Home-grown talent has become something of a speciality for one Oxford school. No fewer than four of its teachers spent their own schooldays there. And the quartet at Cardinal Newman Middle School, in Cricket Road, Oxford, have been reunited with teacher Mick Teeling - on the other side of the desk.

Paul Roberts, head of year five, Liz Cook, a year six teacher, Tracy Farrell, head of year six, and Gerard Murphy, head of year seven, all attended St Gregory's School before it merged with St John Bosco to create the present school.

In their own schooldays, they were all taught by Mr Teeling, 49, who is still head of year eight. He said: "It is quite unusual. They're all very hard-working and very conscientious.

"They know what's going on in the middle school system and they were obviously very attracted by it. The only problem is that it makes me feel a bit old." Miss Farrell said: "When I first got here it was so weird in the staff room. I was wanting to call everyone Sir or Miss." After returning to the school Miss Farrell, who has now been teaching there for six years, had to teach Mr Teeling's children Laura, now 14, and Connor, now 12.

She said: "The weirdest thing was having to talk to him at parents' evening about his child."

Miss Cook said: "I went through the middle school system and I was looking for this type of job. When I got back it was a surprise to see Mr Teeling."

Mr Murphy, who was in the same year as Mr Roberts as a pupil, added: "The first time I came back here it was rather strange entering the staff room and seeing people who used to teach you. I was a bit unsure about how to react."

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