Brentwoodian 2019

115 Mr Smith joined the school in 2017 and can be delighted with his contribution to school sport. He passionately developed Junior rugby as well as significantly enhancing the playing standards of the First XV while also making a stellar contribution to the athletics programme in the Trinity term. He also meticulously planned and delivered excellent GCSE PE and A level lessons alongside his leadership of the Sports Leader award enrichment course. Mr Smith was an outstanding role model with the highest standards and his positive influence will be missed by the PE department and the children fortunate enough to have been taught by him. We would like to wish him every success as he persues a rugby career in Australia. Christopher Smith Mrs Taylor joined Brentwood School in 1995 as a teacher of French and Italian. To many that seems a bygone age now, but the thoroughness and rigour which characterised Marisa’s approach will never become antiquated. Though she preferred plastic folders to the Microsoft or Google variety, her adherence to traditional methods was most effective: GCSE Italian results boasted a 100% A-A* success rate over more than two decades. One of Mrs Taylor’s greatest achievements was in establishing the IB Italian Ab Initio course which was key to making the Diploma Programme accessible to tentative linguists; through her drive and scrupulousness it flourished. It was much more than grammar and its melodious trill and cadences, however: Marisa also imbued her students with a love of Italian culture, literature and way of life. Once hooked by the lure of ‘la dolce lingua’, many of her students were inspired to study Italian at university and ventures such as the collaboration with the Music Department to Siena further stoked this passion. Marisa Taylor She was also a very accomplished teacher of French, where her no-nonsense approach and crystal-clear explanations motivated and enlightened her charges. She was instrumental in developing and nurturing the Language Development option. This boosted less able linguists’ confidence and proficiency, and her meticulously prepared course and bespoke resources played no little part in this. Above all, Mrs Taylor was a very caring colleague who was always a bastion of support during the difficult times - not least following the 2015 coach crash, coming out to Belgium in its immediate aftermath to look after those of us affected. Through good times and bad – and we have shared a lot over a quarter of a century - her humour shone through, and I have very fond memories of her laconic takes on pupils’ and colleagues’ idiosyncrasies, both in school and on the school trips we accompanied. She leaves the School and profession after 37 distinguished years. We all wish her a very long and happy retirement where I know she’s delighted to be finally swapping grammar for grandma. Mr Lewis joined the Maths department at the school in 2015, before displaying his expertise in Design Technology. In his time at the School he always put the interests of the pupils first. He coached Rugby, Football and Cricket, as well as running Gold DofE and North House for a brief stint. He now retires to work on his million pound golf swing and spend time with his wife and family. Michael Lewis