My father, John Horn, who has died aged 90, was a headteacher in Yorkshire for many years, first at Aireborough grammar school in Leeds, which joined the state sector under him, and then at Ossett school, from 1979 to 1994 up to his retirement. From 1989 to 1990 he was also the president of the Secondary Heads’ Association, now the Association of School and College Leaders.
With his conference speech for the association in April 1990 he made national headlines – the Guardian, among others, reporting his call for those in positions of power to show faith in the state system. “Call me naive, foolish, idealistic if you like,” he said, “but logic decrees that if Prince William and Prince Harry and the sons, daughters and grandchildren of ministers, MPs, civil servants and local politicians were all destined for their local comprehensive, then the state system would be dramatically improved in a very short time.”
Born in Leigh-on Sea, Essex, John was the only son of Kenneth, a Methodist minister, and his wife, Margaret Horn (nee Charlesworth). His father died in the Gold Coast (now Ghana), to where he had been posted, when John was seven years old. John was educated at Kingswood boarding school in Bath before graduating in classics from Exeter College, Oxford. He first taught classics and ancient history in the private sector at The Leys school in Cambridge, the setting for James Hilton’s novel, Goodbye, Mr Chips.
Despite, or maybe because of, his privately educated background, John was drawn to the state sector, encouraged by his wife, Jane (nee Scott), whom he had married in 1960; she had been the secretary to the headteacher at The Leys. His first step into comprehensive education was in 1970 as head of middle school at Millom school, Cumbria. He then became head at Aireborough before going on to Ossett school and then retirement.
Wherever John worked he was renowned for being a regular touchline supporter of school teams, having been a sportsman himself, playing rugby union for the Leicester first XV in the late 50s.
In retirement, first in Wakefield and then in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, he was an independent member of the West Yorkshire Police Authority and also a keen Rotarian, serving two terms as president in Ossett and one in Melton Mowbray.
I was always very proud of his kindness, tolerance and high ethical standards.
He is survived by Jane and his four children, Rachel, Barney, Dan and me, six grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
