A Conversation With...Miss Kate Norrington

In today's 'A Conversation With...', we chat to Teacher of Economics and Business Miss Kate Norrington who has been at the College since 2017! In this feature, Miss Norrington tells us about some of her memorable moments from her time here, as well as some of the activities she likes to do in her spare time. 

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

I am a Teacher of Economics and Business, and I am also Quality Nominee for vocational subjects such as BTEC and Cambridge Technical. I am now approaching the end of my 7th year at Shiplake. 

What were you doing before working at Shiplake? 

Before joining Shiplake, I spent 12 years teaching at a large comprehensive school in Tilehurst where I was the Head of Business Studies. 

What inspired you to pursue a career in education? 

I knew early on that I wanted to do something related to business. It was by far my favourite subject at school, and I enjoyed analysing case studies and accounts and using my problem-solving skills. It was my mum who really inspired me to go into teaching. She was initially a PE and then business studies teacher and she absolutely loved her job!  

What is a day in the life like for you? 

I find that I’m most productive in the morning, so I like to get into College early. I then head straight over to the SCR for my morning coffee and after that, I will check emails, sort out my list of jobs for the day, and double check that I have all the resources ready before I start my day of teaching and meetings. I’m also a Lower School tutor, so Wednesday lunchtimes are spent enjoying the football/cricket on the front field. In the afternoons, I run archery and Duke of Edinburgh sessions. 

You've been at the College since 2017; how has it changed since then and what have been some of your highlights and memorable moments? 

I find it difficult to believe that I’ve been here that long as the time has flown by. I’ve seen new buildings go up and leadership changes, but the biggest change must be girls joining Lower School. It’s been good to see how well they’ve settled in and how positively the boys have adjusted to the change.  

Working at Shiplake College has given me the opportunity to try so many new activities. Highlights would have to be the Lower School camping trip to Devon in 2022. I’m not a huge fan of camping but I really enjoyed gorge walking and coasteering – activities I never imagined that I would participate in. I’ve also enjoyed the many Duke of Edinburgh expeditions I have helped supervise, and the New York trip a couple of years ago with the A-level business students was amazing as well. 

What do you do away from work? 

I love being outside and enjoy walking in the countryside. I’ve been roped into a 100km walk from London to Henley along the Thames Path in September so I’m trying to build up to more long-distance walks. I also like to get out and try new things and activities such as trapeze lessons, axe throwing, kayaking through London, or walking across the O2. I’d also quite like to try abseiling down the Spinnaker Tower or Tottenham Stadium next if I’m feeling brave enough! 

What does the future hold for Miss Norrington? 

Hopefully lots of travel! I want to visit as many countries as I can, especially in Asia and South America.