Chris Bates
When news of Mary’s appointment reached the Modern Languages Department, we initially thought:”scientist, oh well”. Then we weighed up the evidence – very scientific :named Ireland, comes from Scotland, lives in England. Maybe languages could benefit after all. So we celebrated in the customary fashion – with cake. To be frank, though, this initial optimism was briefly called into question when I was first introduced to Mary as Head of Department. Her candid opening remarks referred to her previous managerial experience of said departments as ” usually quite troublesome”. Oh dear, better buckle up. To her credit and my relief, she added that first impressions would suggest that we might be the exception to the rule. After that, there was no looking back; well, maybe the odd glance, but that first meeting set the tone for a productive relationship which lasted until we both retired in the same year. Mary was always ready to listen to advice and take it on board before making her decisions. She was very generous with time and resources for languages, especially in the early formative years, where she introduced innovative diversity and choice which greatly benefited pupils. Being a Head Teacher at Bancroft’s …
- March 10, 2023
- 1:17 pm