To welcome our pupils back from the half term break, we had A Conversation With... Mr Woolner, who stepped into the role of Head of Religious Studies and Philosophy back in September. Since then, he's certainly made an impact with his warm, friendly and enthusiastic attitude to life at Shiplake.
What does your average day entail?
I arrive just after 7.00am, and change into my work clothes. After that, I head into the classroom, planning and printing for the day’s lessons. Then I spend all day teaching and on most days, I coach the U14B rugby team. On Monday and Wednesday, I am on duty in Burr during dinnertime.
Aside from teaching Theology and Philosophy, what else are you involved with at the College?
I co-coach the U14B rugby team; we’re all but undefeated, other than one match! I hope to be launching the Theology and Philosophy Society (which will run every other Thursday) very soon, and will hopefully be launching the mindfulness colouring club next term.
What did you do before coming to Shiplake College?
Last year, I worked at City of London School in Central London. I moved to London because I got married the summer before last, so my wife and I wanted to live together, of course. I was there for a year, covering a teacher on her maternity leave. My wife is also a teacher and works at a school in Ealing, so we wanted to stay on the train line, and I had already decided that I wanted to live in Twyford. Then, lo and behold, this job came up and here we are…!
If you were a pupil at Shiplake today, what co-curricular activities would you choose, and why?
Gosh, there’s a lot to choose from! Something that I wish I knew about, but am probably too old to learn now, is coding and that side of technology, so maybe an extra-curricular activity involving that. I also really enjoyed playing rugby as a kid and until I started uni, so I would like to do that, too. I’d like to do something creative like art or photography as I don’t really make anything or create anything, other than lessons.
When you were younger, who were your role models?
Well, it sounds like a flagrant advertisement for teaching but when I was at school, I really looked up to my religious studies teachers. I was at a boarding school and so, being away from my parents for a long while at a time, I found that teachers were very good role models. Having been to an all boys’ school in a very white, middle-class area, I never really met women or people who were a different colour to me or a different sexuality. So when I went to Edinburgh for university, all of a sudden I met a lot of women and gay people who were on the same course as me and so the people who I first met at university were all fantastic role models in shaping how I saw the world as an open-minded adult.
If you could liken yourself to a fictional character, who would it be?
I’d say that I was either Winnie the Pooh or Eeyore. Probably Eeyore because I’m more grumpy than Winnie the Pooh. My wife will tell you that I have a natural disposition to being negative but I’m like Winnie the Pooh in that I’m inquisitive and will try things that often don’t go to plan….
What does the future hold for Mr Woolner?
In the next five years, I would hope to have some children, but in the short term I hope to spend some time on the motorbike for which I have recently received my license!
