Mr Howe trained as a teacher of history and has experience working in the UK state and independent sectors, as well as being a Deputy Head and Head of Sixth Form in a large British international school. His first headship came at an independent boarding school in the South West of England, during which time the school enjoyed its best-ever examination results, student enrolment and won national independent school awards. This success led Mr Howe to be appointed as Head of Ipswich High School, a prestigious day and boarding school for pupils aged 3-18. Under his leadership, the school thrived, and during his tenure, it enjoyed the highest GCSE and A-Level results of any independent school in Suffolk, opened up a new boarding house, which received a Boarding School Association (BSA) award for excellence, and gained accreditation as a finalist for the Independent School Association (ISA) award for “Excellence in Performing Arts”. These successes saw increasing demand for places, and the school grew from just over 400 to almost 500 pupils.
Mr Howe relocated to the New Forest with his wife Nicky (also a teacher) and their two young daughters, who both attend FSM.