A tribute to John Coe. 

I knew of John Coe and his reputation as a fierce defender of child-centered primary education, long before I met him. Through his role at NAPE he visited the school I worked in, regularly offering advice and support to myself as Deputy, to the head and staff. I was both impressed and encouraged.

When I became a headteacher, John continued with his support, gained the respect and the trust of my staff. John ran meetings and guided us through a residential weekend on child development where, much to his delight, our early years team took the lead. The classroom implications of that weekend led to a substantial reorganisation and introduction of more extensive reading areas around our school.

Children, their future, and their development were at the heart of any conversation he had and decision he made as an educator. That also meant teachers and their continual development and needs were paramount to him because of the impact this had on children. John expected high standards of those involved in education and total commitment; and for those who worked with him, a devotion to education and continual improvement. He often said, ‘primary education is a phase in itself and not merely a preparation for secondary school’. He was at times frustrated that government ministers and representatives could not understand this. However, John was passionate about keeping communication open with ministers and decision makers to represent the views of NAPE’s. He remained optimistic when others wavered.

John loved a long lunch with a glass of good wine over which to talk informally about primary education. These lunch breaks became a regular feature for the two of us when I was chair of NAPE.

The last communication I received, along with others connected to NAPE, was in his Christmas card. He wrote (paraphrased):

‘We have done much good in the field of primary education and there is still much to do. I feel we should speak out against the one-word judgements made by Ofsted regarding the work and life of schools. But this is up to you’.

John never stopped being engaged in the educational issues of the day.

Lynn Hannay

(NAPE Chair from 2015 to 2020)