As a younger man, prior to starting a graduate training programme at a US investment bank, I was fortunate to visit Japan.  I was perhaps 22 at the time and had recently graduated from university, keen on experiencing the world.  The trip started in the mega city of Osaka and I remember travelling to watch sumo wrestling in Kyoto and visiting noodle bars in Tokyo.  I was fortunate to re-live some of these experiences last summer with my family who soaked in the new cultures and experiences.

If you have never been to Japan I would strongly recommend adding it to your bucket-list; the food, the culture and the work ethic are something to marvel.  What really struck me were the high standards you experience in every interaction and the pride everyone takes in whatever job they were undertaking, across even the most menial of workplaces. 

Trains run on time and are very clean, small change is handed over on a little platter (never by hand) and finding a speck of rubbish was akin to spotting a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.  For the Japanese, these standards drive their attention to detail and, when carried out collectively, results in a calm and orderly environment which is a revelation to someone used to the hustle and bustle of London.

This term at Radnor, we have been encouraging everyone to adhere to similar high standards and pupils are being asked to triple check uniforms in the morning, be extra polite and make sure their work is always done to the best of their abilities.  As a proud Scotsman I remember similar sentiments in Jackie Stewart’s autobiography – get dressed properly, always arrive five minutes early and whatever you do compete hard and celebrate even harder!

While we cannot all be world class racing drivers nor have a deeply rooted national culture to point us in the right direction, we can get dressed properly in the morning and say thank you when a car waits for us at a crossing.  These universal expectations of a civilised society reflect our own, personal sense of order and discipline and show that we value social cohesion over raucous individuality - well perhaps when we’re at school anyway!

PS, I finished a few interesting books over the Easter break and hope the following title does not offend any colleagues.  ‘Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behaviour’ provides an interesting framework for identifying different character traits.  As my wife pointed out, I probably have more than a little ‘red’ inside me (you will need to read the book to get the joke) which probably means standards are something I naturally gravitate towards.  Whether you agree with this relatively simplistic approach to personality or not, I have always found that more, rather than less insight is helpful when trying to understand the word around you.

David Paton is Head of Radnor House Sevenoaks.