Age: 31
Job Title: Trainee PE Teacher
County and Country of Residence: Kent, UK
Years attended Gad’s: 1992-1995
House: Beatty
Contact Katie Simpson via Gad’s Hill School
Brief details of job: I am currently training to be a teacher of Physical Education. I work at New Line Academy in Maidstone and have had the opportunity to come back to Gad’s Hill to complete my second School placement, which is a section of my teacher training course where you spend a term at another contrasting school.
Since leaving Gads I have acquired 10 GCSEs, 4 A Levels and a 2:1 Degree in PE and Sports and Exercise Science. My passion has always been Sport and some of my fondest memories of Gad’s were playing on the Tennis courts, I even remember Mrs Gunnill who I now have the opportunity to teach alongside.
I also part own my own business with my father; The Shukokai Karate Academy (www.shukokaikarateacademy.com). Karate has been a passion of mine since the age of eight and I have loved competing and training ever since.
I have had great opportunities in the past competing with the Shukokai Karate England Team. I have competed across the world in places such as South Africa, America, Portugal, Estonia, Germany. I achieved the title of World Shukokai Karate Champion in Kumite (Fighting), 2004, South Africa and in 2016 I won the World Shukokai Karate Championship in Kata (Forms), Berlin, Germany. I have also achieved multiple European individual titles as well as World and European team medals.
Attributes needed for this job: The biggest attribute to being a good teacher is caring. I think the best teachers care about what they do and the students that they teach. Having an impact on young minds so early on can help to form them into well rounded adults. Teaching is a lifelong career for me and I am very happy that I have chosen this pathway.
How did your time at Gad’s prepare you for your career?: Young Katie; My time at Gad’s as a child were some of the best years of my life. The memories I have even at such a young age shows the impact that it had on my life. The atmosphere at Gad’s is one of family and friendship something that is very important to me.
Bit older Katie; Here at Gad’s my experience of coming back for a short time has given me the opportunity to see that not much has changed. Students have excellent teachers guiding them and the environment is warm and friendly. From what I have seen in my time here at Gad’s I want to be a teacher that makes a positive impact on students’ lives so that they can grow up in a happy, healthy environment and achieve their dreams and aspirations.
