Richard Scarr

It is with great sadness that we have to announce the passing of Richard Scarr. He was always an enthusiastic biologist and a dedicated educator.

After reading Biology at Kings College in London he taught for over 30 years in international education only recently retiring from school, most notably as Deputy Head at Campion School in Athens. 

During his career he has devoted many years to helping DP Biology teachers to excel in their work. He has run IB workshops for teachers all over the world and feedback always reflects his warm, encouraging and supportive approach. The stories he told during workshops were chosen to make us all feel better about the worries or the complexity of our task as Biology teachers. Often humorous and full of insight to help us understand the nuances of the guide, the assessment criteria or the administrative aspects of the IB. 

At InThinking he has been prolific, whether in workshops, in the online Think-ins, or on the website, replying to comments from subscribers or writing IB style questions. He generously shared his experience and his knowledge from being a teacher, examiner, and moderator. He has contributed to many pages on the site. His particular forte was in writing IB-style questions with a tricky twist. Those details that catch you out at first, but then teach you a subtle but important detail on reflection.

As a colleague we will miss him terribly, and personally I will miss his warm and kind personality as well as his constant enthusiasm and support. I'll always remember how generously he encouraged me when I first began running workshops.

David Faure, October 2026.