Joseph Tebbs-Warner

Chemistry Teacher

Hello, I am Joseph Tebbs-Warner, and have been a Chemistry teacher at St Edmund’s since January 2021. I also have a secondary role as the Senior School’s Assessment Coordinator.

About me:

Originally contemplating a career in scientific research, I gained a First Class Honours BSc in Pharmacology at University College London and then stayed on to complete a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. I was researching nerve cells in the hippocampal area of the brain and their communications with each other, with a view to opening up future understanding of degenerative conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. During my PhD years I gained a lot of experience in teaching, where I supervised undergraduate and masters students in the research laboratory and taught weekly practical classes.

During and since my studies, I have also worked in a number of different jobs including university administration, and, before I became a teacher, for an NHS ambulance service as a medical technician. I volunteered for St John Ambulance for 10 years, during which time I was a qualified First Aid instructor, teaching children and adults in the organisation. I trained to teach on a School Direct programme in west Kent, leading to a PGCE and QTS with outstanding grading. Before coming to St Edmund’s, I used to teach in a large comprehensive school, where I taught Science and specialised in Chemistry and have also taught in a boy’s grammar school.

I’ve always loved science and especially Chemistry ever since I was a student at school, I even had a chemistry set when I was a young boy! I’m a very practical person and I love carrying out experiments, so one of the best parts of my job is getting to do experiments on a regular basis in class, and trying to make lessons interesting, memorable and fun. One of my favourite things is teaching really tricky concepts at A-Level, as I find it very satisfying when my students grasp new ideas and can answer complex questions really well.

Although teaching is a very busy job, in my spare time I love walking along the coast, cooking and listening to classical music, and can often be found in London at the opera or in an art gallery. I like to make the most of my holidays and travel whenever I can.