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SALVETE 7
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WELCOME EVER SMILES.
William Shakespeare
Alison Benson
A longstanding member of the Repton community, having had three children go through Repton, Alison Benson slotted in with ease when she began her one-year post as a Teacher of Textiles back in September 2022. How lucky we are to be able to call on an experienced Repton teacher and an old friend for this maternity cover. Alison spent her school days down the road at John Port School in Etwall before heading to the West Midlands to complete her BA Hons degree in Textiles from the University of Wolverhampton, followed by a Masters in Fashion and Textiles from Birmingham Polytechnic. Alongside her teaching and lecturing, Alison is also an accomplished freelance designer herself, winning the Young Designer of the Year Award in 1989.
What kind of pupil were you at school?
Arty and messy!
If you could talk to your 15-year old self, what would you say? Dyslexia will never hold you back.
Dream job as a child?
Strangely, a fighter pilot.
Which three people (living or dead) would you invite to a dinner party?
Coco Chanel. Queen Elizabeth I. Dolly Parton.
Share one surprising fact about yourself.
I designed a rug for the Queen and also for a member of Duran Duran.
What is your guilty pleasure? Crisps... lots of them!
Anna Morris
Having spent most of her career teaching English as a Foreign Language and the IB Diploma in Rome and Palermo, Anna swapped the sunny climes of Italy for the East Midlands countryside in September 2022. Joining the English Department as an EAL teacher, as well as offering her support in the Personalised Learning Department and tutor in Field House, Anna has truly embodied the Repton spirit by accompanying the pupils on the many DofE expeditions across the academic year. She leaves us this summer to take up another specialist EAL post: buona fortuna!
If you were Secretary of State for Education, what would be your first decision?
Reform the Ofsted inspection process.
Pineapple on pizza?
Definitely not! Having spent most of my working life in Italy, putting tropical fruit with savoury Mediterranean ingredients is a big no no!
What is at the top of your bucket list?
I love travelling and want to visit some countries that I haven’t been to yet. Top of my list are Japan and Mexico.
Share one surprising fact about yourself.
I’ve taught English to two army generals, a South American MP and a group of air-traffic controllers from Africa.
Ash Morris
Ash Morris and his family, including wife Sophie, daughter Myla and two Labradors, started their new life in Repton in November 2022, moving across from Dubai to settle in South Derbyshire when Ash became Repton’s Director of Swimming. He spent the last 13 years as Director of Swimming for Hamilton Aquatics, where he led the club to become the largest and most successful swimming academy in the Middle East, personally coaching over 30 junior and senior international swimmers throughout that period. Ash brings with him a wealth of experience, knowledge and expert coaching techniques that will take swimming at the School, and in Repton Swimming Club, from strength to strength. We wish them well as they look to welcome a second daughter, due in July.
What kind of pupil were you at school? Rule breaker…
If you could talk to your 15-year old self, what would you say? Listen more and try things out of my comfort zone.
Dream job as a child? Swimming coach!
Which three people (living or dead) would you invite to a dinner party?
Sir Alex Ferguson. Vince Lombardi. Bill Sweetenham.
Favourite biscuit? To dunk or not to dunk?
Jammie Dodger. Dunker.
What is your guilty pleasure? Crisps.
David Del Strother
David del Strother joined the Mathematics Department in September 2022, moving to Repton with his wife Camille and three children, his previous schools including Oakham and St Edwards' Oxford. A graduate of Durham where he gained a joint-honours Masters in Maths and Physics, he has embraced Repton life to the full - taking on Head of Curriculum Management, coaching the Squash team, becoming a Duke of Edinburgh assessor, joining the tutor team in Latham House and singing in the Chapel Choir. In addition to his academic achievements, David is a highly accomplishes professional singer, and has sung on an impressive number of blockbuster soundtracks, such as Harry Potter, The Hobbit and Kung Fu Panda!
If you could talk to your 15-year old self, what would you say?
My 15-year old self already knew the answers…
Favourite thing about being a teacher?
It’s the only genuine opportunity, in polite society, to make bad maths jokes.
Favourite biscuit? To dunk or not to dunk?
Anything ginger-based. If I’m forced to dunk, then a plain ginger biscuit is best.
Share one surprising fact about yourself.
I glow in the dark. And make things up about myself. I realise that’s two things, but it also turns out that I can’t count.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Really good coffee.
Graham Cramp
Graham Cramp's arrival has brought extensive experience to the Repton Mathematics Department. After completing his degree at the University of Nottingham, Graham spent two decades as a teacher at Malvern, as well as stints at both Oakham School and Nottingham High School. He had no hesitations in immersing himself into Repton life, quickly getting involved with Football coaching and as a House Tutor in The Cross. He looks forward to a peaceful retirement back at home in Worcestershire with his wife and dogbut not just yet!
What kind of pupil were you at school?
Boringly average in most respects.
Which three people (living or dead) would you invite to a dinner party?
Dion Dublin. Peter Gabriel. Sigrid. Great entertainment!
Favourite thing about being a teacher?
Seeing young people being creative and having fun.
What would your superpower be? The ability to see round corners would be useful..
Share one surprising fact about yourself.
I am a season ticket holder at Cambridge United FC.
What is your guilty pleasure?
The music of Sigrid, the Norwegian princess of pop; such joy in every performance.
