Parkwood Academy head teacher leaves role to pursue writing dream
"Now it is time for me"
A much-loved Chelmsford primary school head has left his role to pursue his long-term dream of becoming a successful author.
Andy Lucas, 49, was acting head of Parkwood Academy for 18 months, bringing the school its first 'good' Ofsted rating for decades.
Starting his career quite late in life, Andy began as a teaching assistant at Northlands Junior School in Basildon 14 years ago and has fulfilled interim roles around the country since then.
But novel-writing has always been his dream and teaching – for now at least – is on the back burner as he aims to make a success out of a new career.
Andy, who has worked as a mental health nurse, a freelance video director and a probation worker, has always thought of himself as a writer.
Andy Lucas has already written and self-published eight novels (Image: Chris Cook)
"I would always say I am a writer," he said. "Everything else I have done was because I had bills to pay."
His journey began at a school in Hornchurch, where he was one of only two pupils to leave aged 16.
He went on to study for a degree in media, specialising in script writing at the University of East London.
"The plan was always to get into TV production," he said.
"The year I finished the degree was the year the BBC apprenticeship for TV production stopped running.
"It was then a case of, 'What do I do now?'"
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Andy's career path then took a different direction into the world of mental health nursing.
He met his wife, a fellow nurse called Joanna, working on the medium secure units at Little Highwood in Brentwood.
Andy, who now lives in Wickford, enjoyed a brief stint as a freelance video director for a Heybridge-based company.
But without a steady stream of income, he had to balance what he wanted to do with a career lucrative enough to pay the bills.
"However much I loved it, after a year I had to come to the conclusion that it could not last," Andy added.
"I was self-employed, it was not regular work and was not guaranteed but it fed my creativity."
Andy then went on to work for the Essex Probation Service in Chelmsford and Basildon, helping to rehabilitate offenders.
It was this job that steered his career towards teaching.
"It led me into teaching because the young people I worked with in probation made me realise you need to catch people young – that is why I went into primary education," he explained.
Andy started work in 2004 at Northlands Primary School in Basildon before becoming a fully-qualified teacher.
Since then he has gone from strength-to-strength, working in consultative and interim deputy and head teacher positions in Essex, Kent and even Birmingham.
His time at Northlands saw him develop a love of working in challenging schools and with "some families who are pressured".
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Andy also has a history of helping schools that have had financial and academic struggles.
Parkwood Academy, located on Melbourne Avenue, is the latest, and last, recipient of Andy's expertise, after receiving its highest Ofsted rating in decades last September.
"The job at Parkwood was not about long term headship. It had never been more than satisfactory and at its last inspection it was put in special measures," Andy said.
"It was the perfect example of how you cannot do it on your own. South Essex are a very good trust. As a head, you go in there and are supported straight away.
"Parkwood has a great new head, the school is going to go from strength-to-strength.
"I am really proud of what I did at that school."
Parkwood Academy head teacher Andy Lucas celebrating Ofsted success with pupils outside the school
But his work in the education sector has come at a cost. His novel-writing has taken a back seat to what he describes as an "all-consuming" profession.
"My family life suffered and my writing effectively dwindled into nothing," he added.
"In the last few years I have not really written anything – that is the frustration.
"To be a head teacher is all consuming – most teachers are in at 7.30am and leave at 6pm.
"There is all the marking and one day at the weekend is taken to plan lessons.
"It is not just about delivery in the classroom. If the boiler goes in the middle of the night, you're there; if there is a flood, you're there.
"To be effective, you have to be on it seven days a week. That comes at the expense for me as I cannot have that level of intensity without it impacting on other things.
"If I am going to write successfully, I have to give it time to do it."
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Andy is now taking time away from school to focus on his own writing.
He has already written and published eight books, including one which appeared in an Amazon best-selling Indie book collection.
He was one of eight authors, each with one story in the collection, which sold 50,000 copies worldwide.
"That was an opportunity I would not have had on my own, to get that out to so many readers," Andy said.
Taking inspiration from authors such as Clive Cussler, Jack Higgins and Jack Reacher author Lee Child, Andy's novels take the form of contemporary crime thrillers reminiscent of Robert Ludlam's 'Bourne' trilogy.
Two of Andy's books (Image: Chris Cook)
His ninth and latest story, however, is a children's book entitled Daring Daisy, written for and named after his eight-year-old daughter. It will be out later this summer.
"I've always read her bed time stories," Andy said. "I started to make them up from my head.
"She adores these stories and she asked me if I would write them for her.
"I had not thought about it as they were just stories in my head – I am so used to children's books through my job it is quite easy to do."
Andy now feels his experience in the "read world" leaves him better placed to relaunch his writing career than ever before.
"As a probation worker, I have seen the worst in people in how callous some can be for other human life," he added.
"And then through working in the medication profession and teaching I have seen the most fantastic professionals who go above and beyond for people.
"In the long-term I can write from first-hand experience and create characters with flaws and problems.
"That for writing has given me the ability to develop characters in a more genuine way. It is going to help me going forward to write more believable stories.
"Now it is time for me – who knows what is around the corner?"
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