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The end of the summer term saw the retirement of Mark Wells, the ‘grandfather’ of the Common Room, after 38 years of dedicated service to the School. During this time he served under five Heads, saw the introduction of girls to Oundle, physically helped with the move of the Physics department into a new seven-laboratory modern teaching block, watched the building of SciTec, worked through the replacement of O levels with GCSEs and the move from linear A levels to modular and back again! He finished by teaching the sons and daughters of former pupils. He was joined at Oundle by his wife, Helen, and then more recently by his children.
After graduating from Jesus College, Cambridge, Mark started training as a cabinet-maker in Bristol, then Hay-on-Wye. Though he joined Oundle to teach Physics in 1980, his skill as a cabinet-maker was further developed by learning the art of violin-making from Paul Bickle in the holidays. He even converted a room in his first house in North Street into a workshop to pursue this craft. His instruments, violins and cellos, are very much a labour of love and in demand. The School has a quartet of his instruments (these were played in a concert in the AMR to celebrate his 50th birthday) and at home there resides a family of cellos (literally – three for his children and now one for himself!). It is estimated that he has made about 125 instruments in total and many of these have been sold through reputable auction houses.
In Mark’s early years at Oundle and alongside his teaching in the then Scott Block (now Adamson), he spent many hours coaching the senior boys on the river with the Rowing Club. Under the watchful eye of Vic Northwood, Mark’s impact on his crews became more noticeable
Physics teacher
and his ability to develop teamwork and a competitive instinct became all the more apparent when in 1984 he recalls “the 2nd VIII beat the 1st VIII in training and upset Vic!” His elevation to coach of the 1st VIII the following year led to further success through a systematic programme of improvement, the pinnacle being a golden two years, when in 1992 Oundle won the Child Beale Cup for 1st VIIIs at the National Schools Regatta and was runner-up in 1993. Along the way, they beat Radley and Shiplake College 1st VIIIs, which in the day and in rowing terms were mighty achievements. Mark was active in the Rowing Club for over 30 years, latterly coaching girls’ crews to further success.
Within the Physics department, Mark’s subject leadership started in 1995 as Head of Electronics and, typical of his desire to understand more about his subject area, he undertook an Open University course to gain a qualification in Electronics. His expertise and enthusiasm led to many pupils developing their interest not just in Electronics, but also the inevitable overlap with microelectronics and
computing. Mark’s encouragement of pupils in this area led to many an Oundelian assembling their first computer in the Needham Building and pupils teaching themselves programming languages such as C++, which made them stand out in applications as part of the UCAS process or work experience.
In 2001 Mark took on the role of Head of Department in Physics in addition to Electronics and he led the department through substantial challenges. There were detailed considerations of different courses and specification, but Mark was never one to take the easy option. Instead, he sought to choose courses that demanded rigour, thought, understanding and discipline. This was illustrated most recently when he led the way in reviewing and then selecting the Pre-U Sixth Form course. Arguably, it is more demanding in many respects than the A-level course. However, it also prepares our pupils for university in a manner that A level does not and the course challenges both teachers and pupils. Indeed, the decision to deliver the Pre-U Physics course saw an improvement in grades achieved. Arguably, the most significant changes in Physics under Mark’s tenure were the acquisition of some exciting opportunities for project work with universities and other similar institutions, such as the wind tunnel in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust, the electron microscope and work with UCL, projects with University of Leicester and online time on various telescopes around the world. Mark’s interest in all areas of Physics knows no bounds and Oundle pupils benefited from his expertise and enthusiasm in so many ways, not least the many Oxbridge physicists and engineers whom he prepared over the years.
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THE OLD OUNDELIAN 2017 –2018
STAFF FAREWELLS
Mark Wells