Mr Craig Sutton

Life before Stowe

Having lived in South America when I was very young, my family settled in South Bucks where I attended Dr Challoner’s Grammar School. Most of my spare time was devoted to sport, in particular, swimming at Amersham SC and playing tennis, cricket and rugby for Beaconsfield and Bucks County. I then played rugby for London Wasps and Exeter University until I moved to Stowe. I have taught at Stowe for most of my career. I cannot think of a better place to work!

What do you enjoy most about Stowe?

Stowe has a special and quite unique atmosphere. The grounds are obviously wonderful, but it is the rich variety of opportunities on offer that makes each day different. It is the Stoics who bring the whole environment to life - they are committed, enthusiastic and charming.

What is your favourite Lesson?

I specialise in sports psychology. It is a fascinating area as we study topics such as anxiety management, leadership, group cohesion, confidence etc. It is so applicable to contemporary sporting examples and is very relevant to the Stoics performances both on the sports pitches and in other areas of their lives.

What do others say about you?

I believe I'm seen as an approachable, fair, positive and an encouraging teacher and Housemaster who is very competitive.

Other hats

I completed a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership in 2015. I have led the Stowe 1st VII rugby team for 20 years. We have enjoyed a wonderful track record and, in fact, Stowe is statistically the second most successful school in the country at the National Tournament at Rosslyn Park. The highlight came in 2015 when my team were crowned Champions of the Festival tournament. I also coach the Senior rugby teams during the 15 a side season. During my time at Stowe I have run cricket and tennis including coaching the 1st VI tennis for 10 years. As a Housemaster, I thoroughly enjoy supporting the Bruce boys in all manner of activities - music, debating, sports and art.

Passions

I still enjoy the unique sensation of competing in sport, that surge of adrenalin, the pre-competition nerves and the feeling of measuring your best effort against others cannot be replicated elsewhere. My most recent event was at the Triathlon World Championships where I represented Great Britain for my age group in the sprint event. The race was in Cozumel, Mexico and my wife Sarah also competed for GB, which made it a quite wonderful experience. Sarah and I have two children, Emily and Ben, they are both very active as well and we love holidaying in Trevose, Cornwall and camping in France, with bikes, surfboards and golf clubs close at hand!