Five Minutes of Fame with Rob Soffe

Rob Soffe, Deputy Head of DUCKS at Dulwich College (Singapore), is the first up in our Five Minutes of Fame series and he talks to us about what he spends his weekends doing, the fact he would like to cook for Ed Sheeran and why he is always covered in a little bit of glitter!

Where else in the world have you lived?

I started in a small New Zealand town called Hawera, and after eight years in London and six in Singapore, there are not many sheep jokes that I haven’t heard!

Tell us about your family.

I’m married to (the very understanding and lovely) Janelle and we have two little cherubs, Poppy (4) and Charlie (2) who very much keep us on our toes!

What’s your favourite weekend activity in Singapore?

These days, weekends tend to revolve around Poppy and Charlie – we’ve recently purchased family bikes and have been exploring the local cafes.  But the go to is probably a brekkie and beach morning at Sentosa and home for an afternoon nap! 

Did you always want to be a teacher?

I’m not sure I should answer this!  I come from a teaching family so growing up it wasn't something I thought about, but, after a little trial and error at university, found that some things are meant to be!

What is your favourite book and who is your favourite author?

If I’m honest, I’m more of a newspaper and coffee bloke!

Tell us about a hidden talent or a top secret that no-one would know about you.

I make a pretty mean mussel fritter and follow Fulham FC!

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party, dead or alive?

Anthony Bourdain, Jacinda Ardern, Winston Churchill, Peter Jackson, Ed Sheeran   

What does a typical day at the College look like for you?

The only ‘typical’ part of a day at the College for me is that there is no typical!  From playdough and glitter in the morning, to admissions and parents in the afternoon, not too much stays the same.  Although, I have become quite adept at dusting the glitter off my trousers before parent meetings! 

Do you have a motto or saying that really resonates with you?

Someone once told me that when working with children there are good days and bad days, but never boring days!  They were spot on!

Do you have a most memorable teacher moment?

Not so much one, but many.  We’re lucky in this profession to be surrounded by an endless supply of memorable moment generators (about 750 of them in DUCKS), often for varying reasons, some good, some not so good but regularly memorable!  

Thank you Mr Soffe! Tune in next month when we will be talking to Mel Ellis, Deputy Head of Senior School at Dulwich College (Singapore).

Read more about Rob Soffe!