Staff

The teacher who inspired me and why:

My Classics teacher and Head of Year: he taught me how to be passionate about learning both inside his subject and outside it, and blurred the lines between the two.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

I am passionate about English because most of what we study is about the world, and the world is fun to talk about.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

Their unrelenting generosity and good-humour in the face of their high expectations of themselves.

The teacher who inspired me and why:

Growing up I had two main trumpet teachers. The second stands out as someone who inspired me to persue my playing further by encouraging regular practice and taking every opportunity to perform that was offered to me which really developed my love for music. Practice became a fun part of my day. Trying out different pieces, styles and genres of music from classical to jazz challenged me and allowed me to appreciate music in many different forms. Without this teacher I wonder how things might’ve been different?

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

Music is amazing! It opens up so many different opportunities, it allows you to escape the pressures of the daily routines, it promotes discussion, it brings meaning to so many different attributes of life, it develops team building, it builds confidence, it is about taking risks, it builds discipline, it creates new friendships and so much more. Even if you do not class yourself as a musician just listening and absorbing music can still do all of these things.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

Working at CCHS is an absolute pleasure. The students are always wanting to learn more and more. This drive always pushes me to strive to do my best for them. From a musical perspective having students who are equally passionate about music inspires me. When students come together to perform, whether it be in lessons or in our extra curricular ensembles, it is such an amazing thing to witness and hear. Also being a form tutor and watching students grow as individuals is a privilege.

The teacher who inspired me and why:

My English teacher inspired and supported me throughout my time at secondary school. She was so enthusiastic and passionate about her subject and introduced me to so many wonderful texts which I still love today.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

Books have opened up so many new worlds and experiences for me. I truly believe that literature enhances life and can make us wiser, better and more compassionate people. Writing stories is my favourite thing to do in all the world and any skills I have acquired at this this all come from the study of English literature.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

Since starting at CCHS, I have been utterly blown away by how bright, motivated and eager to learn the students I teach are.

The teacher who inspired me and why:

The teacher who taught me History, because she made it come alive and be a subject you can have fun with.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

“Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” This quote by Edmund Burke, is always true.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

The students here want to learn and always strive to do their best.

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

I love mathematics for the same reasons that people love art, music and poetry; it is an abstract and creative subject. I love the history, the culture, the aesthetic criteria and the thematic development of mathematics. But most importantly, I love the excitement that one gets from making discoveries, formulating conjectures, solving problems, and helping others to do so.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

CCHS students are always receptive, eager to learn and willing to think about interesting mathematical questions.  I especially enjoy preparing students for entrance tests such as STEP, MAT, TMUA and BMO to support their university applications.

The teacher who inspired me and why:

All the Latin teachers at my school were inspirational. I remember each and every one, and still keep in touch with almost all of them. Their passion and their dedication shaped my love of my subject.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

The influence of the Romans permeates everything: our language, our history, our culture. The study of Latin allows us to understand the world from which our society evolved. Knowledge of Latin permits us to read for ourselves the accounts of those who lived thousands of years ago and access their lives through their exact words. What could be more exciting than that?!

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

I really enjoy the creativity of CCHS students, and love the fun and humour they bring to the classroom.

The teacher who inspired me and why:

My Latin and Greek teachers always inspired me, by bringing to life languages and cultures that were so alien and temporally distant, and making them accessible and relevant.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

I feel that Latin and the Romans have such a lasting impact on our society, from our own language, to literature and culture. An awareness of this past also arms us against its misuse by those who wish to represent it for their own gain. However, most importantly, it provides access to a wealth of beautiful Classical literature, which despite being so removed from us, still gives us just as much insight into the human condition.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

CCHS students bring such a diverse range of thoughts and opinions to everything which we study, so even something which I have taught previously will always be fresh, because of the new questions which it prompts. Beyond that, the students always manage to make me laugh, whatever the topic!

The teacher who inspired me and why:

Without a doubt the teacher that inspired me was my secondary school Art teacher. Not only was she the most friendly and wonderful teacher, she nurtured and encouraged my own passion for art. She taught me my best was always good enough and that my style was only important to me and it didn’t matter what other people thought.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

I have been passionate about art for as long as I can remember. My first memory being in Year 5 when I drew a fox – I was really proud of the outcome. Since then I have immersed myself in different mediums and many years later I have found my own style. Art for me is not about the end product, it is about the process. Like reading a book you can lose yourself in a piece of art. The making is great for my mental health and I enjoy the time I spend creating.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

The students at CCHS constantly surprise, impress and wow me with their amazing creations. I love nothing more than at the end of a project or a piece of homework being handed in and seeing the amazing creations that students have made. I love it when students start in Year 7 as amateurs, then by Year 13 they are professional and know who they are as an artist – this is the reason I love being a teacher. 

