Mr Francis Griffiths

Before Sackville

I am a proud Mancunian and attended primary school and University there, although in the intervening years I was schooled in Kent. My first instrument is piano, and I spent a few years trying to be quite good at it before realising that unfortunately lots of other people were even better! My parents had the sense to persuade me to attend University as opposed to Music College, and from there I did two postgraduates, both in Scotland – one in Piano performance and the other a P.G.C.E. I have taught domestically and internationally, at a Prep School and an FE College, all of which experience I have used at various times at Sackville.

Why I enjoy my subject

The transferable skills gained from performing Music are inestimable; to see pupils grow in confidence before your eyes is remarkable.

Why I enjoy Sackville?

The camaraderie amongst the staff, the lunches, the size of the school.

My favourite Lesson?

At the moment I have a particularly talented GCSE group – when they shut up for long enough I have a great time teaching them.

Other roles

In addition to my musical responsibilities I am Head of Year 7 – a role I thoroughly enjoy.

Passions

My wife sometimes tells her friends she is a Sky Sports Widow; sadly there is some truth in this. I am a keen cyclist and runner, but I tend to follow other sports from the safety and warmth of the sofa. In particular I follow Manchester City (like our esteemed Head of Drama I am a Mancunian) and Kent County Cricket Club. I have two smallish children (they would be small; they take after their Dad) and we are a boring all teacher family: my wife is Head of English at a local school. This might explain why our cat is called Gratiano – it’s a Shakespeare thing. I am a Parent Governor at my children's school and when asked help out my church choir with a spot of conducting.