Farewell Geoff

By Jon Mutton, Deputy Head Pastoral

Geoff Thurman leaves us as the longest serving member of the lay staff, having arrived in the Valley in September 1986 after starting his teaching career in Wednesfield High School. Thus, he has educated boys and girls at Ampleforth for a remarkable 108 terms!

On joining the Games department, Geoff worked under Games Master John Willcox before taking over as Head of Department in 1988. A keen sportsman himself, he has always been dedicated to his vision of Games and its place in the wider life of Ampleforth College, taking great satisfaction from students representing the College in all sports. Nevertheless, he will be best remembered for his love of rugby, where he supported numerous students who subsequently went on to play for representative and even international teams, and cricket where he ran the 1st XI side for numerous years, working with cricketers who showed outstanding commitment and enthusiasm. Geoff’s ability to attract large crowds of students, staff and parents down to the Pavilion is extraordinary. As Games Master when the school introduced girls for the first time in 1998, Geoff helped the transition to co-education and worked closely with an array of colleagues to ensure equal provision for girls in sport. Under his aegis the Games Room was always a popular hub of staff life, not least because Geoff encouraged so many colleagues to participate in extracurricular sport. Many OAs will remember him as a part of their Ampleforth experience whether in the Valley or on the various tours he ran and supported, including to Australia, India and Sri Lanka, as well as to Ireland and a regular London tour.

In the History Department Geoff is something of a legend. Regarded by all with affection, not unlike the way in which the nation regarded the Queen, and having taught History here almost as long as she was on the throne, in the department, he has been the model of reliability and consistency, teaching generations of Amplefordians with his characteristic enthusiasm and commitment. What he teaches matters to him, be it the First World War, the Russian Revolution or what happened in Germany between the wars, and he wants his students to understand the importance of these events too: one can sense this palpably when in his lessons and the students he has taught, decade after decade, will have sensed this too. Equally, he wants everyone he teaches to do well and to this end he helps them develop the knowledge and skills they need for success. Geoff has taught students of all abilities and even though all have done well with his guidance, it is perhaps those less confident in their own abilities who have thrived most in his care. Geoff is a great explainer, a patient teacher with the wonderful ability to make complicated things clear and comprehensible to all. Many students have gained huge self-confidence from his teaching, as well as a love of the subject, and I am sure they will always be grateful to him for this. Geoff will be sorely missed in the History Department; he will leave a hole that will be difficult to fill.

Between 2013 until 2018 Geoff served as Co-ordinator of Outreach, travelling up and down the UK visiting prep schools where he inspired students to look at Ampleforth

and choose the College as their next destination. He increased the mileage on his car significantly in this time, but also his air miles, managing to persuade senior leaders of the need for annual trips to Kenya. In this outreach role he was very useful to then Director of Admissions, Rachel Fletcher, as a key ambassador for Ampleforth to the prep school world. It was a role which was ideally suited to Geoff’s personal warmth, loyalty to the school and open friendliness.

Over the years Geoff has served as a tutor in St Thomas’, St Bede’s, St Aidan’s and St Cuthbert’s and through his length of service knows the House system intimately. In a moment of inspiration in September 2018, nearing the end of his career, Geoff volunteered his services to run St Dunstan’s House, transferring his excellent relationships and rapport with children into the task of Housemastering.

The cliché that it is not possible to teach a dog new tricks certainly does not apply to Geoff! He was only supposed to be in post for two terms as interim Housemaster, but has never looked back and is now completing his twelfth term in the role. New Housemasters rarely find inheriting a boarding House easy and when he took on the reins of St Dunstan’s in 2018 Geoff had in Ben Pennington quite a tough act to follow; despite this, he managed the change seamlessly in his first year. Subsequently he has developed into something of an expert in managing transition, becoming joint Housemaster of St Dunstan’s and St Oswald’s in September 2019, before leading the move of both Houses from Nevill to Bolton House in September 2020. This merging of two rival next door Houses was not the easiest of sells to both sets of boys who rightly took pride in their House identities. Yet despite the potential difficulties, Geoff has managed to create harmony between the boys in the new House and a real House identity, with the boys creating a new Saint in their nickname for the House – St Doswald’s. He has worked tirelessly for the pastoral needs of his charges; they know that he will always support them in their endeavours and be ready with a good one liner when they need cheering up. In his four years as Housemaster Geoff has been a key member of the Housemaster and Housemistress body, always available for advice for new members of the team and ready with a joke and a laugh when a sense of perspective is needed after a busy week. He will retire from the teaching profession this summer, allowing him to enjoy some well-earned time with his children Ben, Holly (with grandson Joah and an expected second grandchild) and Dan – all OAs themselves.

Geoff understands fully the need in boarding schools for balance. He epitomises the ethos and values of Ampleforth College. He is renowned for his hospitality, be that towards visitors or in helping new members of staff to settle in at the College. He has positively impacted generations of Amplefordians and will be dearly missed by colleagues, parents and students. He has become something of an Ampleforth institution and we wish him a happy retirement. It is fitting, finally, to thank his wife Carol for all of her sacrifices while Geoff has given his time and commitment to Ampleforth.