The teacher who inspired me and why:

Wearing a corduroy jacket, geometric patterned ties and graph paper shirts, my Maths teacher really could not have been anything else. Not constrained by the National Curriculum, he frequently went ‘off-syllabus’, teaching us Euclid’s geometric proofs in Year 7 (now known as circle theorems) and introducing us to the wonderful world of calculus in Year 11. It never crossed our minds to ask ‘when will we need this’ because it was wonderful. His enthusiasm and love of Maths was infectious.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

Before I became a teacher, I used Maths (in particular, mathematical modelling) to help companies make informed business decisions. More recently, the global pandemic has raised the profile of mathematicians and we have seen how their models have informed government decisions. Interpretation of statistics is a useful skill for everyone. Maths is vital for jobs or study in Physics, Economics, Engineering, Computing and many more.  A knowledge of Maths is useful in so many areas of life, whether personal, financial or academic.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

It is a pleasure and a privilege to teach CCHS students. Watching them grow into confident and competent mathematicians gives me enormous job satisfaction. And I get to talk about Maths all day; what more could I ask?

 

The teacher who inspired me and why:

I was inspired in individual ways by all of my A level teachers, but in particular my Religious Studies teacher, who encouraged me to question everything I had ever believed to be true and set me on a life long journey of figuring out my place in this world.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

I am passionate about Religion, Philosophy and Ethics because each discipline requires you to develop both confidence in who you are as an individual and also to consider, understand and respect all people, no matter how different.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

I never cease to be amazed by the deeply reflective and inquisitive nature of CCHS students, who equally challenge my own views and perceptions every day.

The teacher who inspired me and why:

The teacher who taught me Chemistry in Year 9 and 10 inspired me in sciences.  He pushed us way beyond what we probably needed from GCSE and was very scary.  His method of starting a lesson was to smack a clamp stand onto the desk (which no-one ever sat at as it was massively dented).  He loved practicals and his humour was wicked.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

Biology is what makes us all work and understanding it and how organisms (including plants) interact is vital if humans are to continue as a species and if we are not going to destroy the planet we live on. The variety of ways that life uses to exist is fascinating but the fact that so much of what underpins it all is exactly the same is amazing.  Getting pupils to see the bigger picture of biology and how it links together is what motivates me.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

The students are so amazing and talented in many ways and being able to see those who may not excel in my own subject shining so brightly elsewhere is what makes working here so great.  The fact that I can be involved in events such as the dance show and school shows adds variety to the job beyond just teaching biology.  The staff are all also extremely talented and welcoming and it a great place to work.

The teacher who inspired me and why:

I had many inspirational teachers when I was at school. Although my subject teachers were incredibly inspirational, the teacher who inspired me the most was my Sixth Form Tutor. He taught me about compassion and understanding as I watched him go quietly about the Sixth Form supporting students who were living through difficult situations. I’m not sure many students saw his impact because it was so unassuming and he never needed thanks or praise, but he definitely made me want to be a teacher.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

Geography is an amazing subject. It bridges the Sciences and the Humanities; Maths and Languages. It ensures that students look at the world with a critical, but also hopeful eye. Seeing our impact on our planet in these challenging times is so important for young people, and it is a subject that is integral to ensuring that our students go out into the world understanding their role in how our collective futures are shaped. For me, I have always loved the discipline. It has taught me how to be more present in the world, and to look upon everything with wonder. There is nothing that we teach in lessons that cannot be observed in real time, and that is brilliant.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

Students at CCHS are invested and dedicated in their own education but also in going into the world hoping to make it a better place. They have their struggles, as we all do, but they pick themselves up and carry on. They are funny, interesting, hard working people who I am really proud of.

The teacher who inspired me and why:

I was most inspired by Music teacher at school. She demonstrated a real passion for performing arts, which I try now to instill in others. She also taught me that intelligence isn’t just academic, it’s social too.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

Drama allows us to become more reflective and critical as people. Being able to watch life played out in front of you on stage enables audiences to build opinions on the strengths and limitations of a society. Moreover, there are many times in history where Drama has invoked social and political change – it’s powerful.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

I really enjoy the community aspect of CCHS. Young people at CCHS have an investment in our school and have a passion to highlight, change and improve things that they care about. This is all with the aim of creating a more tolerant, diverse and open society.

The teacher who inspired me and why:

I was inspired by my Maths teachers at both GCSE and A level. They clearly loved the subject they were teaching and it inspired my own love of mathematics.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

Mathematics is universal – though the way we write and talk about it may change, the underlying concepts are always the same. It helps us describe the way objects move, whether that be a car down a hill to the motion of the planets.  I am especially passionate about mathematics in nature – the same numbers appear in all aspects of life, from petals on flowers to the way shells are formed.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

Working with the students at CCHS gives me a chance to inspire the same love and passion for mathematics that my teachers gave me. They are eager to learn and know how the mathematics I teach them can be applied in the real world, and how they might use it in the future.

