The Chronicle, Summer 2019

21 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Celia Hodgson OSE

Clare Hamilton What will you be doing at Teddies from September? I will be taking over as HM of Apsley alongside teaching Geography and Global Politics.  Tell us a bit about your career so far. I’m joining Teddies after a 16-year career as an Army Officer, which has given me some wonderful opportunities. I’ve worked all over the world in interesting places and deployed on operations. Having been an educator throughout, I’m passionate about developing people, be it in the classroom or on top of a mountain. Most recently I’ve worked at the Defence Academy and before that I ran Army education for the south east of England and the rest of the world. Tell us about your family.  I will be moving into Apsley with my husband, Alistair, and our seven-year-old daughter. My husband is a retired Bomb Disposal Officer and now works in a Prep school. What made you want to work at Teddies? The Warden was kind enough to allow me to spend a day with the Geography and Politics Departments back in January and I found the culture at Teddies to be extremely inspiring. All the staff and pupils I met were highly motivated and passionate about their subjects. There are also some exciting new educational developments at Teddies and it was important for me to work in a forward-thinking school with a global outlook.  What are you most looking forward to in your new role? I’m looking forward to getting to know the Apsley boys and further building on Apsley’s esprit de corps. What other areas of school life will you be involved in? I hope to be involved with some of the more outward-bound elements of school life, drawing on my experience to date.  What are you looking forward to about being in Oxford? Having spent my undergraduate days in Oxford, I’m thrilled to be back. Oxford is home to some of my favourite places – the Pitt Rivers Museum, Christ Church Picture Gallery and Port Meadow. Did you enjoy your schooldays? Yes I did. Having been both a weekly boarder and then a full boarder, I really loved the environment; it furnished me with many life-long friendships and an adventurous spirit. Naughtiest thing you did at school? I certainly had my daring moments at school; however, the Apsley boys can rest assured I’m firmly in the ‘gamekeeper’ camp these days! Best advice you’ve ever been given? I’ve heard lots of ‘good’ advice over the years but my favourite is that ‘you’ve got to give yourself the chance to get lucky…’ quite simply if you don’t have the courage to put yourself forward, you’ll never know what you can achieve.