Steve was a key member of the teaching staff at Moulsford for 25 years, leaving in 2016 for a well-earned retirement. Having many hats, he was Head of Latin, at times taught English and was Head of the Scholarship class for 15 years. Of course, he also spent much of his time coaching rugby and football, as well as some tennis, athletics and cricket across different year groups. We caught up with him recently to reflect on his time at the school.

Thinking back to your time at Moulsford, how would you describe the atmosphere?

The overwhelming feel at Moulsford was of a friendly and welcoming place with a genuine sense of community. Mike Higham was the Head during most of my time there, and he had a knack of creating an atmosphere where the staff felt very much valued. We wanted to stay and contribute, rather than rush off home at the end of the day. It was lots of fun working there. The atmosphere was an informal one but also very professional, and I think the boys also felt that sense of a strong purposeful community around them, and I am so pleased that Ben Beardmore-Gray has ensured the same ethos continues.

How would you describe the reward for you from teaching? 

I really enjoyed the sense of passing on my knowledge to the boys, and I got a great sense of achievement from teaching. It was incredibly satisfying to introduce the boys to a brand new subject such as Latin and see their knowledge and skills develop over the years. In many cases, they reached a very high standard by the end of their time at the school. The challenge was what I enjoyed most, and seeing those boys who initially struggled with the subject, then get to grips with it and succeed, that was what made it all worthwhile. 

What are some of your fondest memories at the school?

One of the main highlights for me would be the sports coaching, especially rugby and football, and the special, almost club-like atmosphere engendered by the Games Department. Another major feature of my time at school was the many residential trips which I was involved in. I went on various ski trips, educational cruises to the Mediterranean, a South Africa Tour, shorter rugby tours to Edinburgh and Paris, and of course the Leavers’ Trips to Snowdonia and Exmoor, the latter between 1996 and 2016, many of which I organised. During these trips, you really saw the boys at their best. As head of Year 8, I was also responsible for the post CE programme, which was a great pleasure to pull together after all the academic hard work from the boys.

What was it about rugby and football coaching that you enjoyed most?

I saw a different side to the boys when I coached sport, and it was a joy to see those that didn’t love the rigours of the classroom so much, and especially Latin, come alive when playing sport. When you saw the boys in and out of the classroom you saw their alternative strengths and how they interacted in other situations in different ways. You got a better understanding of them through seeing them in different circumstances. I really enjoyed refereeing matches, and it was a total contrast to the classroom. Over the years I was involved with a variety of teams including the 2nd and 3rd XVs and also the Colts Bs, both rugby and football. I also ran the school tennis teams for several years and coached athletics too.

What advice did you give the pupils at Moulsford most frequently?

I tried to encourage them to focus on enjoying the process, and enjoying the moment. I also wanted to impress upon them that what mattered was individual progress, rather than a comparison with others. I wanted them to be proud of their progress whether on the pitch or in the classroom rather than whether they were the best at something. 

Do you think there were any areas that made Moulsford different from other schools?

Moulsford stood out because it was a ‘boys only’ school with weekly boarding, so many of the families lived quite locally. This I think helped towards the sense of community, as the families knew each other and many were friends. Perhaps because of that the MPA was strong and very active, hosting lots of popular events. 

Another area where Moulsford stood out was the quality of the school lunches, especially in the last few years of my time at the school, while the post-match teas, especially those served to the parents, were renowned for being of the highest quality!

What have you been doing since your retirement?

I have done some Latin tutoring, although not a huge amount. Since retiring I have had the opportunity to develop my interest in genealogy and the First World War further, and have been conducting some research in this area. My other passion is classic cars, and with more time on my hands, I have been enjoying driving various old cars around the Cotswolds where I now live. Having said that, I am currently proof-reading Moulsford boys’ school reports, so I remain very much in touch with the school.