James Poole: keeping the palaces safe
When James Poole was sitting through his Further Maths lessons, he probably never suspected that he'd be ‘rubbing shoulders with the Beefeaters’ or ‘witnessing excavations of never seen before archaeology’. So, how did he get there?
Just like the rest of us, he began as a student at Heathfield Community College. And, like every student, had to face the daunting prospect of GCSEs. With a penchant for Spanish, Poole remembers his Spanish teacher, Mr Graham, conducting his Spanish speaking assessment. ‘I was a bundle of nerves,’ explains James. ‘Hands shaking, I had prepared a script in an effort to ease the nerves. I completely froze when he hit 'record'. My notes were useless. I had no confidence in my ability to freely speak on a recording but the notes truly sabotaged me’. James describes how Mr. Graham stopped the recording, told him he could speak Spanish ‘very well’, and to just focus on the question rather than his pre-planned notes - 'Advice which has served me well ever since,' he says. And… to cut a long story short, James got an A* in Spanish.
Despite its inevitable challenges, school acts as a catalyst for all kinds of achievement - when asked for his proudest moment, James answers: ‘Probably the day I completed my hand-built coffee table in resistant materials. I still have it to this day. Thank you Mr. Rigg!’ However, many accomplishments occur after school; James describes how his proudest memory was ‘travelling solo in the middle of nowhere in Canada to do a Workaway’. 'This brave and unusual experience gave me true independence and some ability to effectuate my dreams,’ he recalls.
That’s not to say that school itself doesn’t provide its own unique experiences. There’s always one event that sticks in the minds of all Heathfield students. An experience that brings back memories of laughs, accomplishments and perhaps a few embarrassing stories. So, James' answer to his strongest memory of Heathfield was, of course, ‘Year 8 camp, need I say more?’
But not every memory brings back feelings of joy… James recalls his least favourite subject: ‘Further Mathematics A-Level… Nothing against Maths’. James ‘did well at Maths and somewhat enjoyed it up to A-Level.’ But discovered the hard way that ‘Further Mathematics is a whole other level - you’ve got to really REALLY love it to take that subject.’ Unfortunately, James didn't. The moral of the story? Research your subjects before you choose them. ‘Too much of my academic choice was influenced by doing the “smart” subject choices rather than listening to my own passions,’ comments James. ‘Giving up Spanish at the end of GCSE in favour of Chemistry is one of my biggest regrets and an unfortunate case of choosing what I thought I ought to do rather than what I loved to do.' He has a useful piece of advice to remember that ‘life is too short and work without passion is nothing but toil.’
Although GCSEs and A-Levels are an incredibly difficult part of all teenagers’ lives (whether you study subjects you enjoy or otherwise), James says he credits the progress he’s been able to make in his career to his efforts during this period of his life. ‘I have worked very hard and in a way that is against the grain. It’s tough to imagine you can have any success when you’ve gone from being academically strong at GCSE, to disastrous at A-Level’. James' hopes of university were dashed and despite ‘being utterly convinced that university is the only way to truly succeed in this world’, he fell out of love with academia and deferred his place for a year to figure out what he really wanted to do.
With his expected route of studying Environmental Science at Brighton University suddenly off the table, James decided to spend a year doing “odd jobs” full time’ - with ‘a busy summer of lawn mowing, painting and house sitting.’ James explains how these ‘odd jobs’ were extremely valuable. 'The network you build as a result and the opportunities they hold must not be underestimated.'
The day James would originally have enrolled onto his university course, the phone rang with an opportunity to work with Macmillan Cancer Support. 'From that moment, I entered full time work, ultimately cancelling my place at university.’ Initially working in the Facilities Team, Poole describes how time passed, connections were made, and I eventually took a junior role in the Health and Safety Team, joining the wider Risk and Assurance Department. After honing his skills as a safety professional, gaining his first two professional safety qualifications and amassing three years of professional experience, he was able to obtain his professional status with the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.
Once James achieved professional status and accumulated experiences and new skills in this position, he set his sights on bigger goals. 'I was ready for a new challenge,’ he explains. So, he applied for his current role through LinkedIn. His key advice here: 'If you don’t have LinkedIn yet, GET IT NOW!’ The job had the lengthy title of ‘the Health and Safety Officer for Historic Royal Palaces’. The rest is - [quite literally] - history...
