Staff Departures

Louise Holmes

From the moment she arrived, Lou brought vigour, dynamism and a cheery smile to the Maths Department. A born teacher, Lou had natural empathy in spades and was always willing to go the extra mile to help any student or colleague with any aspect of their life, not just their maths problems. This made her an exceptional tutor as well a fantastic Maths teacher. Lou had exceptional breadth and depth of knowledge making her a wonderful teacher to each and every year group and to all abilities. Self-driven, she was keen to keep progressing herself: she was happy to train herself to teach the Mechanics aspect of the A Level course becoming an integral teacher of this, despite having never studied this previously. A report on Lou would not be complete without mentioning her sociability as Lou always welcomed people with a warm cheery hello. Lou also took on the mantle of Maths Department social secretary, organising lots of dinners and Christmas events. Lou’s brilliance with numbers meant she never forgot a birthday either. Lou also used her experience of working in the city to successfully guide students through their Young Enterprise experience. The children here at Churcher’s have been exceptionally fortunate to have had her wonderful input in the classrooms and wise council out of it. Lou may have “retired” in the loosest sense of the word, but we know Lou will never stop the learning journey taking on new challenges that suit her interests. She was an incredibly kind, generous and supportive colleague - we miss you loads already, darling!

Martin Hill

The Headmaster, and Martin himself, would both agree that his appointment back in 2011 was a gamble. With no teaching experience at all, he was plucked from the retail world of Marks & Spencer and thrust into the rough and tumble of A-Level Economics teaching at Churcher’s. But he was an instant success. An absolute natural in the classroom, his thorough and meticulous attention to detail and his sense of duty to the pupils, made him a big hit with our Sixth Form Economists. So much so, that when Paul Ratinckx left a year later, Martin applied for the Head of Economics post and was given the job. The Economics Department went from strength to strength under Martin’s leadership. A-Level exam results were strong year after year because Martin made sure that Economics lessons were well resourced, well taught, and that the students could have all the individual help they needed in between lessons.

In his early days at Churcher’s, Martin did his time on banks of canals and rivers training our Devizes to Westminster paddlers, as well as leading several World Challenge expeditions. He was then promoted further to Deputy Head of Sixth Form. Martin brought his typical diligence to this role, and set about introducing numerous new initiatives that benefitted the students. It was here that he discovered his love of spreadsheets and data, which ultimately led him to his appointment as Assistant Head (Pupil Progress) at Portsmouth Grammar School, in January 2022. In 2018, Martin became Head of EPQ, and within a year he had doubled the number of students not only starting an EPQ, but also completing it. He introduced the EPQ Forum, which brilliantly showcased all of the fantastic projects that the students had done. It was a humbling experience walking around the Sports Hall talking to the students, each one an expert in their field, and each one as enthusiastic and engaging as the last.

Latterly, Martin dusted off his euphonium and it was a lovely sight to see him playing, cheeks puffed out, towering above the other members of the Wind Band.

But amongst all of Martin’s successes and achievements, keeping Mr Shipley on the straight and narrow for ten years must rank as his greatest. Martin was not just a brilliant teacher and an incredibly efficient administrator, he was a people person with impressive soft skills that were often underrated, and he was able to get the very best out of all those who worked with him.

Catherine Murphy

Catherine joined the Junior School teaching team back in September 2014, for just two weeks supply teaching, however, she never left after those first two weeks. Initially joining as a form teacher, Catherine was to stay for many more years and perform a number of roles. Maths was always Catherine’s passion, which she instilled in the children who were lucky enough to be in one of her classes. Graduating in maths from Southampton University, Catherine has a vast wealth of knowledge and skills that she has been able to impart to the children at their level. Nothing stays the same when teaching, and it wasn’t long before a new middle school was constructed, teachers retired and moved, and the demands on Catherine evolved. As joint maths lead, Catherine introduced maths days to broaden the appeal and highlight the relevance and wonder of maths. She entered the school for maths competitions and challenges, and invited other local schools to come to CCJS&N to do some maths and raise the profile! Maths was cool! Catherine is a people person; she has been a delightful presence in the staff room and very supportive of her fellow teachers and workers at school. Her sense of fun is evident, and she has often been seen crying with laughter in the staffroom when chatting to colleagues over lunch. Catherine is still very busy, spreading the message of maths. In her other role as educational consultant, Catherine is in the thick of teacher training and curriculum development. Who knows, maybe we’ll see Catherine work at CCJS&N again - just for two weeks!

