As a practising Buddhist and a teacher with 24 years of professional experience, Peter has a wealth of knowledge and expertise and is passionate about engaging pupils, parents and staff with the benefits of mindfulness, one of the key principles of Buddhism.
Peter first became interested in Buddhism during his early twenties, whilst studying for a Literature degree at Bangor University, where he was drawn to ancient eastern philosophy through Eliot’s Four Quartets and the poetry and writings of Confucius and Lao Tzu. In 1980, after watching a TV documentary about Buddhism and Ajahn Sumedho, the Abbot of Chithurst Forest Monastery in Sussex, he felt inspired to pay him a visit and began a life-long relationship with the monastery that would eventually lead him to become Head Teacher at The Dharma Primary School in Brighton.
Peter moved down to Sussex where he attended meditation and teachings at the monastery every day for the next two years. It was during this period that he met his wife Louise, and they married in 1985 and have two daughters. The couple eventually moved to Canada and then to California in the US, where Peter taught in Steiner/Waldorf schools (having studied for a teaching degree and a Steiner qualification). He became interested in developing courses and workshops for children, staff, parents and the wider community on issues such as anger management, conflict resolution, compassionate parenting and emotional intelligence. He and Louise also ran summer camps for children and Peter worked as Child Counsellor for an organisation supporting victims of family violence.
In 2001, Peter had a meeting with Ajahn Sumedho whilst the monk was visiting a monastery in California. A few weeks later Peter was approached by the trustees of The Dharma Primary School (which also had links with Ajahn Sumedho and Chithurst Forest Monastery) about taking on the post of Head Teacher. The family moved back to the UK and a decade on Peter continues to head up Europe’s only primary school based on Buddhist principles. Peter has, however, decided to stand down as Head Teacher towards the end of 2013 and move on to new projects.
He says: “It has been an honour to be head of such a unique and innovative school and I have appreciated the support and trust placed in me by the school community. However, at 58, in my eleventh year here I feel it is time to move on to new projects and challenges. Impermanence and change are central to Buddhist teachings and although this is a time of transition, it is part of a natural cycle of positive growth and creativity that will bring new energy and ideas into the school.”
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