b'Mrs Atkinson What made you decide to become MR DARCY a teacher? Theres a picture of me aged eight teaching Tell us a little bit about how you Highlights include one of my brothers. I came to be working at HGS.the many sporting wrote stories for myI first came across HGS when I wassuccesses, such as other brother whentalking to my fiances father about hiswinning the Aston he was little. It wasschool days. He would often recountCup in my first inevitable. tales and legends from his time atyear at the school HGS. Later that year, when I saw a joband winning the Warwickshire indoorDo you have a available at HGS, I knew it would be ancricket finals; exploring Italy with thefavourite book?incredible coincidence for me to workGeography department and taking the Im going to choose a series. Theand teach at the same school that myfootball team on tour to Paris; as well as Shardlake series by C. J. Sansom isfather-in-law attended. all the incredible people that I have met spectacularly good: Agatha Christie mixedthroughout my time at HGS, especially with the machinations of the Tudor court.What was it like starting at the school?Dan Griffiths, Stu Campbell and Rez I remember feeling extremely nervousWhat is your favourite film?my first day walking into Big School forAhmed for making every day in the Today, its Gone with the Wind. It is ana whole staff meeting. Unfortunately alldepartment a memorable one.absolutely crazy film. It is so long that youthe seats on the back rows had already What advice would you give to newcan just watch a part of it and be satisfied. been taken and the only seats left members of staff at HGS?What kind of music do you like were at the front. After the first wave ofDont be shy and get stuck in.to listen to?nerves had passed and I began to meetEverybody in school is willing to help you People dont usually believe me when Ipeople for the first time, I knew that Iwith anything you need. say that I love rock and metal because Iwas extremely lucky to be working at a Do you have a parting message fordont look the type. The joy of the genreschool with so many fantastic welcoming the students at Handsworthis that there is no type. We have ticketspeople.Grammar School? to see Black Sabbath this summer, and Describe an experience or Thank you to each student that I have the best gig Ive ever been to is a tie memory of HGS that will stay with had the pleasure of teaching or having in between Metallica at Twickenham and Foo you in the future.one of my teams. I have been extremely Fighters at Old Trafford. I am extremely lucky that I have so manylucky to have worked with you all. All theDo you have a guiding principle amazing memories from my time atbest in the future! which you follow, or a motto for life?HGS, so ultimately I cant pick just one. See above. Dont judge a bookby its cover.MR DIAZVERY NEWTell us a little bit about how youWhat words ofARRIVALS came to be working at HGS. advice would youBack in 2018, I was looking to get more like to share withexperience working in British schools new teachersGATE: before doing my teacher training. The joining the school? FLIGHT: 161 University of Birmingham gave me theFollow the advice 1862schools contact info and I got to startthat I was never able as the French language assistant. Afterto follow: be kind to 01 my training I came back in 2020 which isyourself and do not when I started teaching at Handsworth. try to do too much.Do you have any memories of your Your wellbeing is thefirst days at HGS?priority. Otherwise, I often say that the school is thejust enjoy being part most welcoming and kind workingof a truly amazing environment that I have had the pleasureschool and working with to work in. I quickly started to enjoyits students who keep being such an Welcome to working with amazing colleagues andinspiration.Agam Singh Sagoo (above), students. This was especially needed What words of wisdom would youborn 2nd May 2024; and Hannah Lillyduring my first teaching year with was like to impart to students as youUzlis (below), born 15th May 2025.marked by a Covid lockdown.leave Handsworth for the last time? Many congratulations from everyone atSimply that I am confident that as Handsworth Grammar School!Do you have a particular HGS long as they continue to put theirexperience or memory that you will mind to it and work hard, they cannever forget?achieve anything. I hope that despite For me, it is definitely getting to takethe difficulties of learning a language students on a trip to Morocco last year.(especially at school), they will keep I was glad to be part of an experiencebeing interested in all kinds of languages that enlarged the students vision of theand that they will be able to use all the world, and not only on a language level.amazing skills that they have developed I certainly hope that you will get to go onin our lessons. Trust me, languages more MFL trips in the future. make your world bigger.63'