Andy Rowley

The title of Head of Adventure is a rather rare position within schools. It might even be unique to Churcher’s, but Andy Rowley is the perfect person to hold that title. Not only does he teach it, he lives and breathes it as well. When it comes to a ‘worn that T-shirt’ claim, Andy has more knowledge and experience than the vast majority, having, it seems, climbed, swum, walked, and jumped off almost everything and anything. Great exam grades may be a key that opens a door beyond school, but once through that door they are largely obsolete. You need other attributes to make a success of life beyond school. If there is one person, more than most, who has been helping the children here develop those skills, it is Andy. Half-way up a mountain with your team, it’s cold and wet, it’s getting dark, you’re lost, and yet you find your way home; there is little better experience that will develop self-confidence, self-esteem, problemsolving, team-work, resilience, perseverance, and a host of other life skills. PE teacher, Director of Sport, Deputy Head, even Headmaster, Andy has had them all, but being Head of Adventure probably fits his character and personal enthusiasm the best; Andy is happiest up a mountain, or on the water, and even more so when he has a group of children to inspire. The significance of the Adventure programme here, or the ‘Journey of Adventure’, as a recent publication entitled it, cannot be understated. Andy has brought together the different strands to form a coherent programme of development and enrichment for the children, traveling from Calshot in the First Year, through OSCA, the three Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards, First Challenge, the Combined Cadet Force, Ten Tors, and The Devizes to Westminster Canoe Marathon, through to the Sixth Form Adventure Club and World Challenge at the top of the school. Not a school year goes by without Andy offering something to every year group. Andy has inspired so much and grown so much here at Churcher’s; he may have been responsible for quite a few huddles of chilled children in his time here, but those children have had the experience of a lifetime, and one which has enriched them so much. That Andy’s legacy will remain with them for life is beyond doubt, and it is a great testament to him that he cannot be replaced by just one person alone. That is surely a sign of success. We wish him a happy, actionpacked retirement.

Paul Harris

Paul joined Churcher’s in 2014 as Estates Bursar. Few will appreciate quite how much time, energy, inspiration, and perspiration Paul expended on keeping the fabric of Churcher’s College in one piece. It doesn’t matter how organised or prepared Paul was, when you are running an estate the size of Churcher’s things happen: boilers fail, windows smash, doors jam, toilets block, minibuses break down, and none of them with any pre-determined plan in mind. Paul ensured that he and his team kept all the school facilities working.

During a period of significant growth of the school, Paul played a leading role in countless projects from the very small to the very large, including the new Middle School and Nursery at the Junior School, in recent years the Ramshill/Forrester enlargement, and of course the Goodfield building and new Music School.

Is it any surprise that Paul is looking for an easier life? Paul’s next role is looking after the nursing and residential homes for a hospice organisation, and we wish him well for the future.

Karen McCathie

Karen arrived at Churcher’s from Frensham Heights as the new Head of Computing in January 2016, joining Mr Sangster who had started in the department a term earlier. They immediately established a Computing dream team, and together they have revitalised Computing and ICT at Churcher’s, both in and outside the classroom.

