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Mr J Adamson

Department: Head of Modern Languages; French; R.E.

Mr Adamson is a native of Bebington, where he lived for the first 18 years of his life. Born to a family of teachers, he attended primary school at St John’s in New Ferry before gaining a place at St Anselm’s College for his secondary education.

Mr Adamson then undertook a four-year BA Hons degree in French at the University College of Wales in Aberystwyth, followed by a PGCE at the same institution. During his university course, he was required to spend a year living in France, working at the Lycée Banville in Moulins, Allier as Lecteur d’Anglais.

He then took his first teaching post at Hungerhill School in Doncaster, before returning to Wirral and St Anselm’s College in Birkenhead. He became Head of French at St Edward’s College, Liverpool and subsequently took charge of marketing and promotion at the same school. Mr Adamson added this role successfully to his next teaching post at Bebington High School and he joined Kingsmead in 1995 as Housemaster.

A senior examiner since 1988 in French speaking with the AQA, he is involved closely with the setting of mark schemes for the annual GCSE examinations.

Mr Adamson became a Christian in 1993 and is a worshipping member of St Andrew’s Church in Bebington, an Anglican church with an evangelical tradition.

Mr Adamson is a great Francophile and regularly organises expeditions to Europe for pupils and families and adults alike. He is also a season ticket holder at Tranmere Rovers, for whom he does translation and interpreting work as necessary. He is also a keen follower of Lancashire CCC, and an enthusiastic motor caravanner.

He is married to Caroline, a teacher in the Junior Department, and they have a daughter, Rachel, who was also a Kingsmead pupil.

His musical tastes are restricted to Steeleye Span, Ralph McTell, Steve James and Stuart Townend.

Mr Adamson loves working at Kingsmead because of the sheer variety of his role, and the opportunity to make a difference to the lives of the young people in his care.