A man fell in love with and got engaged to his former physical education teacher — she taught him in high school 13 years ago — and says his friends still call her “Miss.”
Scott Davies, 33, and Helen Booth, 41, first met each other in 2009 – when he was a sixth form student at the Barclay School in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, and she taught him physical education (P.E.).
They met again 13 years later in Stevenage in 2022 – initially having no idea there was any romantic potential between them.
But they eventually fell in love, moved in together, and Scott proposed in front of a crowd of 200 people on a beach in Ibiza in August 2024.
Now – 17 years after they first met – they have a home and are set to marry next year.
Scott, a primary school teacher from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, said: “It’s a whirlwind story.
“I never thought I would marry my former teacher but we are very happy together.”
Helen, who now works as a special educational needs coordinator at a middle school, said: “I feel very lucky in our relationship – it’s very special and we make each other very happy.”
The pair – who have an eight-year age gap – were not in a relationship then but reunited in 2022 after Scott moved back to Stevenage from Birmingham, West Midlands.
Scott had coached cricket at his old school – where Helen also worked at the time – and the two became friends when he left university at the age of 21.
Scott became an elementary school teacher, while Helen worked in a special needs school.
When Scott was 25, he contacted Helen again, as he hoped that perhaps she could help him answer some of his questions about teaching.
After Scott's relationship ended, he moved back to Stevenage from Birmingham and got in touch with Helen to discuss teaching.
But even then, there was no romantic relationship between them and things were “purely professional.”
Scott said: “Everything was professional at that point – we were just keeping in touch.”
“I messaged her to see how she was, and we decided to meet at a bar.
“We had a drink but then we thought 'is this a date?'”
The two have a few more drinks and realize they have romantic potential.
Scott added: “After that, we spent the next four days together.”
“Neither of us were actively looking for a partner at the time, but things fell into place on their own.”
Helen said: “It was great how we both got on to each other straight away and how natural it was, we both thought at first it was a ‘catch up’ but now we know it was our first date.”
Scott says that Helen was the teacher all the boys in school “were obsessed with.”
Scott said: “When my friends found out they were so pleased – they knew what a lovely person Helen was.”
Helen said: “Scott has kept in touch with some of my colleagues who coached him and they were very pleased for us both.”
The two got engaged within two years of dating.
However, there have also been many interesting moments in their relationship – especially when friends and acquaintances found out how they first met.
Scott said: “It was interesting when my friends met him, because they took lessons from him as well.”
“At the beginning a few of them would still say ‘Hi Miss’ – it was quite funny – one of them still does that!”
It’s not just his friends who have had to adjust – as some of Helen’s friends are also Scott’s former teachers.
Scott was initially hesitant to tell his parents that Helen had been tutoring him.
“At first I was scared to tell mom and dad,” he said.
“So, I first let my parents meet her without telling them anything, then later, I told them – 'Oh, by the way, she used to teach me!'
“Thankfully, they all got along well with each other and my parents were okay with it too.
“Obviously, it's a very funny story — we had no idea all those years ago that we would be together.”
The couple's relationship has grown stronger, and they now live together in Shefford, Bedfordshire, and are also engaged in April 2024.
But even now, when he tells his story, he laughs at people's reactions.
Scott said: “She says 'he used to come back and teach me physical education' – but she doesn't say when we first started to 'get to know' each other.”
Helen said: “I’m looking forward to getting married next year, having a baby and being happy together.”
