We hear from the men and women at the front of the class about what inspired – and continues to inspire – them to take up teaching. Here’s the view from the staff room at Farleigh School…
Alex Crowhurst-Jones
Alex Crowhurst-Jones (Assistant House Parent and Year 6 Form Taker)
What motivated you to take up teaching?
I love working with children. They have an innate curiosity about life, and the opportunity to nurture and guide them, engender and share in their love of learning, is great fun and hugely rewarding.
What brought you to and keeps you at your school?
My husband and I were teaching in Sri Lanka when my mother suddenly developed a life-threatening illness so we came back to the UK at short notice. We absolutely landed on our feet, living and working in Hampshire. A beautiful county, with friends and family nearby, and not far from Oxshott in Surrey where I grew up. My husband secured a job teaching at a senior independent school nearby and the children were able to attend Farleigh School, the prep school where I teach. We still can’t believe how lucky we have been. To top it all, my mother recovered and is now able to enjoy having her grandchildren nearby!
We have fallen in love with the county. Farleigh is located in a very beautiful part of Hampshire, yet is just an hour from the New Forest, the sea and London. It is also fortunate to have truly stunning grounds and facilities in a brilliant geographical location. Being a catholic school, with a genuinely caring ethos which permeates every area of school life, and a staff room packed with committed and talented teachers, make it a very special place indeed to live and work.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your job and its biggest challenge?
I feel very lucky to have found my vocation. Working in the Junior Boarding House as Assistant Houseparent, leading KS2 English, being a from taker and running sports teams means I know the children and their families really well. We have very talented pupils and they move on to many of the top public schools in the country. My greatest reward is seeing them succeed in whatever it might be. When they leave us as happy, confident children ready to embark on the next stage of their lives, you know that’s a good job well done!
The biggest challenge is effective management of my work load. It is very easy to let school take over completely. As a family we always try to make sure we spend some time together at least one day and one night a week including having a family meal. We are not always successful, but we do try! That,and not putting on weight. The food here is amazing!