Valete - Andrew Keddie

VALETE

ANDREW KEDDIE

The number of teachers who dedicate more than thirty years to a single institution are fading fast and Andrew ‘Captain’ Keddie is undoubtedly one of the last of that breed. Arriving at Emanuel in 1991 after spells in the Royal Marines and the financial sector, Andrew was perfectly equipped for the challenges of teaching at Emanuel. He influenced countless children, teaching them to think for themselves with his clever arguments which embraced his specialist subjects of History, Politics and Economics. When alumni reminisce on their time at Emanuel on social media and at reunions, Andrew usually pops up very quickly in the conversation. OE Leo Villa jokingly commented that it is “Probably easier to name who hasn't been taught by Mr Keddie!”.

Andrew was equally loved by his colleagues and was always keen to share his knowledge and suck them into arguments they would rarely win! Blessed with extraordinarily broad and deep subject knowledge, his passionate advocacy for the subjects he taught burned brightly. Such was his skill in leading arguments, pupils found it impossible to pinpoint whether he was Conservative, Labour or any other political persuasion. Andrew also enjoyed fuelling debates with colleagues on Scottish Independence, Brexit, and other prickly subjects whilst most were trying to have a quiet lunch!

After his spell in the army, it was only natural that Andrew should turn to the CCF and later the Duke of Edinburgh, a scheme he led for almost two decades. Andrew’s extraordinary commitment to the award, trips, and outdoor pursuits cannot be understated. By 2017, he had taken 7200 pupils on expeditions and spent a total of 164 nights outdoors. He saw the DoE grow from a lowly twenty children to an activity which involved most of the year group at bronze level.

Andrew’s interest in people has not diminished with age and whenever an OE returned to lead a talk he would often pop up for a chat or to listen. He rarely missed school productions or school quizzes and never took himself too seriously. He was the first to laugh when he made the odd guest appearance on stage or stood in line for a charity sponging. Andrew contributed hugely to the extra-curricular side of school, which included running debates, rugby teams and rowing activities.

For many years, he was also Chairman of the Common Room and bridging the gap between staff and management is never easy, but he achieved this with dignity and respect in supporting his colleagues.

Andrew was a tremendous sport and whenever we wanted to release an amusing social media post, he could be relied upon to take a joke without offence being taken. Alumni found this to be endearing and comments quickly turned to praise. James Jacob noted, “Superb teacher. He inspired me to become one” and theatre director Daniel Barnard commented, “The man who taught me how to write essays. I might well have not been accepted at Cambridge without him. I definitely used what he had taught me while I was there.”

Mr Keddie made a huge contribution to Emanuel School, and he will be missed by everybody. We would like to wish him and his wife, Julia, a long and happy retirement.

Tony Jones, Archivist