We are delighted to welcome Mr Jensen and his family to the School from New Zealand, where he was the Head of a Primary School, having previously taught at Prep Schools in Shropshire and Suffolk. In addition to his role as Deputy Head, Mr Jensen is also a Year 7 Form Tutor and Year 5 English teacher.
We are pleased to share Mr Jensen's Snapshot Interview below - don't miss his top poem, book and film suggestions for children at the end!
Snapshot Interview
What inspired you to be a teacher?
Mr Williams, my 6th Form history teacher who once told me he thought I’d make a good teacher. The rest is history.
Tell us about your path into teaching
My career launched at a brilliant little prep school in Shropshire. The moment I crossed the threshold, I knew that working in a prep school was my calling. I studied a Bachelor of Teaching from my home university, the University of Waikato. I followed this up later with a Master of Education. Working in a few schools back in New Zealand, and getting married to Michelle, we found our way back to another prep school, this time in Suffolk, where I joined the senior leadership team. Now, after another stint back in New Zealand as Head of a Primary School, we have relocated permanently to the UK, and are so pleased to have found our home at Marlborough House.
What do you love most about teaching?
Seeing children try something new, discover new talents, and look across the classroom with a beaming smile.
What were you like at school?
Impeccably behaved – I was always intent on doing everything right (in some ways not a great way to be!). In saying that, my school days were carefree and happy. School is so much more than lessons and I was privileged to have lots of space to roam free and climb trees.
When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An airline pilot – until I discovered that science was not in my natural skill set!
What’s the funniest moment you’ve had in a classroom?
There have been many. One particularly embarrassing moment was when I was a relatively new teacher. During an observed lesson, I bobbed down to help a child and split a hole in my trousers. The rest of the lesson was spent giving instructions from against the wall.
What’s the most important lesson you can teach?
Don’t be afraid of hard work. The quicker children can realise that hard work is how our brains stretch and grow, and how we form good life habits, the better.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
Taking a school through an inspection and seeing the inspector lost for words when she was unable to give pointers on how to improve the school further.
What are you most excited about at Marlborough House this term?
Being able to bring a fresh perspective to the School and working alongside some brilliant new colleagues and wonderful pupils.
What makes Marlborough House such a special place to be?
It’s unique vision to support each child as a genuine individual – being as brilliant as we can as often as we can.
What poem, book and film should be on every child’s cultural bucket list?
If, by Rudyard Kipling; Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian; and Les Choristes (directed by Christophe Barratier).