Staff Spotlight: Sally Hale, Teacher of Maths, Head of Hilles House
Our pupils do amazing things every single day, but behind those achievements are all of the hardworking staff here at Merchant Taylors' School. In Staff Spotlights we look to explore the diverse backgrounds and skills of the people who make Merchant Taylors' a great place to be. This week we hear from Sally Hale, Teacher of Maths, Head of Hilles House.
When did you join Merchant Taylors'?
September 2013
Tell us about your subject. What excites you about it? How did you get into it?
I always loved Maths at school. I remember playing the numbers game from the TV show, Countdown, in my Year 7 lessons and that was really fun! I also come from a family of Mathematicians. Both parents and my brothers have Maths degrees, as well as several extended family members. Bizarrely, I don’t have a Maths degree - my brothers and one of my cousins put me off! However, in my twenties, when I retrained as a teacher, I chose to teach Maths because I wanted to share my enthusiasm for the subject with future generations, and it was always my favourite subject at school. It is such a beautiful language and with the explosion of the field of Data Science, I am also able to convey my love for Statistics – the only branch of Maths I’ve used outside of the classroom.
What are you most proud of outside of your work at school?
I love a physical challenge. It’s quite amazing what your body is capable of doing if you have the mental capacity to keep going! Over the years I’ve climbed the Langtang mountains in Nepal and the High Atlas mountains in Morrocco and I’ve completed both the National and Yorkshire three peaks challenges. However, the hardest, in terms of physicality and mental demand, was the Devises to Westminster International Canoe Race. It’s a 125-mile kayaking (and canoeing) race that begins, as you’d imagine, in Devises, Wiltshire, and ends under Westminster Bridge in London. You begin by paddling on the Kennet and Avon canal and then join the Thames at Reading all the way to Westminster. I paddled in a K2, and my partner and I completed the endeavour race in 21 hours and 40 minutes coming 8th in our category.
What did you study at A-Level?
Rather predictably, Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry & Biology.
What piece of media would you recommend and why?
I love podcasts! My husband introduced them to me years ago and I find them fascinating! I wish they had been around when I was growing up - I might have learnt more! They are so easy to access and listen to – great for long journeys and to just learn about random stuff! My favourites are ‘A thorough examination’ with Drs Chris & Xand Van Tulleken, ‘Curious Cases’ with Hannah Fry, and ‘The Happiness Lab’ with Dr Laurie Santos. That said, I’ll listen to pretty much anything!
