Snapshot Interview

What and who do you teach at MHS?

I teach Drama to all classes from Year 4 to Year 8, and English to Year 5.

What inspired you to be a teacher?

One of my biggest inspirations was my primary school teacher, Mrs Chetwyn. I remember that it was the Christmas Show and I so badly wanted to be the Angel Gabriel… a few of my not so nice friends laughed at me and said that I was not good enough. Mrs Chetwyn took me to one side and told me to always believe in myself, to always follow my dreams, and to not listen to anyone who would want to ridicule or belittle me. When I started my teaching career, I set myself the goal of being as supportive and as encouraging as her.

Tell us about your path into teaching:

I followed the usual school path of ‘O’-Levels/GCSEs and ‘A’-Levels and then went to University to follow a degree in Sociology and Psychology. However, I very quickly realised that it was not the right degree for me and, within my first year, I had changed my course to English and Linguistics. I then got bitten well and truly by the acting bug and began Theatre Studies. After I gained my degree, I went on to study for my Post Graduate Certificate in Education so that I could become a fully qualified teacher. Along the way, I have also qualified as a LAMDA teacher and have followed a number of courses in Mental Health First Aid. I have also completed training in stage makeup and set design and regularly help out as a Friend of the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. Besides working with children in schools, I have helped to run a number of youth theatre groups and have performed with them at the Edinburgh Fringe, at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester, at the RSC, and even in Disneyland Paris. 

What do you love most about teaching?

I love seeing children develop confidence and self-belief, particularly in performance. Helping children to grow into self-assured, articulate and engaging communicators is so rewarding and, after over thirty years of teaching, I still get a buzz and a big lump in my throat when I watch this happen.

What were you like at school?

I loved school so I was into everything – I was in the choir, the orchestra and most of the sports teams (although I never quite managed to get the hang of netball or lacrosse). I loved singing and performing and that hasn’t changed at all.  

When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was very little – and much to my mother’s disgust – I wanted to be the Dotto Train Driver along the seafront and then, as I grew older, I wanted to be either a famous actress or an author.

What’s the funniest moment you’ve had in a classroom?

The funniest thing that has happened to me in the classroom was when one of my pupils asked if he could bring in his parrot for a ‘show and tell’ session. As soon as the parrot was let out of the cage, it flew up onto the overhead lighting bar. It stayed up there for over two hours until we could coax it down… and every now and then it squawked ‘Hello Mummy – give me a kiss!’. 

What’s the most important lesson you can teach?

I’m going to steal the words from Oscar Wilde for this one: ‘Be yourself – everyone else is already taken.’ I encourage the children I teach to develop their self-confidence and self-belief, to not worry about what others think, and to be both courageous and kind in all that they do. 

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?

One of my proudest moments was when I was sat in the front row stalls of London’s West End Novello Theatre, watching Kirsty Hoiles take on the role of Tanya in the musical ‘Mamma Mia’. Kirsty was one of my first drama students and to have watched her blossom from quite a shy teenager into a wonderful actress was so very rewarding for me.  

What are you most excited about at Marlborough House this year?

I have been really excited to start the LAMDA programme at MHS this year – I have been delighted by how many children have started their acting courses and have been very impressed by their performance skills so far.

What makes Marlborough House such a special place to be?

 I think that MHS is a really supportive and friendly place to work in – I have been made to feel so welcome and everyone has been so kind and generous in helping me to settle in. 

Quick-fire questions

Years at MHS: Two terms

Clubs: Musical Theatre and LAMDA 

Unusual fact: I have an artificial knee and I am related, by marriage, to Martin Brundle – the Formula 1 Driver and Commentator. 

Highlight of my day: Watching children who are normally quite shy stand on stage and perform with beaming smiles and lots of confidence. 

The book I am reading: ‘Shakespeare – The Man Who Pays The Rent’ by Dame Judi Dench

Most memorable moment at MHS: Getting a clean sweep of 34 Distinctions for my first round of LAMDA exams at the school… fingers crossed for more success in June!