John started at Kent College as Senior Science teacher. It was then a Direct Grant school, he taught Saturday mornings and ran games in the afternoons and often had duties on Sunday. After a while in a rented house  in Rough Common Sheila’s father Fred built the family a house on a new estate in Canterbury, Leycroft Close. After 3 years the family moved to Perryfield, a small holding with 4.5 acres. The main purpose of the small holding was to give Peter a job on leaving school. It meant a lot of hard work for everyone with rabbits, chickens, pigs , calves and goats . Sheila's parents visited every Sunday to play cricket and John's parents were visited every Friday. " That was our social life. No time for beach sailing or holidays."

Undaunted, John spotted the potential for a School Farm in the unused buildings up on the school's Moat Fields and the family were on the move again.  The school provided accommodation first at Green Gates and then at Park Cottage. The farm expanded to include the extremely popular school’s ponies for the riding club.

In 1979 John was appointed Housemaster of Milton House by the now Headmaster and firm friend Paul Sangster. John and Sheila cared for many boys during his time as Housemaster which lasted until 1985 when he stepped down from being housemaster and moved back to Perryfield, finally retiring from teaching in 1988