John Badcock

John Badcock, who passed away on 1 January 2025, was a teacher of Classics at King’s from 1963 to 1974. With his colleague and fellow classicist Graham Tingay he co-authoured the book These Were the Romans.  Outside the classroom, John’s commitment to school life saw him coach the Colts ‘A’ rugby and 2nd XI cricket teams, and help run the school’s Local History Group. In 1965 he was one of a group of intrepid teachers who lead pupils on treks in the Lake District; the following year he took on the same challenge in Snowdonia.

John, his wife Dinah and their daughters Clare and Anna lived in staff accommodation in Woodhayes until John left King’s in 1974 to take up the post of Head of Classics at Cranbrook School in Kent. He remained at Cranbrook for over 27 years, taking on various roles, including Head of Horsley Boys and the first Head of Sixth Form.