This colleague was a teacher in a million. Just 10 days before his death he was in school working with his Year 13 A Level students, so that they could receive his feedback prior to their drama exam. This is a measure of the man, selfless and always focussed on his students. I had the pleasure of working with him for over 30 years, on a daily basis and was able to measure the effect he has had on at least five generations of students from this school, and therefore this community. In the latter years of his service he taught children of former students and it was life affirming to watch him at parents evenings talking to former students about their children. It is with some reassurance that parents return to find their teacher, they so enjoyed working with, still at school and still doing some 25 years later for their children what he did for them. This is a remarkable fact in a fast moving world. In this respect he is already missed. Peter had that rare ability to inspire in a quiet and reflective manner. His lessons were always student focussed; in fact it was hard to find Peter when you walked into his room. He could be found sitting quietly while the students took the lead, or he would be listening, asking questions to get the very best out of them. Students have always been, quite simply, ready to do anything to work well for him... his opinion mattered to them and their success mattered to him - this was a magic combination and that is exactly what Peter achieved on a daily basis - magic moments. These moments were often life changing for students who left his lessons in the certain knowledge that something they did today was good. There have been students at the school who have struggled because they "carried” with them too many problems, for whom learning was difficult. For these students Peter was a “legend", the one who would give them second, third, fourth chances. This did not make him a "soft teacher" They knew he expected them to do well, and eventually it was just easier to give up and do well... and it worked. Students found, with his support that they could find a way into learning. When they did - he celebrated with them so that they found pleasure in being at school and in being successful. He was also a tough task master - nothing about the way students approached their drama lessons was "up in the air" it was focussed, intelligent work, full of rigour and discipline. In his hands these lessons became so much more – lessons in life - about self the sort of person you are or might become, lessons in relating to others , in deciding whether to be a leader or to be a team player. Peter embraced everything about teaching and he made his career his life work. He enabled other teachers to find their way under his guidance... those of us who worked with him in performing arts were able to bask in the shelter of his wisdom, and marvel at his brilliance whilst learning on a daily basis how to approach this job. Working with Peter was not always easy... As his colleagues we knew that we were not as important as the students... we worked around that because of course he was right! The students were his "bread and butter" his reason to get up, the reason why he kept coming to school against all the odds during his illness. . Any lesser teacher would have taken that time to be away from the pressure, to have found moments of quiet ... not Peter- he found his solace in the noise of the lunch time duty, in the middle of a long rehearsal in the middle of winter well into the evening, in the bustle of the coming and going of classes. Students knew he was poorly - but, gave him so much pleasure in their "normal” treatment of him. I want to be very clear that this is not the story of a teacher who became ill and suddenly worked out what he wanted. This is the story of a teacher who approached every day of his career with equal passion; the remarkable thing was his ability to continue in the face of such terrible illness. Peter has consistently "taken our breath away" with remarkable pieces of drama, in which students were enabled to transform and bring their audience to a place of thought, wonder, amazement, tears, joy. In his capable hands all of these emotions were found, given substance and reality so that stories came alive and for those of us who would see it, we were also able to imagine what changes these lessons might have on the young people experiencing them. Students he taught over years left and stayed in touch. They became friends, and their relationships with Peter were a measure of the impact he had on so many lives. The most remarkable thing about Peter is that he was an intensely private person. Many would find this to be at odds with the job of a teacher - but he managed to retain his privacy whilst working actively and supportively with both students and the staff teams he led. In common the students and staff would be able to articulate that they felt supported and valued by him. He had the ability to pull together teams of people, usually students and staff, and in this way he harnessed the power of "together" for the good of all. No one felt alone, no one felt unsupported and everyone knew the joy and pleasure of working in Team PC. Although Peter was a drama teacher he extended his support to all other areas of the school. He could be found on the sports field supporting the football, or he could be found quietly sitting in the corner of the theatre watching a dance rehersal, just because he wanted to share in the magic. He did not attend these events to be seen –indeed students would be hard pushed to find him - but those who needed to know he was there somehow did and that was enough to make the difference. Peter was the most extra ordinary colleague because he cared and that caring was taken into practical teaching which allowed students to achieve excellence- and in so doing gain their academic results. It also surrounded and wrapped up all those who needed it. He could be a tutor, a counsellor, a teacher, a friend, a task master- mostly he was all of these things at once and he worked out the art of changing hats to suit the job. Peter has made “marks” that affect all of us who have worked with him. He was the kind of teacher who years later you will remember, and who you will tell your children about. He was inspirational and humble at the same time. He was a teacher, a friend and a colleague in a million. We miss him, but continue to pay tribute to his legacy with determination and hopefully a little of that special touch we all witnessed. Jackie Mortimer