Meet the English Team

My name is Mr Jackson and I am the Head Of English and Drama at Bullers Wood School For Boys.I have been here since the school started; enjoying every minute of my time working with great teachers and boys. Myself and my dedicated team, in the English and Drama Department, are really looking forward to teaching you and helping you to learn and understand the world ,through the written and spoken word. We also understand that not all of you may like reading or writing because you may find it difficult or that you may have had a bad experience with reading and writing, for various reasons. Consequently, we are determined to change that here at Bullers Wood School For Boys. Our aim in the English and Drama Department is to help everyone of you to be the best that you can be in English and Drama and for you to have a good go at improving your reading, writing , speaking and listening.

Overall, we want to develop you as readers who read for pleasure,but who can also read critically. As writers we want to develop your creativity and enjoyment of language, but also your confidence,accuracy and control, so that you can express yourself clearly through any form of writing. Finally, we value the opportunity to enable you to express yourself through the spoken word: drama; speech and debate. And of course to be a good speaker you also need to be a good listener!

So if you are shaky about your Shakespeare, or apprehensive about adjectives and adverbs, you have come to the right place! This is a fantastic school to learn and work at.

My name is Mrs Pickers and I am an English teacher at Bullers Wood School for Boys. Before becoming a teacher, I had a career for 20 years as a national journalist, working on newspapers and magazines. Being a reporter was a challenge and I enjoyed meeting people from all walks of life and crafting articles. However, I always remembered how at school I loved nothing better than a lively discussion about writers and characters from novels, so I decided to be part of this again by training as a teacher.

I gained a place at the Institute of Education, University College London, to do a Post Graduate Certificate in Education, where I was able to learn of the latest research in education whilst working on placements with teenagers in London schools. The mantra at UCL was “who are the learners and what do they know?”, for me this sums-up the two-way journey between teachers and pupils, who can share their cultural knowledge and ideas. In return I’m ready to share my passion for the English language and literature, enabling young people to learn life skills.

When I’m not in school, I like to spend time with my two children and husband, skiing and visiting the coast. I speak a little Spanish so enjoy practising while on holiday and doing yoga in the garden!

I'm Miss Best and I teach English at Bullers Wood School for Boys, as well as some Drama. I grew up in the local area before moving to Sheffield to complete an English degree at Sheffield Hallam University and after a few years (and a few jobs) I decided to train to be a teacher to spread the joy of reading and English to my students. Lots of young people don't enjoy reading, and to that I say "well you've just not found the right book yet!".

I think students should have a positive attitude when they walk into school in the morning, and try and keep that mindset all day. Your teachers will go above and beyond to support your learning, so having a positive mindset when you walk into the room will massively impact your experience in the classroom!

Outside of school I like to read non-fiction books, as well as fiction, on topics I would like to learn more about... you never stop being a student! I also cross-stitch, and have been known to make gifts for family and friends. I'm also a huge film-fan, so trips to the cinema and movie nights are a regular for me!

I trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and gained my teaching qualification from London University. I have been teaching Drama and English for over 20 years in the independent and state school systems. I recently completed my Masters Degree in Leadership and Management at Trinity College, University of Dublin. I have taught in the USA at a high school in Washington DC where I worked as a literacy lead teacher for English Language Arts. This summer I was elected to the Board of Governors for The Royal Marsden NHS Hospital Trust which is a huge honour for me. My main hobbies are reading, rugby and dancing. I am an avid Leinster and Ireland rugby supporter and regularly go to see matches.

I’m Mr Bidder and I love nothing better than curling up with a good book. Watching Wales win at rugby or playing a round of golf when the sun is shining come close, but still not quite as good as not being able to put a book down! I love sharing this passion with every student I teach and hope we can enjoy exploring together the greatest words that have ever been written!

When I left University I worked as a lawyer for five years, helping very rich people manage their money and how they wanted to leave it to their children. Although I met really interesting people, I became tired of the nitty gritty law and wanted to do something more important. I honestly believe that there is no more important job than supporting young people through their education. I have taught in Peckham and Kent, and used to live about five minutes from this school, so it’s great to be back.

I’m one of the Assistant Headteachers at the school and I’m looking forward to working with the staff here to improve our connection to the community around us. But it’s still teaching you all that gets me up in the morning. To share some of my favourite books, poems and plays with students keen to learn is the still the best part of the job!