Bury St Edmunds teacher Vivien Gisbey is joined at South Lee Prep School by her teacher daughter Naomi Gisbey

A teacher has said having her mum at her new school makes it feel even more like ‘one big family’.

Naomi Gisbey, 31, has joined South Lee Prep School and Nursery, in Bury St Edmunds, where her mum Vivien Gisbey, 65, has been a teacher for 27 years.

While Vivien, known to the children as Mrs Gisbey, is part of the early years team and Naomi, known to pupils as Miss Gisbey, teaches Year 1, they are both in the same pre-prep building, just a corridor apart.

“Coincidently, as a Year 1 teacher, I have inherited her old class, so they have transitioned from Mrs Gisbey to Miss Gisbey, which makes it easy for them to remember,” said Naomi.

Having previously worked in the theatre industry as a performer, Naomi said her mum was ‘a significant influence’ in her decision to pursue a career in teaching.

“From a young age, I found joy in helping at summer camps and saw how inspired she was by her work, along with the adoration from her pupils,” she said.

Naomi, whose work as a performer has included being in ‘A Christmas Carol’ in London and a singer in the show cast on P&O's Britannia cruise ship, said when the coronavirus pandemic hit and the theatre industry came to a halt, she decided it was time to retrain.

Now in her third year of teaching, her previous school was Stoke Heath Primary, in Coventry.

She said a commitment to community was what initially drew her to South Lee Prep, adding: “South Lee Prep truly feels like a big family, where everyone cares for one another. Having my mum here definitely enhances that feeling.”

In their day-to-day routines, Naomi and her mum, both of Bury, only teach together during the Nativity – which Naomi said had been ‘a wonderful experience’.

Vivien, our Bury Free Press Teacher of the Year, said: “Creativity in the curriculum has always been important to me, so it is truly special to work alongside Naomi as she leads our Nativity this year.

“It fills me with pride to see her bringing that same enthusiasm to the children at our school."

She said seeing her daughter join the team with ‘such enthusiasm and passion’ filled her with joy, and added: “Am I surprised that she is a fabulous teacher? Not one little bit.”

Vivien said this academic year, she was excited to retire after a happy and fulfilling career.

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