With three generations of teachers behind her, it is hardly surprising that former St Edmund’s School pupil Jessica Johnson is planning to follow the family tradition.

Having achieved three A grades in her final A Level examinations, Jessica has just started a degree in primary education at the University of Winchester and could be set to follow in the family’s teaching footsteps. Her mother Amanda teaches the reception class in the St Edmund’s Pre-Prep School and her grandmother Janet Bamford taught in a Pre-Prep school in Nottinghamshire.

‘We seem to have a family tradition of teaching the little ones,” said Jessica, whose sister Grace is studying for her A Levels at the school. “I was so inspired by my family and my teachers at St Edmund’s that I have never really wanted to do anything else but teach.”

“My grandfather was also a teacher and maybe Grace will continue the tradition. I am looking forward to my training and who knows, maybe I’ll return to St Edmund’s as a teacher one day.”

The Pre-Prep School at St Edmund’s is regarded as one of the best in the county, with a recent Local Authority assessment highlighting that the way it assesses its youngest pupils as an example to other schools and its last Ofsted report rating it as ‘outstanding’.