A Conversation With...Mrs Sam Spooner

In this week's 'A Conversation With...', we caught up with Mrs Sam Spooner who not only works as School Secretary, but also as School Receptionist. Mrs Spooner is one of the first people you'll meet when visiting or calling the College and in this feature, we find out more about her role as well as her previous career in aviation!

What is your role and how long have you been at Shiplake College? 

I actually have two roles here at the College which I share with other members of staff! The first role is as School Secretary which I do Monday and Tuesday; this I share with Mrs Sue Arpino. My second role, which I do Wednesday to Friday is as School Receptionist which I share with Mrs Suzette Smith.  

I have been working here at the College since April 2022, initially working on Reception. My role as School Secretary was added in June 2022. 

What were you doing before working at Shiplake? 

Immediately before joining Shiplake, I was working as a Teaching Assistant at Emmer Green Primary School. I worked there for 11 years and assisted with things like one-to-one teaching across all year groups, although for the final five years, I primarily worked with Foundation and Reception year groups.  

Before that, I worked with British Airways for 10 years where I was a member of their long-haul cabin crew. I started working with them in January 1996 and operated with their Boeing 777 and 747 aircrafts. My biggest regret was not flying on Concorde when I had the chance as flights with Concorde were considered to be short haul!

What is a day in the life like for Mrs Spooner at Shiplake? 

There’s no such thing as a typical ‘day in the life’ with my roles and every day is different and busy. I am the first point of contact for all visitors, and you will probably have spoken to me on the phone!  

Much of my work involves responding to ad-hoc requests and when I am not doing that, I can be found liaising with matrons and other staff in making sure pupils are where they are supposed to be – this term in particular with external exams has made this challenging. I also do a lot of general administration jobs, including arranging school transportation for trips, booking taxis, ordering the school stationary and obviously chatting to all the lovely visitors, prospective parents and pupils that come through our doors. 

What are your favourite things about working at Shiplake? 

The people here at the College really make it a great place to work at – from staff to pupils, and from prospective parents to other visitors, I love meeting and talking to different people every day. One of the great things about my role is the variety of people I get to interact with whether it is on the other end of the phone or when they walk into Reception. 

The food here is something that everyone talks about, and it really doesn’t disappoint. The ‘Shiplake Stone’ is very real although I’m certainly not complaining; even if perhaps I should! The location as well is something that I really like. We’re truly blessed to be set besides the Thames and the views are often stunning. It’s made even more picturesque when you add a few furry friends to the picture! 

How did you get into working at BA and what have been some of your highlights – destinations and other experiences – when working as a Flight Attendant?  

So, after completing my geography degree, I was lined up to start a graduate scheme with John Lewis. However, I decided this wasn’t for me and instead applied to work for British Airways in late 1995. At this time, BA were doing a major recruitment drive to bolster their workforce following the end of the Gulf War. At the time, I had only planned to stay on for a couple of years and travel the world, but I enjoyed it so much I ended up staying for a decade! 

I had the opportunity to visit so many destinations including the United States, East Asia, and parts of Africa that it’s hard to choose my top picks! The role definitely came with some interesting experiences such as when travelling to Lagos or Jeddah, but I also had the opportunity to see many of the world’s wonders. Niagra Falls, the Taj Mahal, and the Pyramids of Giza are high on the list; but if I really had to pick it would be my visits to Cape Town or Sydney. The great thing about long haul flights is that after arriving, we often had a couple of nights to explore.  

What do you do away from work? 

Away from work, I have my third role as full-time mother to three teenagers! I have two daughters (18 and 16) and a son (19) and so you can imagine what that role entails! When I’m not feeding three ravenous teenagers, despite one of them working as a chef, I like to go for long walks and socialise with my friends. I am also attempting the ‘Couch to 5k’ which I’m hoping will negate the infamous Shiplake Stone!  

What does the future hold for Mrs Spooner? 

In the immediate future, I will be taking a well-deserved break to Crete with my family which I am really looking forward to! Beyond that, I can see myself staying at Shiplake for the ‘long haul’ (see what I did there!?). I have a daughter currently in Year 12 and another joining the College in September and who knows, maybe I will add to the Dogs of Shiplake family with my own furry friend!