Mr Brian A Watt (1950-2025)
Chairman of the Govenors, Read School 2020-2025
It is with great sadness that Read School announces the passing of Mr Brian A. Watt, Chairman of the Board of Governors, on Saturday 12th April at the age of 74.
Brian was the third son of Harry and Connie Watt. They married at the end of the War and had four sons. In 1957 the family moved from Takoradi, Ghana to Wistow, near Selby and all four boys attended Drax Grammar School (now Read School). For one year, 1965-1966, all four boys were at the School together with the eldest Ian as Head Boy.
On leaving Drax Grammar School at the age of 18, Brian joined the RAF College Cranwell as a cadet and, following a distinguished military career, he reached the rank of Wing Commander. Following his service in the RAF, Brian took a year out to obtain a Master’s Degree at Cranfield School of Management and thereafter he joined Chubb Fire and Security as Operations Director prior to setting up his own business consultancy in Jersey.
In 2014, Brian’s elder brother, Peter, was appointed Chairman of the Board of Governors at Read School. He asked Brian and their youngest brother, David, to carry out a strategic review to put Read School on a sound, sustainable footing. Making the necessary changes was a difficult task, however, with Peter’s generosity and joint determination from Brian, a Trustee from 2016, the fortunes of the school were transformed. These included the appointment of a new Head, Mrs Ruth Ainley, significant pupil recruitment efforts, and recovery of arrears of maintenance of the historic school buildings.
Tragically, Peter died in 2020 at the age of 70 but asked Brian to continue the work he had started and ensure the long-term future of the school. Brian became Chairman of the Board of Governors in that year.
Brian, with his background of military discipline and loyalty to both his brother and school, directed the affairs of the School with absolute fairness and integrity. 358 years on from its foundation, a Read School education is still highly sought after and the external image of the School goes from strength to strength, despite the ravages of Covid and the financial penalties recently imposed on independent schools. The school premises have also been gradually improved under Brian’s Chairmanship resulting in the complete refurbishment of the Ten Acre playing field and its Pavilion.
In addition, Drax Primary School has been brought back into the ownership of Read School Charity and leased to Kids’ Corner Nursery since 2022.
When complimented on his work for the School, Brian would always claim it was a team effort and that he was very fortunate to have a strong leadership team and board of governors, who gave him so much loyal support.
Finally, it must be recorded that no school could have had a more devoted or valued supporter than Brian Watt. He was a very brave and generous man, gifted with an impeccable sense of fairness and ethics who didn’t claim any fees or expenses during his nine-year tenure as a Trustee and Chairman. A deep debt of gratitude will be felt by the pupils, teaching/administration staff and parents and a memorial service to commemorate his many contributions to the School will be organised in due course.
Nothing would have given both Brian and his supportive wife, Jenny, more pleasure than to know his successors will carry on his dedication to the School and its ethos.
Read School wish to express their deepest condolences to Brian's family and friends at this incredibly sad time.