Ten years ago Ian Brown was a promising but struggling actor so he decided to pack it all in and opt for the more secure option of teaching others how to act.

He is now celebrating a decade of training up-and-coming youngsters at the branch of the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy that he runs from his flat in Addiscombe.

With a team of five teachers, 44-year-old Ian is currently teaching more than 500 children aged from five to 17 in 30 classes in 14 venues, making his the third largest academy world-wide.

The chain was started by Helen O'Grady, herself a struggling actress, in her home town of Perth, in Western Australia, and there are now 120 branches around the world.

Ian was one of the pioneers of Helen's techniques of using speech, movement, self-belief and fun. She attended the opening ceremony of the Addiscombe branch, since at the time it was the largest outside Australia.

To mark his 10 years of service, Ian is expanding further. He is already working at venues in Reigate and Chipstead and has set his sights on Mitcham and Selsdon.

He said: "I can't believe that I'm still here and still loving it so much. I assumed that the academy would be like a stopgap, a chance for me to settle down and think about a career outside the biz. But from the moment I taught my first class, I loved it and I've never been bored and I've never looked back.

"It's always special when I see a child, who a year ago was too shy to tell the class their name, perform in front of a crowd of hundreds as if they were in their own living room, with a smile as wide as the stage."

Last month, all of Ian's classes performed to proud parents, in a six-night drama extravaganza. Accustomed as the ex-professional actor is to making speeches, he admits his opening talk this year was a little trickier.

"I found it hard not to let my emotions be too carried away it was a real milestone for me."

And as for the future? "I wouldn't be surprised if I'm still here in another 10 or even 20 years," he said. "As long as the kids want to do it, I will be more than happy to help them out."

If your child is interested in joining call Ian on 020 8662 0962 to enrol in a class. Next term starts on September 6.