A Tribute to Miss Emma Gospel (Head of Science and Chemistry)
Emma loved her job as Head of Science at Rugby High. She joined in 1998 as a Science teacher which made her the longest serving member of the teaching staff at the school. Emma was first and foremost an inspirational teacher and outstanding Head of Department much admired by all who knew her. Being in charge of the largest department in the school is no mean feat, but due to Emma’s impressive leadership, the department has become one of the most successful in the school, with the largest number of students studying A levels in Science.
Emma was not one to push herself forward or boast about her achievements simply because they were evident to all. She could easily have secured a more senior position, but she chose to channel her efforts on imparting her passion for Science to all her students. As a result, there are a generation of doctors (28 in the past 5 years), vets, dentists, engineers, biochemists and other Science graduates that have been able to pursue their chosen careers because of Emma’s exemplary teaching and encouragement.
Emma loved nothing more than creating explosions to enthuse and motivate her students and colleagues during Science Week. Her burning jelly baby and methane bubble experiments were legendary; any opportunity and she would get the Bunsen burners out! You could often hear loud bangs from her lab followed by high-pitched squeals and laughter from her demonstrations. She loved the practical side of Chemistry and sharing this aspect with the students. As a result, she spent ages last year with the Head of Maths thinking through how the students could safely access the labs and do practical work despite having to stay in their bubbles.
Emma had a fiercely analytical brain and was a whizz at spreadsheets. A few years ago, she valiantly took up the mantle of the summer ‘Activities Week’, arranging school trips and activities for 600 students over two days. Spreadsheets were her friend and slowly but surely every single student was allocated a trip or activity. Because of her attention to detail and desire that all students should enjoy their last week of school, memories were made for life on some of those trips with every student beaming on their return to school after an action-packed day. Year after year, Emma would also use her talent at spreadsheets during sports day to expertly analyse the results which contributed to the awarding of the House Shield.
Mrs Mighall recalls that she met Emma when she joined Rugby High at Easter in 2000 and immediately realised that Emma and her were 2 of only 4 teachers under the age of 40 and the students were always quite keen to know their ages. When they asked Mrs Mighall, she’d reply “I’m a year younger than Miss Gospel” and when they asked her how old Miss Gospel was, she’d reply “a year older than me”. The students would then ask Emma and she’d give them exactly the same answer. They both had great fun with that one and did so for the next 22 years.
Emma had already been at the school for a year and a half before Mrs Mighall joined and she recalls how concerned she was to see how smartly suited Emma was on her first day, having turned up looking rather smart/casual. When Mrs Mighall asked if she was underdressed, Emma replied that she was going for an internal interview for a careers and work experience post that day, which she of course she got. It was the perfect post for Emma, it utilised her skillset perfectly; strategic thought, super organisation and a weird love of administration. Early in her career she demonstrated that she had drive and the ability to go far.
Emma loved admin tasks and was a stickler for detail. Mrs Grogan can still see her now at the annual summer Science trip to Drayton Manor filling in her diary and mark-book from the school calendar with key dates for the forthcoming academic year. Miss French (PE), can recall her enthusiastically helping at lunchtime to count and sort thousands of Sainsbury’s Active Vouchers into the various numbers. That was typical Emma, always volunteering to help out others with a smile on her face.
Outside School Emma was devoted to her family, she had been her mother’s carer for many years and was devoted to her.
She was almost as devoted to Take That and many members of staff can recall seeing numerous concerts with her over the years. Mrs Mighall also recalls a recent Kylie concert which they went to together, and how she’d always ping her a quick text message to make sure she had spotted that there was a TV programme with Gary Barlow on she might want to watch. Emma often reciprocating when she spotted Mrs Mighall’s favourite group, Duran Duran were touring or on TV.
Emma was very kind and possessed a great deal of emotional intelligence. She really cared about the students in her classes and tutor group and often spent hours consoling them when they were worried or anxious. This kindness also stretched to caring for staff in her department. Many of the Science department recall how supportive she was when they were dealing with a family crisis or personal bereavement, taking time to not only support them at work, but to call or message them personally. Even in her darkest hours two days before she died she selflessly asked her niece to buy three cards for the staff that were leaving because she wanted to wish them well. That was typical of Emma, always putting others before herself.
Emma totally embodied the school’s motto ‘She sets heights in her heart’. Honesty, compassion, loyalty, decency, kindness and fairness are the values that we wish to instil in our students. Emma possessed those virtues in abundance. She also had a tremendous sense of humour and was very broad-minded. Mr Alonzi (Head of Maths) can recall that when he joined the school and moved into the office with her, that one of the first things she said was ‘The previous Head of Maths used to get changed into a tutu in here; it’s fine but if you want to do that can you warn me first?’
One of Emma’s A-level students described her as the kind of teacher that would use different teaching tactics in order for the students to completely understand the work they were going through. She was always very helpful, patient, kind and caring. If people were ever unsure, Emma would be the person who would know the answer they needed. This student said that Emma always made the organic chemistry class a happy environment to be in. When she left Rugby High in May the student bought Emma a mug saying "the best teacher ever" and she meant it.
Although her life was cruelly cut short, the positive impact that she had on others was greater than many people can achieve in a lifetime. She has inspired so many students to follow their dreams in Science based careers and Medicine.
The whole Science Department and the School Community have all been so very saddened by Emma’s illness and shocked at her passing so quickly. The school in the new academic year will feel very strange indeed with her not being sat at her desk in the office and teaching in Mendeleev lab. We will miss her so very much. She leaves an amazing legacy of energy, excellent work and a great sense of fun and Rugby High School is a better place for having had Emma working here so hard and for so long.
Susan Mighall & Yvette Grogan
