[Ammi]

A school headmaster is about to make educational history by coming out as gay to his students and staff via an online assembly on Monday.

Nicholas Hewlett, headmaster of St Dunstan’s College in Catford, southeast London, is set to announce his sexuality and happy marriage to a man after he was inspired by the candour of his pupils.

It is thought that the 41-year-old will be the first acting headmaster to ever publicly declare their sexuality.

Mr Hewlett said he was motivated to come out after a conversation with a student at the exclusive private school who openly discussed their own sexuality with the headteacher. The student who attends the £18,000-per-year school encouraged Mr Hewlett to come forward himself.

“I was so blown away by the courage of him that something flipped in my head,” he said. ”I thought then of my own situation and thought: 'This is ridiculous. Here I am as a happily married gay man, and the children do not know that at school.’"

The teacher said he hopes the announcement will be received positively and that students might even wave rainbow flags in support.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Mr Hewlett said his only regret was not coming out earlier, “because seven years of children will have gone through the school without the benefit of a role model.”

"The message is simply have the courage to be true to yourself,” he said.

Mr Hewlett married Alberic Elsom, director of music at Whitgift school in Croydon, in 2014. The teacher emphasised that society has come a long way since he was bullied as a young student in the 1990s and when “gay” was used as an insult.



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