After 22 committed years of teaching at TWGSB, the much-loved staff member Leon Morris retired this past April. 

Here are some thoughts he shared upon his departure: 

Like a lot of people, I came into teaching late. After several, (sometimes) enjoyable careers in Maths research, with the MoD, an oil company, software houses and finance – and a few (mad but fulfilling) years working on social projects in the UK, I gave into the call of my genes (I come from a teaching family) and became a teacher. 

I joined a small school on the 1st of September 2004 and I have seen it almost double in size and extent in the last twenty or so years. We’ve moved away from being the ‘Tech’ to being rightly seen as a Grammar School; and not just a ‘boys’ school but having young women in the sixth form has brought a civilising influence to most of our chaps. Academically, we have grown and spread our wings – and survived the many vagaries of Secretaries of State for Education and Ofsted over the years. “We’ll outlive them” to misquote a wise former Headmaster – and we do. 

I have always been privileged to work with talented, competent and supportive people. It would be invidious of me to single out individual people – so I will. Many thanks are due to Gary Young, my first Head of Department, and all subsequent HoDs (not forgetting Natasha) who have helped and supported me, and tolerated my many idiosyncrasies over the years; and of course my many colleagues in the Maths Department (Amal, Anthony, Jim, …), who over the years have been my inspiration, role models and friends through the good times (lots) and bad (few). Thanks also to the many past and present colleagues for their good humour and wisdom, and patience. And thank you to Derek Barnard who took the risk of employing me, and Amanda who has seen me through to retirement. 

Teaching has been a privilege. It’s not the number of A-A*s we achieve, but seeing young people develop into thinking, intellectually curious, resourceful, good people. I admit that teaching A level Maths has been a hoot, especially for the joy of seeing students embrace the challenges, frustrations, successes and failures, and fun (yes, seriously) of ‘doing Maths’. To all my students, past and present, thanks for the journey. 

Finally, thank you to all the unsung heroes found in every school: the office staff, IT technicians, the site team, and everyone who has to deal with children (or teachers) who are just having a bad day. Without you, this school and others would come to a screeching halt. So a genuine, heartfelt “Thank you”. 

So, what’s next for me. A bit of travel, the Camino Portugues in May or September, then exploring this country, Europe and beyond; spending time trying to make my tiny run-down farmhouse in the Alpes-de-Hautes-Provence more habitable; researching my somewhat complicated family history; and the list goes on. 

If you’ve read this far, ‘Congratulations’. So to end: thank you everyone for letting me share my ‘teaching adventure’ with you. 

Lasty, as an old (and religiously-inclined) friend says: ‘Go well into the future’! 

Leon (of Maths) Morris