‘We are custodians of historic sites which span back over 1000 years,’ says James. ‘Much of that history is still there to see, and many people to this day occupy and undertake duties spanning back centuries.’ However, the fascinating historical aspect of James' career doesn’t come without its many responsibilities. He oversees renowned locations like Kensington Palace, Hillsborough Castle, Kew Palace and Banqueting House; there are a multitude of aspects to these responsibilities - ‘I support the Health and Safety function, drive our Health and Safety Policy, best practice and provide quality advice/assurance to colleagues across the organisation.’
Not only does he monitor these historic sites, he comments, with understandable enthusiasm, that he ‘provides cover for the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace… at times too!’ Lately, James has also ‘taken on an additional responsibility as Duty Manager of Kensington Palace’, meaning he is now ‘responsible for the Palace and all staff members who occupy it on the day’ as well as taking the ‘lead on emergency response’ and acting as ‘overall decision maker’.
‘Health and Safety is one profession where being nosey is not only encouraged, but part of your role,’ says James. As you would expect, a lot goes on behind the scenes of locations with such prolific history. ‘In my role, I’ve witnessed excavations of never seen before archaeology, attended private and historic ceremonies and rubbed shoulders with the Beefeaters in their private pub inside the Tower of London! At times like that, I have to pinch myself.’
With a unique and rewarding career to showcase your achievements, what advice would you give to students currently pursuing their ambitions? ‘You never know who you are talking to… You never know who they may turn out to be… Opportunity comes from the most obscure places; aim to be the person [employers] think of when they have an opportunity to offer’. James suggests that many of his own ‘personal and professional connections… have turned into something through a combination of the initial/continued interaction’ as a ‘diligent and reliable’ person. Taking heed of his own mistakes, Poole further notes, 'Don't fear not suiting the academic route. It suits some, but not all. Lack of academic performance doesn’t define you, nor your ability to be a competent, intelligent and resourceful person. You can still have a massively successful career without a specified level of academic achievement. So please, when UCAS comes to give a talk on university and tell you that “people with a degree earn X more than those who don’t’’ disregard and ignore this. This is an average, and you are not an average.’
So, remember that life is unpredictable and never follows a neat, predetermined structure. ‘Make your way in the world however you deem fit, academic or otherwise,’ says Poole, ‘let your achievements speak for themselves’ and one day you too could discover a whole range of opportunities, even if they’re not quite what you planned.
Amelie Reeves Y13
Just like the rest of us, he began as a student at Heathfield Community College. And, like every student, had to face the daunting prospect of GCSEs. With a penchant for Spanish, Poole remembers his Spanish teacher, Mr Graham, conducting his Spanish speaking assessment. ‘I was a bundle of nerves,’ explains James. ‘Hands shaking, I had prepared a script in an effort to ease the nerves. I completely froze when he hit 'record'. My notes were useless. I had no confidence in my ability to freely speak on a recording but the notes truly sabotaged me’. James describes how Mr. Graham stopped the recording, told him he could speak Spanish ‘very well’, and to just focus on the question rather than his pre-planned notes - 'Advice which has served me well ever since,' he says. And… to cut a long story short, James got an A* in Spanish.
Despite its inevitable challenges, school acts as a catalyst for all kinds of achievement - when asked for his proudest moment, James answers: ‘Probably the day I completed my hand-built coffee table in resistant materials. I still have it to this day. Thank you Mr. Rigg!’ However, many accomplishments occur after school; James describes how his proudest memory was ‘travelling solo in the middle of nowhere in Canada to do a Workaway’. 'This brave and unusual experience gave me true independence and some ability to effectuate my dreams,’ he recalls.
That’s not to say that school itself doesn’t provide its own unique experiences. There’s always one event that sticks in the minds of all Heathfield students. An experience that brings back memories of laughs, accomplishments and perhaps a few embarrassing stories. So, James' answer to his strongest memory of Heathfield was, of course, ‘Year 8 camp, need I say more?’
But not every memory brings back feelings of joy… James recalls his least favourite subject: ‘Further Mathematics A-Level… Nothing against Maths’. James ‘did well at Maths and somewhat enjoyed it up to A-Level.’ But discovered the hard way that ‘Further Mathematics is a whole other level - you’ve got to really REALLY love it to take that subject.’ Unfortunately, James didn't. The moral of the story? Research your subjects before you choose them. ‘Too much of my academic choice was influenced by doing the “smart” subject choices rather than listening to my own passions,’ comments James. ‘Giving up Spanish at the end of GCSE in favour of Chemistry is one of my biggest regrets and an unfortunate case of choosing what I thought I ought to do rather than what I loved to do.' He has a useful piece of advice to remember that ‘life is too short and work without passion is nothing but toil.’
