When I met up with Fiona Parry, who is celebrating her 25th year as a chemistry teacher at Concord this year, the first thing she notices is my pen and paper!

"When I started at Concord I took all my notes by hand and still used chalk on blackboards to teach. The best technology we had was the overhead projector, we wrote in pen on actetate sheets which we had to look after very carefully. Whiteboards had only recently been introduced and they were a novelty."

Mrs Parry arrived at Concord in 1996, before teachers used computers in their lessons, there was no Google search and no email. Mobile phones were rare too. How things have changed!

1996 might seem like the dark ages to a student today, but Mrs Parry became a teacher after working for the Atomic Energy Authority Research Labs in Warrington, a scientific area still very relevant today. She grew up in Liverpool in the 1980s when jobs were hard to get, and believes she was very lucky to get a post working there, which also paved the way for her to take her Chemistry degree at Liverpool University by providing funding.

While working for the authority, one of Mrs Parry's roles was to look after work experience students. She enjoyed helping them and answering their questions so much she decided to change career and become a teacher. After a short period at a school in Warrington she applied for, and got a job as a Chemistry teacher at Concord.

"Tony Morris interviewed me and I thought Concord was an awfully good school so I was very happy to move to Shropshire.

"David Wadlow was the Head of Science when I joined until his death in an accident 21 years ago. There is a memorial bench in the grounds at Concord to mark the time he worked here."

For most of Mrs Parry's time here, the Science Department was in the Castle Block until moving to the new state-of-the art Science Building opened a few years ago. Mrs Parry recalls how it felt like you might knock something over as space was tight. She feels the new building, being very light and airy, lifts your spirits and makes you want to dance around inside!

Over the last 25 years Mrs Parry says that although the buildings have changed,  the wonderful students and happy environment are still the same. She keeps all her class photos and enjoys looking back at them to remember all the students and says she couldn't single any out as there have been so many talented people.

Would Mrs Parry recommend any of our students to go into atomic energy research, as she did?

"If any of our students could identify a way of safely disposing of waste, a by-product of the creation of nuclear and fossil fuel energy, I would be very proud of them.

I hope some of them feel inspired to get involved and try to make a difference."  

As well as teaching Chemistry, Mrs Parry helps with the high ropes course.

"I was terrified of heights and wanted to challenge myself. It has certainly pushed me out of my comfort zone and I'm glad I did it. When a student is scared, I understand their fear and what a huge achievement it is for them."

So as well as being a great teacher and high ropes instructor how should we mark Mrs Parry's 25th anniversary?

"I had a bit of reputation for setting off the fire alarm during experiments, so I am pleased I never caused a real fire! I also enjoy telling jokes which sometimes get lost in translation. I do remember catching up with a former student who never laughed at my jokes in class, but later told me she was too embarrassed and was always trying really hard not to laugh out loud."