What job/study are you doing right now and tell us a little about it?
I am retired. I took early retirement from work. I was a housing needs manager and a policy and strategist. I ran teams of homelessness officers and temporary accommodation officers for councils in London and the South East.
Did you do any further/higher education?
BA hons University of Westminster. PG dip University of Bristol (yr 1 only) MA Management Practice Middlesex University Business School
How did you decide on your career path and what is/was most interesting about your work?
I made a radical change in the early 80's after doing manual work for years. I was working voluntarily for the Labour Party in Finchley CLP and was encouraged due to my organisational skills to go to university as a mature student. I enjoyed it so much I never looked back. I got into housing needs through my background in advice work. The thing I enjoyed most was developing policy, strategy and managing projects. The most enjoyable part was giving presentations and training to staff and external organisations.
Can you share a couple of fond memories of your time at St Cuthbert's?
Jumping on Mr Stabler when he came onto the fields as we were fooling around, he was not expecting it. Mr Barrow dragged us off. It was very funny; they took it all in good fun as it was meant. My art classes were always enjoyable. My form teacher Mr Bradbury reading King Solomon's mines to us. He read for about 40 mins once a week. Captivating, he opened up a whole new world for me.
Did you have a favourite/influential teacher? What made them so important to you?
My form teacher Mr Bradbury.
What advice would you give our current students?
I had problems when I was at school and left with no formal qualifications at 15 years old. It took me nigh on 13 years to recover the ground. I graduated at 31. My advice is that education is the most important thing in the world so buckle down and get on with it. Always do the worst bit first and get it out of the way, that way you can go on to enjoy the subjects that you like doing, you can savour them.
Name: Geoffrey James Pearce