hurstville.
His parents, Glenda and Clive, ran Stoddart's Newsagency for over 20 years in three different locations along Forest Road.
Glenda also spent 11 years on Hurstville Council while his father was an active member of the Hurstville Lions Club for many years.
He will take on the role from his previous position as Assistant Head of the Junior Preparatory School at The Scots College.
He said he found teaching through his love of sport.
‘’I’ve always had a love for sports and at school I wanted to be a player, or coach or PE teacher,’’ he said.
‘’During my senior years at school I had the opportunity to assist in coaching the younger teams.
‘’I decided to enrol in primary teaching at the University of Wollongong and it’s a decision that has led me to my passion and I have enjoyed everyday of teaching since.’’
He began his career in 2001 as a casual teacher in schools across St George and the Sutherland Shire.
His first full-time role was at Athelstane Public School in Arncliffe where he spent more than two years developing skills and understanding what teaching is all about.
He spend seven years at Newington College before moving to Scots in 2010.
He said taking the new role at Brighton was a no-brainer.
‘’When the opportunity arose to apply for the Brighton job it was like dream come true,’’ he said.
‘’To take the Scots brand, which I believe to be a world class leader in the education and development of young men, into a community that I have grown up in and belonged to my whole life. I just could not resist the opportunity to be part of this.’’
