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Miss Angell
Favourite novel: Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo.
Character most like you: Matilda – bit cliché, but I love reading and learning just wish I had the magical powers!
Me in one sentence: Energetic, fun and caring.
Interests: Reading, films, music, travel.
Why I chose to teach English: I love how English can teach you a range of life skills. It isn’t just about reading and analysing but how to become empathetic, compassionate people who can communicate in any situation.
Favourite saying: ‘Eat Well, Travel Often’
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Mr Baird
Favourite novel: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
Character most like you: Jean Brodie
Me in one sentence: Irish and loud.
Interests: Debating and Opera
Why I chose to teach English: I love Dickens and Shakespeare more than being shot at.
Favourite saying: 'Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.'
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Mr Ballard
Favourite novel: The Great Gatsby
Character most like you: My favourite character is Jay Gatsby because as he is such an enigma throughout the novel. We do both like throwing parties, but mine are nowhere near as extravagant as his.
Me in one sentence: Hardworking, enthusiastic Liverpool FC fan with a love of film, music and literature.
Interests: Running, football, film, music and spending time with friends and family.
Why I chose to teach English: To impart knowledge in a subject I love and help students reach their full potential.
Favourite saying: Not my favourite, but I say it a lot! 'You've got this!'
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Mrs Duddy (KS5 Co-ordinator)
Favourite novel: Just one?? Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte or Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd or, of course, the Harry Potter series!
Character most like you: Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter.
Me in one sentence: A lively, outgoing, very Irish, overly enthusiastic Potter-head.
Interests: Singing, reading, watching films, History and everything Harry Potter - obviously! (In my best Snape voice).
Why I chose to teach English: I have loved reading from a very young age and used to play make believe classroom with my four brothers (they were not well-behaved students!), so, it seems like teaching was a vocation. When I reached Secondary school, I had some inspiring English teachers who helped me on my path into English teaching.
Favourite saying: Nearly never milked the cow!
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Miss Hardicre
Favourite book: Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Character most like you: Mr Tumble... according to Mr Baird!
Me in one sentence: Friendly, enthusiastic cat lady with a passion for the creative.
Interests: Cats, theatre and going to gigs.
Why I chose to teach English: It goes so seamlessly with Drama, and they’re the two subjects I couldn’t live without, all throughout my education and beyond!
Favourite saying: Make good choices!
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Mrs Jones
Favourite novel: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
Character most like you: Miss Honey in ‘Matilda’.
Me in one sentence: Cool, calm and collected.
Interests: Cooking, singing and walking in the countryside.
Why I chose to teach English: To inspire students and to see the ‘light bulb’ moment when they understand a key concept.
Favourite saying: Words cost nothing, be kind.
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Mrs Marden (Assistant Head of English)
Favourite novel: Shantaram, Jekyll and Hyde, The Tattooist of Auschwitz… too many to choose from!
Character most like you: Students would say an Oompa Loompa, or one of the seven dwarves…
Me in one sentence: Short, punny, absolutely hilarious.
Interests: football, drama and reading.
Why I chose to teach English: I love reading, and the beauty of English is that it is all down to your interpretation. I love that students come up with interesting and different ideas year upon year.
Favourite saying: “I’m a real fan of that” whilst pointing to the fan!
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Mrs McGarvie (KS3 Co-ordinator)
Favourite Novel: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer.
Character Most Like you: Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter.
Me in one sentence: Let’s do this.
Interests: Reading, Music, Running, Cycling, Photography, Arguing.
Why I chose to teach English: Why would I teach anything else?
Favourite Saying: Life’s not fair.
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Mr Roberts
Favourite novel: Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson.
Character most like you: Professor Snape from Harry Potter.
Me in one sentence: Absolutely hilarious... and modest... and sarcastic.
Interests: Journalism, boxing, the mighty Tottenham Hotspur football club.
Why I chose to teach English: Putting words together is what I do best and what interests me most. Such a simple, yet incredibly powerful, thing. I love teaching language to students and seeing where they can take their writing!
Favourite saying: "A word to the wise is infuriating"
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Dr Sinclair
Favourite novel: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Character most like you: Miss Trunchbull in ‘Matilda’
Me in one sentence: Loud, tough and funny and very South African!
Interests: The Happy Colour app
Why I chose to teach English: I love the context of texts and learning why authors wrote what they did.
Favourite saying: Suck it up Buttercup!
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Mrs Tidley
Favourite novel: 'The Girl with all the Gifts' by Mike Carey
Character most like you: Molly Weasley from Harry Potter
Me in one sentence: ADHD chatterbox bookworm.
Interests: Reading, gaming, talking.
Why I chose to teach English: Total passion for the subject. I love looking into the 'why' of things.
Favourite saying: 'It's always OK in the end. If it's not OK then it's not the end.'
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Mrs Woods (Head of Department)
Favourite novel: most recently it’s Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin but it’s ones that have stuck with me over the years…The Color Purple; Things Fall Apart; The Book Thief
Character most like you: depending on my mood: Hermione Granger, Veruca Salt or Nancy Drew.
Me in one sentence: Boss Lady
Interests: Keeping fit, reading and watching terrible horror films – not at the same time.
Why I chose to teach English: The holidays…I mean, because I have a passion for words!
Favourite saying: 'I don’t get paid enough for this nonsense!'
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Mrs Wright (Joint Head of Lower School)
Favourite novel: Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
Character most like you: This is a tough one and this is not from my favourite book so I did an online quiz which said I was like Fantastic Mr Fox: cunning, crafty and you always know where to find a good meal.
Me in one sentence: Funny, intelligent, witty and ironic.
Interests: I love reading and watching films but also love being outdoors with my children and the dog. I also really enjoy cooking and as I’m getting old[er] my garden.
Why I chose to teach English: I decided I wanted to be a teacher when I was just 4 years old – in actual fact my Dad told me I had to be one! When I was 15 I did some work experience in a Junior School and decided that I wanted to focus on working with older students and to try and instil a love of reading.
Favourite saying: Cor blimey!
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