In The Spotlight: Rossana Reed

This month, Rossana Reed (2011-24) is in the spotlight:  

What did you do before you worked at BMS? 

Even as a little girl, I always wanted to teach.  I started by teaching my little brother some French and given that he has lived well over half his adult life in Paris and now Lille, I like to think that I may have contributed to his love of the language! During my year abroad in Barcelona, I taught English as a foreign language, which cemented my passion for imparting knowledge. I am extremely lucky to have been able to dedicate my working life to doing the thing I most love, teaching Spanish. I went from university straight to teacher training in London and took up my first post as a teacher of both Spanish and French in a demanding comprehensive school in Hastings.  I ran many trips and exchanges to both France and Spain, often accompanying students who were going abroad for the very first time. I started my journey in a pastoral role as Assistant Head of Year and later decided to go down the academic route as Head of Spanish. 

Tell us about what you do now. Has your time at the school influenced your life today?  

I very much regard my ‘retirement’ as an opportunity to enjoy quality time with my family, Gertie (my pug) and friends and a chance to travel extensively in Latin America, Egypt and Europe.  It has allowed me to take up new challenges like learning Greek and having twice weekly one-to-one boxing classes. My husband and I spent time in Seville and Lisbon at the beginning of my retirement and I then travelled alone around Mexico, meeting up with Vero, one of my former Foreign Language Assistants. I felt like an ‘old’ gap year student, which was very liberating.  More recently we have visited Cairo, Aswan and Luxor making contact with an Egyptian cousin. We will head off to Seville in May for the famous Feria and then I will set off alone to visit both Peru and Colombia in June. 

Tell us about your time at BMS. Do you have any special memories you would like to share? 

Having sent my son to BMS, it felt very much like being with family when I joined the school. I have loved developing the Spanish department but the absolute highlights for me on a professional level have been the trips with Years 12 and 13 to Rosas. Watching the student use their Spanish in the workplace and grow in confidence made the effort of organising the trips so worthwhile. It was a privilege to accompany these young people and watch them blossom. Beyond Spanish, I will always hold very fond memories of the plays and music events I have attended. 

Was there someone from your time at BMS who had an impact on you? 

So many students, staff, parents and members of the BMS community have shown me such kindness and support in the darkest of days as well as moments of great joy in my life.  However, I must mention Tim Palmer, who gave a cracking leaving speech! 

What do you do like to do in your spare time? 

Spare time? I’ve never been so busy! Gym, walking Gertie, researching trips, reading, studying and catching up with my school buddies from my childhood days in Manchester as well as my Hastings days. 

What would be your advice to your younger self? 

I would tell my younger self to insist on my father teaching me Arabic and showing more interest in my Egyptian heritage. I was lucky to have had the most incredible relationship with my mum and am only pleased that I had a chance to grow closer to my father and understand him better prior to his passing. My recent trip to Cairo gave me a real insight into his achievements in his long life. 

Are there any other thoughts you would like to share with the OBM and BMS community?

My final thoughts are related to teaching and learning. No amount of testing, data and spreadsheets will improve results.  A happy and productive time in the classroom, delivering engaging lessons rather than teaching to endless tests will, in my opinion, produce confident and successful young people.