A conversation with Mr Pavis
The full interview: what Kingsley is for, why wellbeing comes first, and what he hopes every child carries out of the gates.
Filmed on site at Kingsley Devon, Bideford.
A child who is happy and well is a child who thrives
Kingsley is a school built on a simple belief. We put wellbeing first because we know where it leads: a young person who feels settled and secure grows in confidence, a confident young person engages fully with their learning, and that engagement is what carries them to real achievement. Success here is the outcome of a happy childhood, never the price of one.
That belief runs back to Charles Kingsley, the North Devon author our school is named for, who wrote that all you need to be happy is something to be passionate about. Helping every child find that passion is the work I care about most. It might be found in a classroom, on the pitch, on a stage, in the STEM labs, out in the Earth Centre, or somewhere along the coast that sits five minutes from our gates. Our job is to make sure the opportunity is there, and that every child is known well enough for us to spot the spark when it comes.
The only school in the UK to fully embed surfing in everyday school life
We are proud of our stunning coastal location, which is part of the UNESCO North Devon Biosphere and just five minutes from our gates. Every pupil spends time in the water and outdoors as part of their Kingsley education, not as an occasional treat but as a genuine strand of how they learn, building resilience, teamwork and calm under real conditions no classroom can recreate.
In July 2026 our Surf Academy was named UK Surf School of the Year at the Wavelength UK Surfer Awards, recognition for a team that treats a passion found on a surfboard with exactly the same seriousness as one found on a stage or in a science lab.
Holistic and inclusive by design
Alongside the Core Curriculum of academic subjects, every pupil takes part in our Wider Curriculum across Sport, Performing Arts, Outdoor Education, STEM and the Earth Centre, all set within the UNESCO North Devon Biosphere that surrounds us. This is a family that values positive mental health and wellbeing, and treats it as the foundation for everything else.
Our mantra is Better Me, Better World. I want every young person who leaves us to have become a better version of themselves, and to carry that forward as a positive impact on the world around them. That is the promise behind the Kingsley Family, and it is what I would love to show you in person.
Come and visit. Walk the grounds, meet the pupils and staff, and see how a Kingsley child spends their day. You will get a truer picture in a single morning than any page can give you. With my warmest wishes,
Frequently asked questions
Who is the Headteacher of Kingsley School?
Kingsley School Devon is led by Mr Robert Pavis, MA Ed. He heads a school that puts the wellbeing of every child at the centre of its work, in the belief that happy, healthy young people are the ones who go on to achieve.
What does the Head believe education is for?
Mr Pavis puts it as an order of things: a child who feels settled and secure grows in confidence, a confident child engages fully with their learning, and that engagement is what carries them to real achievement. Alongside the academic curriculum, every pupil takes part in the Wider Curriculum across Sport, Performing Arts, Outdoor Education, STEM and the Earth Centre, so that each one has the chance to find something to be passionate about. The mantra is Better Me, Better World: to leave as a better version of yourself, and to carry that forward into the world around you.
Northdown Road, Bideford