Taylorian 2020

14 He has flourished inhis current role asHead of Geography. He will be remembered for his work on the development of the state- of-the-art Geography block. No doubt he will have fond memories of discussing tables and chairs with John Reynolds. Bringing Geography into the 21st century with the introduction of the VR suite and the augmented reality sandbox will be a long-standing legacy that will impress prospective parents long into the future. He championed the use of these with staff and students, even on the occasion when his A Level class managed to leave the room silently, leaving him enthusiastically discussing coastal landforms along Swanage Bay to an empty room. He has been a leading figure across the school in the development of assessment and feedback, which aligns with his philosophy of developing maturity and independence within the student body. His knowledge of the Oxbridge application process will be sorely missed as many students have benefited from his experience as a graduate from the old days at ‘The Bridge’. James’s biggest achievement at Taylors’ has been his contributions to the SCR as a founding member of the MTS wine society. This is a legacy that will be continued well into the future, I amsure! He has also played for the staff football team on a number of occasions. He would be best described as an efficient striker who knows the value of saving energy for the attacking elements of his game. He is also the second-best squash player in the Geography department and has shown many members of the SCR his dogged determination to reach a drop shot. He is passionate about education, having moved from the City to share his love of learning and of Geography. All students have benefited from his four years of leading the Geography Department. He is dynamic in his approach and is always looking for ways to improve resources and approaches to learning. He will be sorely missed in the department and the wider community. We wish him and his family all the best in their future as they move closer to Kent and continue their wonderful lives together. Mr R Simmonds Jo Cox Jo joined the school in 2013. Immediately it was clear that she brought with her a phenomenal knowledge of English Literature and a vocabulary second to none. But what became even more obvious to her colleagues and, more importantly, the boys, was her immense enjoyment and talent at sharing that knowledge in the classroom. She has been a constant source of sound advice for teachers and boys in her seven years at the school. She will be greatly missed by her colleagues and the pupils. The staff in the English Department will miss her sharp humour, wonderful laugh, and baking skills. Many a marking marathon has been made easier with a brownie or cake of some sort. Her unwavering professionalism and dedication to her craft has been a joy to behold. Her presence on any staff team at a quiz will be greatly missed. She holds the wonderful honour of single-handedly winning a quiz for her team. She leaves the rest of us speechless at times with the scope of her general knowledge. And yet she is one of the most down-to-earth people you could meet. She will be remembered for always being her true self – whether she was speaking to the Head Master, a teaching colleague or to the kitchen staff when collecting her lunch. To quote a colleague: ‘We love her and will miss her greatly!’ For the boys, they will miss a teacher who loved to listen to them. Her ‘Cox Club’ of boys who would pop over to her classroom for a chat at the start of the day and at lunch time will miss her non-judgemental and friendly ear. Jo has the remarkable ability simultaneously to listen and empathise, while also challenging if need be. The boys have the utmost respect for her warm honesty. She has been a great asset to the school outside of the classroom. Her commitment to swimming meant regular galas alongside Malcolm Pacey. Jo was not an experienced swimming coach but took it upon herself to learn appropriate training drills and then brought her fabulous hair, marvellous elocution and exceedingly broad vocabulary poolside much to the delight of her colleagues and the boys. But her love of the pool alsomeant regular early morning swims with Anne Schofield. The sight of a wet towel over a non-functioning radiator was a regular sight in EN34. But it is the Drama department that really did benefit from her love of the theatre. Jo was John Coleman’s co-director for his final production of Guys and Dolls. She then went on to create her own riotous version of Oklahoma, working closely with the Music Department and Sav Gimmi from the Drama Department. She fondly recalls the madness of having to organise lassoing lessons for a cast member! But for Jo, the highlight was always watching the joy in the cast members when they saw and heard the audience’s recognition for their hard work. Jo and Brendon will be heading off to Lincolnshire, no doubt to the delight of daughters Bibi and Matty, to enjoy a more leisurely and well-earned retirement. As soon as Covid-19 allows for it! Mr P M Capel