An inspiring teacher: Boo Spurgeon and her powerful legacy

It’s a story of greatness. A story of one inspiring teacher and a story of the lifelong difference she has made to many who walked through her classroom door.

In the late 2000s, there was a mystery trend in one district of Sheffield: There were more gay teenagers.

Maybe Bebo, Myspace or the latest Hollyoaks plot was giving teenagers more confidence? However, the same pattern was not seen at the other secondary schools in the area. The trend centred around one secondary school – Wisewood School and Community Sports College.

For the teenagers who came out as gay, they all had one thing in common: their inspiring teacher, Ms Spurgeon.

With the school’s senior leadership and school governors backing her, Boo changed Wisewood Secondary School’s approach to PSHE. She wanted to make more of an impact and so solid ground rules, not much writing, and space to explore ideas were vital.

She also covered display boards with posters that said things like ‘It’s OK to be gay.’ At this time, such actions were groundbreaking because a law that prohibited teachers from saying that homosexuality was ok (known as Section 28) had not long been abolished. Despite it’s removal 3 years earlier, some schools were still hesitant to talk about LGBTQ.

The impact was stark and quotes from students show this.

Quote from Wisewood secondary school pupil: I used to be homophobic, because that’s how I was brought up.
I’m not any more. PSHE totally changed my mind.

When we think about amazing teachers, what does that mean? It’s making a difference and changing the entire path of a child’s life. Boo changed the paths of many lives.

The fingerprints of an inspiring teacher

Students saw her fingerprints everywhere. Who knows what was said behind the staffroom door, but the kids spotted a culture shift. Some even commented on how, even though they didn’t witness the conversations with Boo, they knew that some of the male teachers had “changed” in things they said and did.

Boo arranged for Ian McKellen to visit Wisewood in 2010. Ian played the wizard Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy which was huge at the time. Ian is also an openly gay actor.

It’s quite something for any student to meet a legend of the big screen, but it is also important for gay teens to see role models as it helps to reduce fear and show acceptance.

Movie Legends are a great resource to engage students, but the hard work was done on normal weekdays. Boo’s eye catching stunts enriched day-to-day work and slowly student’s beliefs began to change. The person delivering outstanding teaching, Boo, made so much of a difference that she was turning herself into a legend – one that would be written about 20 years later.

Soon, Wisewood School gained a prestigious Gold Award for LGBT-friendly Schools to recognise the impact of the changes that had taken place. More LGBTQ+ youngsters felt safe to come out and the trend of more gay teenagers began. These students were always gay, but Boo’s work meant that they felt safe to be open about it and not hide their sexuality.

Boo’s impact was wider than only LGBTQ+ acceptance, it covered everything you could think of. For example, Boo created a classroom culture where students felt so safe that they could talk about their own experiences (including topics that many adults feel anxious to discuss).”

Quote from Wisewood secondary school pupil that shows the impact of an inspiring teacher: One lad was a bit disparaging when the class were talking about what they thought a refuge. Then he said he'd stayed in one with his mum.

A legacy forged from inclusivity

This all matters because a generation (now in their 30s) gained the wisdom to better deal with adult life, including LGBTQ+ people. This is liberating. The impact will last for their entire lives.

Despite not being a ‘high ranking’ staff member, Boo Spurgeon was an inspiring leader at Wisewood. One woman moved a community using PSHE, determination and ambition.

Many of Boo’s students now have children of their own and who knows how the values that those students learned at Wisewood will affect their own children? It is likely that, when a teenager is freed from the shackles of homophobia, their subsequent children have a better chance of freedom from homophobia too.

Wisewood School was merged with Myers Grove School in 2011. The building was turned to rubble before a park was built on the site.

Wisewood Community School and Sports College, where an inspiring teacher once worked, is reduced to rubble, with a Pride flag visible in the background.

Whilst the school no longer exists, its legacy in Sheffield does.

Boo has now retired. However, her legacy lives on.

It’s ok to shout up about it even if your voice is small. And that is inspiring teaching; that is Boo Spurgeon; and that is a fine example of why PSHE matters.