The teacher who inspired me and why:

The teacher who taught me Geography – his passion and enthusiasm for the subject inspired me to take Geography onto A Level; I had originally thought about dropping it after Year 9. I will never forget his child-like glee at pointing out roches moutonnées on a field trip.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

English is the bedrock of so much that students study; clear and well written English is a joy. Above all English is about words and effective communication, and these are my passions. Literature is both richly enjoyable and transformative – as an English teacher once told me, writers are sharing with other human beings something of what it means to be a human being and share human experience.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

The students at CCHS are a genuine pleasure to be with – they are fun, bursting with ideas, inspiring and thoughtful young people.  My job keeps me feeling energised and alive to possibilities. You cannot be cynical when surrounded by such delightful young people.

 

The teacher who inspired me and why:

The teachers who taught me German and French inspired me because they loved the languages and the countries. Their interest made the subjects real.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

I love languages because they help you to experience the world differently. I love how different languages work and especially how European languages are linked.  I love the similarities and the differences. I love using my languages abroad.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

I love working with all students trying to help them learn. Students here are keen to learn so I like explaining how languages work. I would like everyone to enjoy their experience of French and German and grow in confidence as a result.

The teacher who inspired me and why:

When I first started learning History at primary school the teacher’s enthusiasm for the subject and encouragement of my research around the topic inspired me to continue to develop my knowledge and love of History through school, university and then teaching.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

History is fundamental to understanding the world around us and I enjoy working with students to discover new things about the past and present on a daily basis. Learning about how people in the past overcame adversity and adapted to changing times is both exciting and inspiring.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

CCHS students are keen to understand historical topics in depth and make connections between different areas of their curricula, meaning lessons are always engaging and challenging. The students push us as teachers to develop our own subject knowledge even further and improve our lessons constantly.

 

The teacher who inspired me and why:

My Biology teacher when I was in Year 7 because of all the experiments!

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

Biology links into so many subjects and helps me to understand the world and is just fascinating.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

Absolutely excellent students in terms of focus and dedication.  A pleasure to teach.

The teacher who inspired me and why:

The teacher who inspired me was my Secondary English teacher. She helped me explore new and challenging texts in relatable ways, as well as encouraging me to express me opinions. Particularly during A level, her lessons were always opportunities for lively discussion, using drama to connect with new characters, and making connections to great literature beyond the curriculum.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

There is nothing better than getting lost in a book. Literature provides escapism and a way to make sense of the world around us, connecting to History or Psychology. We can learn about the lives of those in countries or societies which are different from our own and discover how to share our own stories. Studying English provides vast opportunities to be critical and creative, as well as supporting students in using their own voice and express themselves.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

CCHS students throw themselves into every opportunity. They are outspoken and reflective, and such strong examples of positive change for society. I have particularly enjoyed watching students persevere with challenges and celebrating their successes with them as part of a whole community that supports each other.

The teacher who inspired me and why:

My unique Greek A level Mathematics teacher. She set the subject alight and arranged for me to visit her friend studying Mathematics at KCL; I was sold from that moment.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

I still love Mathematics. I like nothing better than to sit and solve each A level paper every summer with a cup of tea! Sometimes in my lesson when students are working I still get a little feeling and realise “I really love maths.”  The importance of the subject is visible everywhere one only has to look around to see Mathematics in action in the wider world.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

CCHS students are very appreciative of everything that you do for them. I love to hear them interacting with their peers and helping one another understand. Great relationships are demonstrated both in and out of the classroom.

 

The teacher who inspired me and why:

My GCSE English Literature teacher, she was always smiling, so passionate about her job, and always had time for me when I needed it, in or out of lessons. Like me she loved to read the classics and loved Music. I loved being in her lessons because she clearly loved being there, teaching us.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

We all have Music in our lives in some form, Music knows no boundaries or limits.  Everyone has some musical ability and therefore can take part and contribute.  It is the very best lesson in resilience, you have never reached the top, you can always improve but only by self-management of time, effort and hopefully, enjoyment.  There is no feeling quite like being part of a big ensemble, making music together. 

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

I absolutely adore my job!  Our students are not only highly able, but they are driven, open minded and willing to get involved and try their best.  They will perform, lead, follow, conduct, initiate and most importantly, delight in their learning and their success.  The pride I feel guiding, supporting and sharing their musical education, is immeasurable, and like music, is without limits.

The teacher who inspired me and why:

My history teacher showed me that teaching is much more than simply sharing subject knowledge and taught us in ways that helped us to gain a deeper understanding of the subject.

 

Why I am passionate about my subject and why it is important:

I am passionate about mathematics because I think it is a subject that people feel scared to make mistakes in and I wanted to help people understand that in this subject, we learn the most from those mistakes. Economics allows me to use my understanding of mathematics in a context that is relevant to us all.

 

What I enjoy about working with and supporting CCHS students:

I enjoy listening to the students at CCHS discussing problems and feeling comfortable enough around their peers to ask for help in the pursuit of progress. It is this motivation to learn that inspires and motivates me every day.