Farewell to our staff

Farewell to Ian Torrie

At the end of this Term, we say farewell to our long serving former Head of Science, and Head of Chemistry, Ian Torrie, who is retiring after 30 years of teaching and service to our students and College community.

Ian joined St Cuthbert’s in 1993, as our Head of Department for Science and has had a long and distinguished career in science and chemistry teaching. His contribution both to St Cuthbert’s and to education at a national level, has been immense.

Not only has he encouraged a huge number of our girls to study science and chemistry, but his students have also achieved remarkable results, including at scholarship level. His passion for his subject, and dedication to supporting every girl to achieve her absolute best, are deeply appreciated.

Throughout his time at St Cuthbert’s, Ian has not been shy at turning his hand to whatever needed to be done, including designing and overseeing the conversions of the old Junior School classrooms in Rhodes into eight science labs. He has also been a wonderful early adapter of information technology in his science lessons, with students saying how much they have loved his classes, and how he has inspired them to study science and chemistry at a higher level. Many of Ian’s students have gone on to achieve wonderful things in their careers, thanks to the significant foundation he has laid for them. Always genuinely interested in the girls, he has clearly loved teaching, and follows the careers his former students with great interest when they leave the College.

Ian is a much-loved colleague, and alumni of St Cuthbert’s. His wit, love of people, and the enthusiasm with which he has organised staff drinks every Friday night, for almost 30 years has been much appreciated!

Our College motto ‘By Love Serve’ has guided Ian during his time here, and he has made an important contribution to chemistry at a national level, playing an important role in lifting the standards of chemistry teaching nationally. We wish Ian and his wife Jill all the very best for this new and exciting stage in their life together and thank him for his outstanding contribution.