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Britain's oldest teacher

David Kershaw, spent 20 years as a headteacher in Coventry, he was honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the Pearson National Teaching Awards 2024.

David Kershaw has been a teacher for 6 decades and was headteacher at Coundon Court School in Coventry for 20 years, David remembers his time at the school as some of his happiest years.
David continues to teach at Lordswood boys school in Birmingham and is also on the board of governors for Meadow Park School in Coventry.
At a time when half of teachers quit the profession within five years, Mr Kershaw, who was written off as “not very bright” at his secondary modern school in Bradford, signed for Huddersfield Town football club aged 14 under the manager Bill Shankly. Shankly took David on one side and told him he wasn't good enough to be a footballer but that he thought he would make a great teacher. David was devastated at the time but knuckled down and Shankly paid for his first few weeks of personal tuition to get his O-levels
David has a reputation for turning around failing schools with success in Birmingham, Bradford, Leicester as well as in Coventry, he has tried to retire several times but the job keeps pulling him back.

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