The curriculum was Karen’s first project and she immediately decided upon the pattern of Computing for all in the First and Second Year, with the pupils given the choice of Computing or ICT in the Third Year before they make their GCSE choices. The popularity of Computing has grown hugely under Karen’s leadership, with more and more pupils opting for the subject at GCSE and A Level. Crucially, Karen was a fantastic role model for women in STEM subjects. She recognised the gender imbalance in Computing and, through new initiatives such as the Digital Divas club and by modernising the Key Stage 3 curriculum, girls started to appear in the exam classes, which were previously populated almost entirely by boys. Her last A Level group even contained two girls, which is a fantastic achievement. Karen also played an important whole-school role in the development of IT at Churcher’s over the last few years. As a key member of the Digital Strategy Group, she bridged the gap between the IT specialists and teachers. She spoke both languages and was therefore able to explain the pros and cons of different technologies to the school decisionmakers, always keeping in mind the potential benefit to the students’ learning. One of her biggest successes was the introduction of Firefly, which revolutionised pupil (and parent!) organisation. She did a huge amount of work to smooth the transition from homework diaries to Firefly tasks and an awful lot of troubleshooting behind the scenes.

If you asked the Headmaster for a Mrs McCathie memory, he would undoubtedly choose the enormous boxing belt trophy that a Churcher’s team brought back after winning the Lockheed Martin Code Quest competition. It remains the largest and most ostentatious trophy any Churcher’s team has ever won, and is still on display in the Computing Department. A fitting legacy for Mrs McCathie who was, in every sense, a game-changer.

John McLearie

The legend that is John McLearie. Where does one begin? A man with encyclopaedic historical knowledge, yet lightly worn; a raconteur who made us all laugh every single day he worked here, a man with a dizzying array of suits that befitted all occasions (including the leather trench coat), and above all someone who was incredibly thoughtful and kind. Our students highly respected John for his erudition, which often took them to the hinterland of topics, making them see History as greater than just the exam board spec. His unswerving dedication to the school was so great that in all his six years with us, he never missed a day, and he braved life in the ‘school house’ in his final six months with us, in order to help cover the Autumn Term. Not only did he throw himself into teaching, but he also camped out for OSCA, by popular demand he ran a weekly History Club with the Sixth form, he was our erudite guide on many school trips, and most memorably, he volunteered a few times to be the fairy in the school panto. His ‘joie de vivre’ was infectious, and it was a true privilege for all of us to have worked with him.

Angie Raven

The profits of the garden centres in South East England will rise significantly now that Angie has retired after 29 years of service! Angie joined initially on a temporary sixweek sickness cover appointment as a cleaner in New College in 1992, working alongside her aunt. In 1995 Angie progressed to Assistant Caretaker, and in 2000 to School Caretaker, working closely with the Estates Office. Angie was a founding member of the ‘Pink Ladies’ Cleaning and Caretaking Site Team in 2005, and their pink polo shirts were an everyday sight around the school.

The school grew significantly over the 29-year period Angie was here, and she fondly remembers cleaning the girls and boys boarding houses alongside Teresa Robins (her partner in crime). The demands that the increase in pupil numbers brought to Angie and her team over the years were significant, but Angie never shied away from the challenge.

Angie and her team regularly had to prepare the Sports Hall for assemblies and other events. No job was too large for Angie. Setting up and down for numerous school events from Speech Day to Sports Day, and everything in between. A school assembly in the Senior School involved setting up and taking down over 1,100 chairs in a short space of time.

Angie was also a dab hand at skittles, and fended off some serious competition to win the individual tournament at the annual Site and Estates team skittles night. Angie has many plans for her retirement, including trips to the Lake District and a coach tour of northern Scotland later in the year. Angie will be kept busy with her gardening and her many trips to the Garden Centre, and we wish her the very best for her retirement.

Katie Johnson

Katie joined Churcher’s in October 2018 in her role as systems administrator and admissions assistant. Having been a pupil at Churcher’s College herself, she could never get the hang of calling Jane by her first name rather than “Miss Hart”, or calling Mr YuginPower, “John”, who both had been her teachers. Katie felt passionately about many things - one of them was automation and saying good riddance to paper. She was astute in her analysis of systems and processes, but above all, Katie knew how to make everyone laugh. She developed strong relationships with staff and supported them in ways they will never forget. She implemented, and was a strong advocate of, My School Portal. She ran around the school when 2FA went live, ensuring all teachers in their classrooms were setup, and could access iSAMS both at school and at home. Many cried when she left, and she is still missed as such a breath of fresh air. Her IT skills were a key strength, and nothing was too much for her to figure out and dig deeper into, to find a solution. Katie was all about enabling, empowering, and finding a more efficient way of doing things. She has left Churcher’s to work on cyber security projects and further her IT skills and training, not, as many have speculated, counter terrorism security for the government.

