IN 1986, Richard Bell left university with a degree in marine zoology and no idea what to do next.

He had abandoned his dream of being the next Jacques Cousteau and it was only after stumbling across an advertisement in a Sunday paper that he applied to join the Metropolitan Police.

He signed up in August 1987 and spent the next 30 years in a variety of roles, firstly in London before moving to Essex.

When he retired from the force, Richard, 56, found himself weighing up his options and considering what to do next.

“I pursued the expected avenues of gardening, dog walking and charity work but found myself a little unmotivated,” he said.

“Then, after encouragement from my wife and a dog-walking friend, I decided I should try to apply my love of talking to a new career.”

Richard, who lives in Harwich, found skills from his previous career as a police officer were readily transferable to the teaching profession.

“I think any previous career gives you a more rounded outlook and enables you not to worry about things you can’t control,” he said.

“The most useful skill from my previous career is communication.

“I’ve worked and dealt with people across all spectrums of life and hopefully can find a way to communicate with most on a respectful basis.

“I think having a previous career is an advantage when entering the teaching profession, as it gives a sense of perspective when things are proving challenging.”

Richard approached NETT (North Essex Teacher Training) to discuss the options available to those considering a second career in teaching.

Teacher training with NETT combines school placements for three days a week with two days centre-based learning.

“I inquired about the possibility of using my ancient degree to support this and NETT were hugely encouraging,” said Richard.

“After passing an application process, I began my training year with a placement at the Colne Community College, in Brightlingsea.

“The science department could not have been more welcoming.”

Career change - Richard Bell

Police days - Richard Bell

At the end of his training, Richard was offered and gladly accepted employment at the Colne.

He was encouraged to focus on chemistry as his core subject.

He found that despite being out of education for some years, he still understood many parts of the syllabus.

“I’m very grateful as teaching the subject brings me much greater enjoyment than when I studied it at school,” he said.

“Chemistry allows you to glimpse how, from the beginning of time, different elements have combined to ultimately form our world and all life that currently exists.

“In truth, very little has changed with the subject from when I was taught it.

“There’s an emphasis on global warming that wasn’t thought about in my day and perhaps the experiments are a little more controlled.”

While the past year has presented real challenges and periods of home schooling, Richard remains passionate about teaching.

“Teaching is hugely demanding, regardless of the current background, but is also massively rewarding,” he said.

“I particularly like that moment when a student suddenly lights up because they understand a concept they’ve been struggling with.

“I’m constantly thinking about how to improve and present a lesson to make it the very best it can be.

“In some instances, it’s the students who you least expect that are the most grateful for your attempts to help their education.”

Richard is enjoying his new career as a teacher and the whole experience has taught him something about himself.

“If someone was considering a career in teaching, I’d tell them to be aware that there’s an extensive workload,” he said.

“However, if you avoid over-thinking and form respectful relationships with your students, you have the basis for a controllable workload.

“I’ve realised that I can learn new things and that my brain still functions to some degree.

“I certainly have no regrets.

“If anything, I feel I’ve been given a new lease of life, having to keep up with students who are not so very different from the children I sat with all those years ago.”

* If you are interested in a teaching career, you can find out more at the NETT information webinar on Friday, April 30 at 2pm. To find out more visit www.nett.org.uk Register for your place on teach@nett.org.uk or call 01255 431949.

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