Inspirational teacher “touched the lives of many” at Warrington

THE last remaining teacher at Warrington’s Sir Thomas Boteler CE High School to have taught there when it was a grammar school has retired after 38 years’ service.
Assistant head Hugh Chambers, a graduate of Durham University, joined the old Boteler Grammar School in 1977 to teach French and German.
He became head of modern languages at Victoria Park High School after the amalgamation with Richard Fairclough High in 1983 and thereafter at Sir Thomas Boteler High.
He said: “The school has had to face many challenges whilst I’ve worked here but has done everything possible to overcome them.
“Although the faces have changed over the years, what has never been in doubt has been the entire staff’s commitment to providing the best possible education for the young people in our community”
Head teacher Bev Scott-Herron said: “Hugh was a very inspirational teacher, leader and person who touched and enriched the lives of so many people, both colleagues and students.
“His legacy will remain within the soul of Sir Thomas Boteler  Church of England High School for years to come. We are very honoured to have him serve at the school for so many years and we are all better people for knowing Hugh. And learning from him.
“We really do wish him all the best for a happy, healthy retirement and he will be missed.”
Mr Chambers ran trips to Normandy and Paris for 15 years and took over leadership of the school’s long-standing language exchange programme with our twin town Hilden in Germany, giving an estimated 600 young Warringtonians the opportunity to travel abroad with the school over the years.
In more recent times he handed over his head of department role to a colleague in order to concentrate on his senior leadership roles. In response to temporary staffing issues, he also taught in the design and technology and science departments.
In 2012 Mr Chambers won the prestigious North West Region “Ted Wragg” Award for Lifetime Achievement through the Pearson Teaching Awards system, having been initially nominated by pupils at the school.
Hundreds of Boteler’s former basketball players, several now in their fifties, will probably remember Mr Chambers best for his coaching and Friday evening training sessions.
Following the opening of the Boteler’s Ball Hall, weekly training and holiday basketball camps have led to successive Boteler teams achieving high levels of success in both local and national competitions.