‘Incredibly proud’ Down High vice-principal retires following 32 years teaching

5 July 2023

DOWN High School’s well respected vice-principal Mr Ken Dawson has retired after 32 years.

Originally from Belfast, Mr Dawson’s retirement marks the end of an era at the Mount Crescent school where his teaching career began in 1991.

He joined the staff as a history and politics teacher and while he wasn’t expecting to stay long, he soon found Down High was the place for him.

The popular vice-principal said as soon as he arrived at Down High, he realised just how lovely the pupils are, how supportive the parents are and how brilliant the staff are.

He said it’s a sentiment shared by many, insisting that there was never any desire to leave and that he was “very, very lucky” to be in a school like Down High.

And as pupils celebrated the last day of term last Friday, it was an emotional one for Mr Dawson.

“I love Down High,” he said.

“It was my only school. I started my career here and I’m finishing it here. I just think the people I work with are incredible, incredibly hard working and incredibly dedicated.”

Mr Dawson has been vice-principal for 14 years and is proud of being part of the school community.

“There’s something incredibly special about the place, it’s just been brilliant,” he continued, reflecting on his 32 years at the Downpatrick school.

“We have been looking for a new school for a long time and we’ll be delighted to move there, but you know, just the quality of the relationships is the most important thing and we’ll bring that to our new school. I know we will, because it’s the people who make it special.”

Mr Dawson has worked with three head teachers, Mr Jack Ferris, Mr Paul Logan and Mrs Maud Perry and has praised the leadership qualities of all three.

He continued: “Very soon after joining, I quickly became persuaded that Mr Ferris was so heavily invested in the school; he was fighting for it.

“There was a genuinely real sense of loyalty and I felt that sense of loyalty with Mr Logan and Mrs Perry. The leadership has always been of the highest standard and the Board of Governors has been fantastic. You just very quickly feel you belong and I felt I belonged within two months of coming here.”

At the beginning of his teaching career, Mr Dawson was guided by his late friend Margaret Curry, who was the Head of History and Politics at the time. She passed away in 2003.

“Margaret was a mentor. She was incredibly special, she was a friend and when she became vice- principal I became the head of History and Politics,” he continued.

“I think if anybody is lucky enough to have the influence of somebody like Margaret Curry in their teaching life, then they’re very, very lucky. I’m very very lucky and I owe her a lot.”

And after over three decades at the grammar school, the vice-principal said he has many fantastic memories to take away with him.

“I loved the school trip and really enjoyed taking pupils to the First World War battlefields on the western front. I’ve loved working with my A-level classes over the years and I think back really, really fondly of some of the most brilliant and interested students you could have.

“I’ll miss the pupils and the big school events. I’ll also miss working with my history colleagues and the history department is just wonderful.”

Mr Dawson said he has been very fortunate in recent times to work with Mrs Wood, Mr Williamson, Mr McKillen and Dr Doherty.

“When you have friends who are your colleagues with a shared interest, it’s one of the biggest pleasures you can have,” he continued.

Mr Dawson believes that because Downpatrick is a very historic town, he’s always felt very, very much at home.

“I find the people in the community really interesting, their sense of history, their understanding of the past and their pride in the past.

“It’s been brilliant to work with not just people in school, but the Down County Museum, the people who are really heavily invested in our community and the local historical society is fantastic.”

Mr Dawson described Downpatrick as “ just a great place to work” and where the people are all just amazing.

“Everybody pulls in the one direction and everybody is incredibly proud of the school,” he continued

Looking forward, Mr Dawson maintains he will continue to be involved with the Downpatrick school.

“I’m very excited that we are moving to a new school that our pupils and teachers really deserve, but I’m also really passionate about preserving the current school’s history and legacy.

“We will have a permanent exhibition in the new school that celebrates our years on the current site. It will also recognise the importance and the respect that we need to give to the new site and the history around it.”

The retiring vice-principal revealed that he will be doing some history work outside school.

“I want to be continuing with my research and hope to write more as well. I’ve been very lucky that I’ve been able to do some of that, but I’m looking forward to having just the space and the time.

“It’s very much semi-retirement, as opposed to retirement and I’m very grateful for everything that Down High School has given me.”

Mr Dawson added: “I’ve loved every minute of my time at Down High School it. I’m very proud to have been here and I’ll take away a lot of very, very happy memories.”

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