James Blackwell
In Lent 2023 we were delighted to welcome James Blackwell to teach in the History and Politics Departments. Bristol-born, James is well-travelled, having studied History at the University of Colorado and them for his PhD at the University of Glasgow, and his impressive academic credentials include lecturing at Glasgow and Bristol, at Harvard University on the Polish resistance movement during WW2, and he is a published historian. With 14 years of teaching under his belt, James, accompanied by his wife Samantha and two children, Lucy and Bertie, has seamlessly become part of the Repton community. When he's not teaching, James looks after the boys in Hew House, and enjoys joining Reptonians on their DofE adventures, exploring the wonderful, wet and windy Derbyshire countryside - but any spare moments will be spent with a book in his hand.
What kind of pupil were you at school?
Academic.
Dream job as a child?
Playing football for the mighty Bristol Rovers.
Establishment or Revolutionary?
Well, I read The Spectator if that answers your question!
What would your superpower be? To heal those I love.
Share one surprising fact about yourself.
I speak Polish.
What is your guilty pleasure? A range of cheeses.
Our new Head of Economics began his career as a chartered accountant at Berg Kaprow Lewis, before moving into education and teaching first at Harrow School and then in Shrewsbury International School in Bangkok, where he led the Economics Department. Jon grew up in West Sussex and studied at both Keele and UCL, gaining a joint-honours degree in Economics and Human Geography and a PGCE. He leads a very active lifestyle, with an impressive range of hobbies including running, hiking, surfing, kayaking and scuba diving - so it is no surprise that he has quickly been recruited into the football and cricket programmes at Repton. He is also very busy with academic support, as an EPQ adviser and a tutor in The Priory.
Favourite thing about being a teacher?
The variety of the job: teaching in the classroom, coaching on the sports field, and being part of a vibrant boarding house.
Favourite biscuit?
Tesco Finest White Chocolate & Honeycomb Cookies.
What would your superpower be? Time-travel.
Share one surprising fact about yourself.
I once ran a 100k ultramarathon for charity.
Karen Hird joined the Resident Graduate Assistant team in Michaelmas 2022, primarily supporting the B Block sport programme and O Block Maths. But when she is not in the classroom, Karen can often be found in the Fives Courts, where she uses her expertise as long-standing National Champion to provide high-level coaching for all three terms of the academic year. After attending Wycombe High School, Karen went on to graduate with a degree in Economics from Cambridge, before qualifying as a lawyer in 2016 and a career in Corporate Tax at an international law firm - until her journey brought her to Repton last year. She hopes to gain a broad experience of school life, including the extracurricular programme and further opportunities in classroom teaching.
If you could talk to your 15-year old self, what would you say?
Never be afraid of giving up things that aren’t right for you.
Dream job as a child? Palaeontologist.
Favourite biscuit? To dunk or not to dunk?
Caramel digestive. Definitely a dunker.
Establishment or Revolutionary? Depends whether the establishment is right or not…
What is at the top of your bucket list?
Watching an Ashes series in Australia.
Share one surprising fact about yourself.
I’m one of triplets.
Lauren Sirr
Lauren Sirr has been with us since January 2023 as a Teacher of English and RS. Discovering a real passion for English and History at school, she gained a Masters in Medieval and Renaissance English Literature from the University of Sheffield before returning to the classroom to share her love of literature. She has taught English in various state secondary schools, latterly specialising in A Level Literature and Language teaching in 2019. Lauren has made a big contribution and is to be found supervising in the Fitness Suite, tutoring in The Garden, and leading the Community Action Charity Group. She loves acting and singing, and perhaps we will next see her again on stage with the Derby Shakespeare Theatre Company.
If you could talk to your 15-year old self, what would you say?
Don’t worry too much about what other people think. Choose what you love for your A Levels. Go on as many holidays and school trips as you can. And everything turns out OK in the end.
Which three people (living or dead) would you invite to a dinner party?
Vivien Leigh. William Shakespeare. Johnny Depp.
Favourite thing about being a teacher?
Every day is different.
Pineapple on pizza?
Every time - 100%.
What is at the top of your bucket list?
Go on safari. See my children grow up happy. Finish writing at least one novel.
What is your guilty pleasure? Crisp sandwiches.
Natalie Kyte
Natalie Kyte came to us in September 2022, along with her husband Jon, from Bangkok, where she previously held the position of Assistant Head of English at Shrewsbury International School. But even prior to that, her educational journey had taken her across the world, from a degree in English and Drama at Rhodes University, South Africa to the Visiting International Students Programme at Yale, finishing off with her PGCE from Keele. Natalie enjoys long hikes and short runs and, when she has time aside from her roles in the English Department, as an EPQ adviser and tutoring in The Garden, she has got stuck into coaching netball and athletics; and she is sharing her love of all forms of literature with the members of LitSoc. She leaves at the end of this year to enjoy a hiatus from classroom teaching: good luck!
What kind of pupil were you at school?
Ambitious, studious, competitive… a bit over-enthusiastic.
Dream job as a child? A palaeontologist-poet.
Which three people (living or dead) would you invite to a dinner party? Mary Shelley. Agatha Christie. Frida Kahlo.
If you were Secretary of State for Education, what would be your first decision?
Compulsory weekly library visits for all year groups.
Establishment or Revolutionary?
An advocate for revolutionary establishments.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Wild camping.
