Catherine Dembek

French and Latin Teacher
“My love of languages began when I was at school, and I discovered on a French exchange the thrill of being able to communicate in French.
I aim to make my lessons fun and interactive so the children can discover the joy of communicating in another language. I love to see them making progress in the four key skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing.  Learning Latin certainly helps with learning French and helps children develop cultural literacy. Learning Latin at a young age can positively impact children’s cognitive development. I loved learning Latin at school because it really made me think!”

Teaching Biography

An experienced Preparatory school French teacher, Catherine has been teaching for the past seventeen years at Chiswick and Bedford Park Prep, now Orchard House School, and part of the Dukes Family. Before that she taught French up to A level in London and Hertfordshire day schools. A highlight of her teaching career was three years spent at Hebron school in South India, an International Christian boarding school where she taught French and accompanied the children on dorm outings at weekends.

Personal Biography

Catherine was born and raised in St Albans, Hertfordshire, and still lives there now with her husband and teenage children. She loves the buzz of London and enjoys coming into London to work, then going back to St Albans, where she enjoys walks in the woodland with her Golden Doodle, Vincent. She enjoys foreign travel, often visiting Poland with the family as her husband is Polish. She loves watching French, Italian and Scandinavian dramas, as well as quality BBC dramas.

Qualifications

  • BA (Hons) Modern Languages, French and Italian, University of Durham
  • PGCE Modern Languages, University of Cambridge, Department of Education

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