A great headteacher

Published: 27 May, 2010

• I WAS sad to read that David Wallis-Jones, long-time head of Fitzjohn’s Primary School has died.
He saw my daughter and grand-daughters through his school. “Wallybanger”, as we knew him, made Fitzjohn’s a school of joy and fun. He kept bureaucracy at a sensible distance from the serious business of learning. My condolences to his wife Mary and his sons.   
ELAINE CHAMBERS
Winchester Road, NW3

Comments

David Wallis-Jones

David Wallis-Jones was my best friend at George Eliot Primary school which we both attended 1952-56. He had a very inquiring mind and we made all sort of science experiments together in our teens (including distilling home made beer and making bombs). We went to different secondary schools (Kynaston, William Ellis) but hung out together around the Witches Cauldron, Belsize Park and went on Aldermaston marches in our late-teens. Later we went our different ways. We met again when I was teaching maths at Hampstead school and David was headteacher of Fitzjohns PS and attended a meeting about promary secondary links. I heard he was an exemplary headteacher running a very happy and successful school. Years later we met at several George Eliot class reunions 2006 and onwards, when I came up from Exeter to meet former classmates. He also came to a party at our West Hampstead house. He was a rare good man who gave more than he took from this life. My condolences. Paul Ernest (emeritus professor, Exeter University).

Very Sad

I was in the class of 2000 and I even remember Mr. Wallis-Jones signing my teeshirt before us Year Six'rs left to go onto secondary school. I seem to remember he also left his post as Head Teacher that very same year.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

-Jav NW3

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