Although GCSEs and A-Levels are an incredibly difficult part of all teenagers’ lives (whether you study subjects you enjoy or otherwise), James says he credits the progress he’s been able to make in his career to his efforts during this period of his life. ‘I have worked very hard and in a way that is against the grain. It’s tough to imagine you can have any success when you’ve gone from being academically strong at GCSE, to disastrous at A-Level’. James' hopes of university were dashed and despite ‘being utterly convinced that university is the only way to truly succeed in this world’, he fell out of love with academia and deferred his place for a year to figure out what he really wanted to do.
With his expected route of studying Environmental Science at Brighton University suddenly off the table, James decided to spend a year doing “odd jobs” full time’ - with ‘a busy summer of lawn mowing, painting and house sitting.’ James explains how these ‘odd jobs’ were extremely valuable. 'The network you build as a result and the opportunities they hold must not be underestimated.'
The day James would originally have enrolled onto his university course, the phone rang with an opportunity to work with Macmillan Cancer Support. 'From that moment, I entered full time work, ultimately cancelling my place at university.’ Initially working in the Facilities Team, Poole describes how time passed, connections were made, and I eventually took a junior role in the Health and Safety Team, joining the wider Risk and Assurance Department. After honing his skills as a safety professional, gaining his first two professional safety qualifications and amassing three years of professional experience, he was able to obtain his professional status with the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.
Once James achieved professional status and accumulated experiences and new skills in this position, he set his sights on bigger goals. 'I was ready for a new challenge,’ he explains. So, he applied for his current role through LinkedIn. His key advice here: 'If you don’t have LinkedIn yet, GET IT NOW!’ The job had the lengthy title of ‘the Health and Safety Officer for Historic Royal Palaces’. The rest is - [quite literally] - history...
‘We are custodians of historic sites which span back over 1000 years,’ says James. ‘Much of that history is still there to see, and many people to this day occupy and undertake duties spanning back centuries.’ However, the fascinating historical aspect of James' career doesn’t come without its many responsibilities. He oversees renowned locations like Kensington Palace, Hillsborough Castle, Kew Palace and Banqueting House; there are a multitude of aspects to these responsibilities - ‘I support the Health and Safety function, drive our Health and Safety Policy, best practice and provide quality advice/assurance to colleagues across the organisation.’
Not only does he monitor these historic sites, he comments, with understandable enthusiasm, that he ‘provides cover for the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace… at times too!’ Lately, James has also ‘taken on an additional responsibility as Duty Manager of Kensington Palace’, meaning he is now ‘responsible for the Palace and all staff members who occupy it on the day’ as well as taking the ‘lead on emergency response’ and acting as ‘overall decision maker’.
‘Health and Safety is one profession where being nosey is not only encouraged, but part of your role,’ says James. As you would expect, a lot goes on behind the scenes of locations with such prolific history. ‘In my role, I’ve witnessed excavations of never seen before archaeology, attended private and historic ceremonies and rubbed shoulders with the Beefeaters in their private pub inside the Tower of London! At times like that, I have to pinch myself.’
With a unique and rewarding career to showcase your achievements, what advice would you give to students currently pursuing their ambitions? ‘You never know who you are talking to… You never know who they may turn out to be… Opportunity comes from the most obscure places; aim to be the person [employers] think of when they have an opportunity to offer’. James suggests that many of his own ‘personal and professional connections… have turned into something through a combination of the initial/continued interaction’ as a ‘diligent and reliable’ person. Taking heed of his own mistakes, Poole further notes, 'Don't fear not suiting the academic route. It suits some, but not all. Lack of academic performance doesn’t define you, nor your ability to be a competent, intelligent and resourceful person. You can still have a massively successful career without a specified level of academic achievement. So please, when UCAS comes to give a talk on university and tell you that “people with a degree earn X more than those who don’t’’ disregard and ignore this. This is an average, and you are not an average.’
So, remember that life is unpredictable and never follows a neat, predetermined structure. ‘Make your way in the world however you deem fit, academic or otherwise,’ says Poole, ‘let your achievements speak for themselves’ and one day you too could discover a whole range of opportunities, even if they’re not quite what you planned.
Amelie Reeves Y13
