Noel was a deeply valued and much-respected member of our community. He cared profoundly about the young people he worked with, and his impact on them was enormous, something confirmed by the many messages received over the past few days.

“We got to know Mr Tapper-Gray firstly through the Kissing It Better project, which our son did in Year 9 and 10, and then latterly through the careers events he organised for the school. He was such a lovely, kind, gentle man, full of encouragement and enthusiasm for what he did.”

Others described him as a “great inspiration” and “one of life’s givers, whose enthusiasm and drive were infectious.”

Colleagues and pupils alike have spoken of Noel’s kindness and humility. Never one to blow his own trumpet, he allowed much of his work to pass quietly unnoticed and had to be persuaded of the merits of celebrating the opportunities he worked so hard to provide, in the recently launched Careers Newsletter.

This modesty extended to his personal life too. While I knew that Noel was a lifelong and devoted West Bromwich Albion fan, I had no idea that, as a young man, he was a talented footballer with a realistic aspiration of playing for his beloved ‘Baggies’. That dream was ultimately frustrated by the chronic kidney disease with which he was diagnosed at the age of 14. That Noel was able to live a full life and make such a positive impact on so many over the subsequent 50 years was only possible because he received two life-saving kidney transplants.

Football remained central to his life, but it was while on dialysis awaiting his second transplant that Noel finally accepted the need for a ‘Plan B’ and completed a degree in Sociology and Economics. This formative experience shaped his professional outlook: while he always encouraged young people to pursue their ambitions, this was invariably accompanied by wise counsel about the importance of perseverance, adaptability, and having alternatives.

Noel will be remembered for his generosity of spirit and quiet dedication to helping pupils find their own way in the world. It is particularly fitting that, despite believing his medical condition prevented him becoming an organ donor, following his death he was able to donate his liver, offering someone else the chance of a fulfilling, happy life, the same precious opportunity that organ donation had given him and to which his professional life was devoted.

Noel’s funeral will take place on Monday, 26 January at 1.00pm in the North Chapel at Oakley Wood Crematorium, and members of the school community are warmly invited to join his family and friends in marking his passing.

Throughout his life, Noel showed remarkable courage, perseverance and professionalism – always immaculately dressed, though often, and rather endearingly topped with his distinctive England baseball cap.

On Wednesday, 28 January, the school will celebrate his life through a new charitable initiative, ‘Caps for Life’, giving pupils and staff the opportunity to wear a cap in return for a donation to Kidney Research UK, a charity chosen by Noel’s wife Alison. The day will also feature a whole-school assembly telling Noel’s story and highlighting the vital role of organ donation, and a chapel service of thanksgiving.

Through Caps for Life, we will honour Noel’s memory while supporting life-changing research and offering hope to others. Noel wore his cap with quiet distinction, faced life’s challenges with courage and in giving his final gift, showed us that generosity can outlive us all.

Thank you Noel.