Academic Career and
Interests
I was born in Yorkshire,
and schooled in Staffordshire and Derbyshire
before going up to Cambridge University (St John's College
1964-67) where I
received a 2nd Class Honours Degree in the Theology Tripos.After a year of
postgraduate study at Oxford, I trained as a secondary school teacher
at the Institute of Education in London.
I taught for
a couple of years at Copford International School, and then for 13
years at Philip Morant Comprehensive School in Colchester, where I was
Deputy Head of the English Department. During my time there I became a
founder member of the Essex County Secondary Working Party for Gifted
Children, and set up a unit for Exceptionally Able Students, called the
Extra Studies Department, at Philip Morant.
At
this time
I gave numerous lectures of the subject of the teaching of
exceptionally able children, and wrote some articles on the topic.
When the
Sixth Form College was set up in Colchester, I became Head of the
General Studies Department there, and during the 19 years I was at the
College I was responsible, at one time or another, for the teaching of
Religious Studies, General Studies, Sociology, Law, Psychology and
Philosophy. I ended
up as
a Senior Curriculum Manager, and was responsible for introducing the
International Baccalaureate to the College, and overseeing its progress
for its first three years.
I retired
from full-time teaching in July 2006. I then
worked part-time for two years in the Philosophy Department at the
University of Essex, lecturing on "The Introduction to Ancient
Philosophy". I am now fully retired.