Jackie Farrell-Shaw: TBSHS 1982-2004

23 January 2015

It is with great sadness that the school heard this week of the death of former colleague Jackie Farrell-Shaw.

Jackie was born in St Helens in Merseyside. She moved south when she was very young and trained as an English teacher. Jackie worked for some time in the City in stock broking and then started her first job as an English teacher in Harlow in the early 1970’s.  Jackie was an inspiring teacher, working her way up to Deputy Headteacher at The Bishop’s Stortford High School between 1982 – 2004.

She started work as an English classroom teacher and picked up the role of vocational business teacher early on. She became the lead teacher training mentor. She became Deputy Head under Headmaster Mr Ian Shaw and worked tirelessly to promote discipline and move the school from a rather bleak secondary modern school into something rather inspiring. She was a vital force in helping develop our amazing sports facility at Jobbers Wood with the support of her husband Mr Michael Shaw.

Many students and colleagues remember her as someone to learn from and respect. She was the person to search for to help in any crisis. Former pupil Dr Martyn Fisher, who now teaches at the school, remembers a magic moment when Jackie taught him in a Year 7 geography class in 1985: “Jackie had a wonderful sense of humour and used to regularly complete her exercises up (She was in high heels) and down the classroom whilst we completed our work in Geography and History. She would swing her arms about and stretch, to our great amusement. I can also remember that she convinced me her real name was Esmerelda Jackerina Levers.”

Languages teacher Dr Frances Horgan remembers Jackie too: “Jackie was a wonderfully supportive colleague, and could always be relied upon to help out when younger and more inexperienced teachers were having difficulty with problematic classes.  She was a role model and an inspiration to me.”

Mr Andrew Hood, Business Studies colleague, remembers her social grace and laughter. Her famous “curry night” at a beautiful cottage in the middle of the countryside was a joy.

Friend and colleague Subject Leader for Business, Frank Beran said “Jackie was a good and loyal colleague with a great sense of fun. There are hundreds of families and young men in Bishop’s Stortford and around the world, who Jackie helped during their time at the school. The school will remember Jackie with great affection.”

Her funeral was held at Parndon Wood Crematorium on Wednesday 4^th February 2015.