Teacher Spotlight Series - Marcus Bell

Welcome to our latest instalment of the Teacher Spotlight Series. This week we’d like to introduce you to Marcus Bell, our Head of Footballl and also Y11 Tutor, a Manchester United supporter who joined Downsend from Shanghai with a pit stop via Birmingham and whose passion for football started in the 1990s and still going strong.

I visited Downsend before my first day as a teacher at the school to meet Mr Thorpe, Mr Lawrence and the rest of the PE & Games team as well as to put on a football lesson for a small group of year 5 pupils. I was made to feel extremely welcome by everyone that I met which was extended by every pupil and teacher I met on the first day of term this year.

Before joining Downsend I completed a Master’s degree in sport science and went on to work abroad as a football coach and sport scientist. Returning to England due to Covid-19 I then completed my teacher training at the University of Birmingham before joining Downsend in September 2021.

I have many great memories of school such as the school trips and sports fixtures. My best memory however would be my sixth form results day and finding out that all the hard work I had put in had paid off.

I would most likely stick with the 90’s as it is still the period with my favourite music as well as being a great time to grow up as a football fan.

I really enjoy reading non-fiction in particular autobiographies. If I had to choose one, my favourite would probably be the Autobiography of Malcolm X.

Travel as often as you can, explore new places and learn about different cultures.

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

I have been fortunate enough to live in multiple countries most recently spending just over 2 years living and working in Shanghai, China.