My friend, Sally Hicks, who has died aged 55 from stomach cancer, was an inspirational teacher. She was passionate about the right of every child to receive a good education, believing that pupils with special needs were entitled to the very best teaching. On top of that she brought a sparkle into any room she entered.
Sally was born in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, the daughter of John and Liz Hicks, who were both doctors. When she was young, the family moved to Grimsby, where she and her siblings, Bob, David and Judy, were brought up. She attended St Martin's school for girls and then Wintringham comprehensive. After taking a degree in Spanish and German at Lanchester Polytechnic (now Coventry University), Sally gained a PGCE from Birmingham University and then settled in York where she embarked on her teaching career, first at the Joseph Rowntree school then at Fulford Cross special school.
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