Gloria Becker

Gloria joined Churcher’s in September 2018. It seems a lot longer, which is a great testament to Gloria, for all her hard work and efforts as Head of Modern Foreign Languages at the Junior School. She has made learning new languages such fun for the children. At the end of term one, in the middle of our maths lesson, the children suddenly broke into song in Spanish, and the whole class joined in with the greatest of enthusiasm! Gloria, thankfully, has lots of happy memories of the school, with one highlight being the trip to France with Year 6 and doing the Tree Trail with them.

Always smiling, always patient, always enthusiastic about the children and their lessons, Gloria is the teacher every child should have. We wish her well for her future adventures, where she will be spending time in Spain with the aim of moving there permanently in the near future, working on her own holiday rental business.

Jon Branch

Jon worked as part of our Site Maintenance team for four years, and was a skilled and conscientious electrician. A long list of site electrical improvements was successfully completed during Jon’s time at the school, including larger projects such as Baker’s Café, along with countless upgrades, reconfigurations, and repairs throughout the school. Jon was a very friendly, approachable, and reliable team member and we wish him the best for his well-earned retirement.

Kath Tkaczynska

It is hard to imagine the school without Mrs T! Countless numbers of children have benefited from her teaching and high standards and if you bump into an ex-junior school pupil, they invariably ask “How’s Mrs T?” Her first day at work was the start of the Autumn term, September 2009 as a Year 5 class teacher alongside Alex Greenaway. She formed close relationships with all members of staff who appreciated her wicked sense of humour. Her partnerships with Beccy Stuart (Morris) and Catherine Murphy were highlights for her, and she was very appreciative of the support provided by Sarah Roberts, especially with computing which she considers having been her greatest challenge.

Mrs T particularly loved the excitement and fun of the residential trips where her care and concern for the children really shone through and where she took delight in interacting with them in a relaxed environment. She ensured those feeling homesick got a cuddle and ended up giggling.

With no concrete plans for her time just yet, Mrs T has two young grandsons who she expects to occupy her a lot! She is also taking up life drawing classes – although has no intention of being the model! She will leave a huge hole in the life of the junior school and we wish her all the best for the future.

Freddy Wickham

Freddy bounced in to Churcher’s College having spent a year as a graduate music assistant at his Magdalen College School in Oxford. He had completed his degree the previous year at Magdalen College University of Oxford, specialising in composition. Given his academic experience, we knew from the outset that Freddy would have much to offer our academic musicians. With only one year of assisting in the classroom prior to starting at Churcher’s College, it was always going to be a steep learning curve, but Freddy was more than up for the challenge with his endless enthusiasm, determination, and ability, and he soon became very much at home in the classroom, with a large number of our pupils benefitting from his expertise. To add to the challenge of learning how to teach, much of the work took place during lockdown at home, teaching from a computer, where he even started a YouTube channel dedicated to humorous musical education!

Not only has Freddy made his mark in the classroom, he is an accomplished pianist and vocal specialist, not to mention his double bass playing, violin playing, accordion, banjo, guitar, and generally being able to put his hand to most instruments, including helping out in the percussion section when required! The Tenor section in the Senior Choir will certainly miss his powerful voice next year! He has coached various choirs, including the SSA girls’ choir, Junior Choir, and Junior Chamber Choir, as well as imparting his jazz skills with the Blues group, and also directing the smaller chamber ensembles, such as the clarinet and recorder ensembles. Not many people could find time to be such a fundamental part of the Music Department at the same time as being involved in the PE department, but Freddy’s energy has also been seen on the sports field, not only teaching PE to the KS3 classes, but playing a high standard of cricket, tennis, and rugby. He will be missed by staff and pupils alike next year, and we wish him all the best as his moves up the career ladder to become Assistant Director of Music at Epsom College.