Teacher of ICT, Sport and Food Technology at Sir Thomas Rich's School in Gloucester, a well known and successful boys' Grammar School in the south west of England.
One of the original Wombles, Phil moved to Gloucester in his early teens when he became too big for the Womble Burrows under Wimbledon Common. He attended Sir Thomas Rich's School from 1973 - 1976 before spending 4 years at Brunel University on an engineering course. Employment as an Aerospace Design Engineer with Dowty Engineering companies lasted some 18 years, during which time he worked on a variety of projects including Harrier Jump Jet fuel systems, cryogenic night sight and targeting systems, landing gear designs and prototype mock-ups for various Airbus projects and the Boeing 777 aircraft.
During his time in aerospace Phil became an accomplished CAD design and 3D modelling engineer. After a brief spell as a project design engineer with Llandrell (a fabric roofing structures company in Chepstow), during which time one of his projects featured in a BBC TV series on architectural design, he took a PGCE and became a teacher of Information & Design Technology.
After a rewarding time in his first teaching post at a demanding comprehensive school, he took up a position back at his old place of learning, Sir Thomas Rich's Grammar school, with responsibilities for teaching IT and Food Technology, managing the school computer network and developing junior cricket. Involving several senior boys in the work, Phil completely rebuilt the school curriculum network into a stable and consistent learning resource, adding broadband internet access with firewall and filtering services. He also has been responsible for producing “The Richian”, the school’s yearly magazine.
Phil is also involved in Scouting, being leader with the 44th Gloucester Venture/Explorer Scout Unit since 1980. The unit regularly raises money for local and national charities and looks forward to being involved in some fund raising activities for “Schulen in Not”.
Outside school Phil is a keen cricketer and has twice played for The Primary Club of England against the “Auld Enemy from Down Under” The Australian Primary Club. He also plays drums for CAJE - a top Gloucestershire Jazz Swing Band. His wife Cecilia also plays tenor saxophone for CAJE, and both of them are involved in the local jazz scene in and around Gloucester & Cheltenham.
Phil is immensely proud of his daughter Rachael who in 2006 graduated from John Moores University Liverpool with a First Class Degree in Forensics & Microbiology, and who has gained the prestigious youth awards of Queen’s Scout and Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.
