'Exceptional' Northampton headteacher will be remembered by thousands of pupils and friends

Tributes have been paid to an 'exceptional' Northampton headmaster who touched the lives of thousands of pupils across the world.

Gerald Griffiths, the former head of Quinton House who remained a central figure in the life of the Upton school long after his retirement, lost his battle with cancer on February 15. He was 81.

Ahead of his funeral on the school grounds on Thursday, February 25, hundreds of cards and well-wishes have been received by his family from pupils, colleagues and friends.

His wife of 59 years Patricia - who was often by her husband's side as a teacher or assistant head in nearly all the schools they worked in - said Mr Griffiths will be remembered as an "exceptional" teacher and friend.

She told the Chronicle & Echo: "We've had so many cards and wonderful letters saying what a gentleman he was, how kind and how gentle.

"He always knew just the right thing to say and how to deal with what was happening, whether it was a student or a parent or a friend.

"If it wasn't for Covid, we would need to rent out Westminster for his funeral, so many people have asked if they could be here."

Born in 1940 in London, Gerald graduated as a qualified geography teacher from the Oxford University Institute of Education, Culham College, in 1960.

On his first day at his first school in Berkshire, he met his wife Pat, who had started the same day. They began walking home together by Friday and were engaged by Christmas.

Over his career, Gerald and Pat taught in South Africa, Liverpool and Staffordshire. He had a passion for introducing pupils to travel and having students from different nations meet and learn, and he helmed outreach programmes to America, France and Germany.

Then, in 1988, Gerald took up as head of Northampton's Quinton House School. In Pat's words: "There can have been no better way for him to have ended his long teaching career."

With Gerald as headteacher, Pat as assistant head, their daughter Elizabeth as a pupil as well as Pat's sister and brother-in-law on staff, Quinton was "a special family school" for the Griffiths and pupils.

Pat said: "So many pupils have written to say all the ways he helped them on a terrible day or when they needed it most.

"There would be parents to said they were sorry but they couldn't afford to keep their children at the school, and he let them stay for nothing. There would be children who ran away from home after an argument and came to the school, and he would call the parents to say where they were and they were safe. There were children who's parent died and he would bring them a teddy with the school badge stitched in it and told them to hug it whenever they missed them.

"The pupils were always, the most important part of the school for Gerald and he had a gift of being able to talk to anyone and to make them feel heard."

Pupils will have fond memories of Benny the cocker spaniel who Gerald included in his classes, and Donkers the school donkey.

He often played music and 'virtually any instrument' for pupils, with a gift to play 'any tune' by ear while being unable to read music at all.

He retired in 2004 after his first diagnosis of cancer, which he would battle for the rest of his life. However, he and Pat continued to live on school grounds and play a central role in its life, while enjoying his retirement travelling and working as a school inspector.

He will be laid to rest on Quinton House' grounds today (February 25) following a service at the school's church, St Michael's.

His eulogy will read: "Gerald had many wonderful memories of a life well-lived, with loving family, and many friends, who cherished him. He will always be remembered as an exceptional individual, an inspirational teacher, a loyal brother, a wonderful husband and father, and a much-adored grandfather. He will be greatly missed, but never forgotten."