Mr Tom Gove, Teacher of Science

Mr Gove grew up on the Isle of Wight, studying GCSEs and A-Levels at Sandown High School. He then attended Plymouth University, where he gained a first class degree in Biology Sciences, for which he also won the Eden Prize for proving that two-week old meadow plants know when they are damaged. After this, Mr Gove spent two years as a postgraduate researcher on the EU’s Theseus project improving natural flood defences, before moving into industry to work as a geochemist at a tungsten mine. In his spare time, Mr Gove is a long distance runner and folk musician, and his favourite insect is the hummingbird hawk moth.

Experience

Mr Gove received his PGCE from the University of Exeter, taking placements at a grammar school and co-operative academy in Plymouth, before moving back to the Island and completing a placement at Ryde Academy. Mr Gove’s research focus at Exeter was on the pedagogy of questioning. In the classroom, Mr Gove favours an evidence-based approach to teaching and planning. Mr Gove joined The Island Free School in 2017 initially as a Science Technician, before qualifying as a Teacher of Science

Mr Gove’s goals…