About me
Having studied Physics at Oxford, I spent eleven years teaching Mathematics at Eastbourne College. After two years in Iraq, I taught Mathematics again for nine years at Westbourne School in Sheffield. Coming to Pangbourne completes my 'Bourne trilogy'. Having grown up in the Berkshire area, it is great to return to my childhood roots! I am a Christian, a husband to Emily, a dad to Florence, Henry, and Freddie. I love the outdoors, and climbed many of the Highlands' peaks in my twenties; these days it's the children who climb on me.
Why do I love teaching?
Maths is a fun and satisfying game; it's a useful tool with massive explanatory power for the phenomena we deserve; it's a wilderness that's slowly being mapped out in the ivory towers, yet whose beautiful, lofty peaks can be appreciated by GCSE pupils. Only in the last years have I come to marvel at how it's a room with many doors, some of which cannot be opened mathematically! As a teacher, it's gratifying when pupils get joy from their growing understanding and success. However, the best moments are when a pupil comes to delight in what I'm talking about in each of these metaphors!
My role model is…
I am a Christian because for thirty years I have been amazed by, and drawn to, the person of Jesus. Authority and humility, boldness and gentleness, justice and mercy, holiness and approachability - these seemingly antithetical qualities that rarely coincide in any one person are beautifully brought together in His life.
I would describe Pangbourne as...
School websites are littered with words in block capitals that encapsulate their vision and ambition for their pupils. Ambition, Achievement, Individuality, Success, Uniqueness, Tolerance, Self-Confidence are very in vogue at the moment. I wanted to come work at Pangbourne (amongst other things) because of the Flag Values which focus much more on the 'other' than the self. I am glad to see these qualities celebrated. I have been impressed by the warmth and vivacity in the relationships between staff.
