My friend Lawrie Rose, who has died aged 71, was a primary school headteacher in Kent.
Firm, fair and fun, he was a consummate professional and a strong advocate for taking greater care of young children’s mental health. Under his leadership, Sherwin Knight school in Rochester became the first in the county to work with the national charity Place2Be, which supplies counsellors to support struggling children.
Lawrie was also a great storyteller, and brought music to the centre of his school assemblies, in which folk, rock, world and classical music were all featured. His non-competitive sports days, secular harvest festivals and Christmas pantos are still vividly remembered.
Born in Glasgow to Phillip Rose, the managing director of an electrical accessories company, and Rita, a housewife, he grew up in Finchley, north London, where he attended Quintin Kynaston school.
He always wanted to be a teacher and after leaving school he funded his course at the Philippa Fawcett Teacher Training College in Streatham by working in Habitat in central London, where he took delight in being in charge of the shop’s sound system.
Lawrie began his career as a primary school teacher at Grove Park school in Sittingbourne, Kent, followed by a deputy headship at Luddenham school in Faversham, a headship at Graveney school (also in Faversham), and finally the headship of Sherwin Knight, where he worked for 20 years.
After retirement in 2019, Lawrie became a teacher training supervisor and assessor at Canterbury Christ Church University, working there part-time until a couple of years ago. He was also instrumental in the running of an “Old Gits” group of former Kent headteachers, organising outings as well as speakers for their get-togethers. Often sought out for his opinions on education, he set up the Medway Consortium of Head Teachers to support people new to the job.
Collegial, non-judgmental and conscientious, he was an instantly recognisable figure with his large bag over his shoulder, colour-coordinated wristwatches and Doc Marten footwear. An avid reader of the Guardian, he particularly liked the Other Lives section, as it gave him hope of seeing the achievements of “ordinary” people such as himself being celebrated.
He is survived by his wife, Virginia (nee Ungar), whom he married in 1997, and by her daughter from a previous relationship, Tara.
