John Eldridge, Director of Business & Operations

Background and Experience

I was born in Chatham in Kent, but my family moved to Poole when I was five so I grew up loving the beaches, the New Forest and the Purbecks. My favourite place is definitely Dancing Ledge. I was a keen swimmer and spent most of my evenings and some mornings in the pool with competitions on a Saturday. I think my competitive spirit came from being the youngest of five brothers.

I excelled in Mathematics and Statistics at O’level, but followed my flair for food and cookery to college where I gained a BTEC National Diploma in Hotel, Catering and Institutional Operations. 

After a short career in the kitchen of a French Restaurant on Poole Quay I entered the world of retail. Working in Topshop and Topman stores across the country for over 7 years, I gained a real passion for customer service. I took the experiences I gained to the world of Stationery where I worked with Staples for 12 years. I quickly progressed through the ranks and became a Store Manager. In this time I had the chance to hone my administerial skills and my eye for detail. The next 12 years were spent working with Tesco. I was successful across a number of Management roles including remote roles where I travelled the south supporting large stores to manage stock loss, waste and productivity.

I have been lucky enough this year to change my career route and started as a Teaching Assistant at Magna in March 2022. While I have really enjoyed my time in the classroom, the opportunity to support the Academy with business and operations is a challenge I am excited to take on.

I am married and have three children, all of whom attended Magna Academy. In my spare time I enjoy listening to my collection of vinyl records, cooking, swimming and spending quality time with my family.

I am delighted to be on the Magna team supporting the academy to deliver the very best educational experience for the community.

Three Personal Values

• Have positive self-worth – Be your own biggest fan, be proud of all you are and all you do
• Think positive – Don’t dwell on what might go wrong, think about what you can make go right
• Have a strong work ethic – You get out of life what you put in, you can achieve anything with effort and practice