Simon Hughes (Teacher Mill Hill School 1996-2016)

Dear Old Millhillian,

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Mr Hughes, former Housemaster of Weymouth and Head of Science, has died after a brief but brave battle with cancer. He peacefully passed away on 15th August, surrounded by family, in the comfort of his own home.

As we come together to remember him, Trevor Chilton, a colleague for three decades and friend, shares his thoughts on the profound impact Simon had on the school and its pupils.

Simon came to Mill Hill in1986. With a natural science degree from Cambridge, a PGCE from Oxford and four years’ experience at Cranbrook, he arrived at the school doubtless full of great expectations - new academic challenges, stimulating colleagues, eager pupils and an environment in which to enrich his teaching experience and develop his career. As the new boy in the Biology Dept. our young Welshman was given a room in the basement next to the toilets little suspecting that it would be his home for the next 30 yrs.

Simon was very tolerant of the occasional eccentricity of his new colleagues and students. Indeed, his patience was legendary and his humour wonderfully subtle. He settled quickly into our little world behind the science labs, with the rats, locusts and pet snake and added greatly to the combined teaching talents of the department, though he was rather preoccupied with organising squash fixtures and getting married in that first year.

We saw another side of him on his first field trip to Swanage. He volunteered to organise a transect over Studland dunes. No one was happier than him with a magnifying glass, baggy shorts, a pin quadrat and an identification chart. He’d take the students high and low searching for elusive adders and would enthuse about Marram grass. Not even the passing nudists upset his flow.

Simon gave Mill Hill School 30 years of dedicated and loyal service. During his time as Head of Biology and Head of Science, he successfully introduced the new GCSE specification, guided us through two very good inspections, integrated the three science departments, made a cohesive plan for refurbishment and fought for a better deal for the lab. technicians. In 2005, he became housemaster of Weymouth where the pupils saw another very humane side to his character. A fair-minded housemaster with time for everybody, patient, ever calm and an excellent guide to the young.

On his retirement, a former student, Dr Mark Simmonds sent him this message. “You should be proud of inspiring scores of Millhillians to take up university courses and careers in Science and Medicine. Your support for me personally was greatly appreciated and has been the foundation for a fulfilling and enjoyable career. Thank you from me and all those pupils who you taught, mentored and coached over the years. Your legacy is demonstrably impressive.

Simon was a wonderful colleague, a very loyal and decent man, and I count myself lucky to have spent so many enjoyable years in his company. Like many of us, he didn’t just work at the school, he lived there and raised a family there. Our thoughts are with his wife, Christine and sons, William and Nick.

In honour of his memory, the family invites all former Millhillians who wish to pay their respects or share memories to get in touch via the Old Millhillians office.

The Old Millhillians Club