Staff Departures

Al Saralis Churcher’s is blessed with many things and having its own Peter Pan, the person who never grew old, is one such blessing. It seems somewhat incongruous to be writing in letters and words about someone whose life is almost entirely about pictures, but Al Saralis, Churcher’s very own Peter Pan as one person describes him, deserves accolades both pictorial and written.

Al is certainly not one who believes ability or success is pre-determined. He was never going to allow the passing of time to dampen his spirits or erode his enthusiasm and energy. Likewise, Al believes everyone has the ability to draw; it is just that some need to believe in themselves a little more and have the encouragement and guidance to draw that talent out.

There are many aspects of Churcher’s College that make us stand out from the crowd and Art is recognised as being particularly special here. Al has been at the Art helm at Churcher’s since 1996 and his legacy hangs on many a wall both within school and in the homes of pupils past and present. The foundations he has created and, from those, the extraordinary exam results we have enjoyed, will, I am sure, carry on for many years to come.

I remember my first experience of Churcher’s and admiring the quality of art here. I had assumed it was just one of those fortunate moments; a kind of planets aligning moment when the school was blessed with an unusual number of talented artists. But the quantity of such stunning quality did not stop after just one year; there is a perennial smorgasbord of artistic brilliance on display here. Every wall, every corner of the school carries evidence of it and with it Al’s influence. Al would be the first to admit he is a hard task master, he expects much, but so many generations have delivered so much and with such reward for themselves and for us observers as a consequence.

Of course, art success here is not down to a one-man band; Al is adamant that it is a team effort, the ideas and inspirations came from all within that team, not one person. As a proud Welshman he remembers, and rightly celebrates, the decades of rugby brilliance and how that arose not from one soul but from synergism of those in the scarlet shirts; likewise, the art here.

That Al is retiring surprised many, not least because they didn’t think he was old enough to do so; that his personal, professional artistic career has taken off and that he is in big and growing demand from galleries, even in foreign climes, is probably less of a surprise.

Over the 24 years Al has been here there are many who have benefitted hugely from his tough love approach to art. There is abiding evidence on many a wall of the stunning art created by many of his charges because of his encouragement, guidance and inspiration. A man more passionate about his subject, those he teaches and the Welsh rugby team is hard to find!

Gill Clarke There is an apocryphal story about Gill Clarke that, once upon a time, when she was the Deputy Head overseeing discipline and many other things at Churcher’s, a lifesized cardboard cut-out of her was manufactured and placed on the train to modify behaviour. Uniforms were straightened, ties pulled up, skirt hems down, voices lowered – and Gill, or should that be Mrs Clarke, had not said a word.

That a mere hint of her presence made such an impact tells you much about Gill but no cardboard cut-out substitute was actually required because Gill had no fears about entering lions’ dens in person. Gill never shies away from a challenge, even when, for example, one Fifth Form leaver’s day she had to seek out the source of a terrible aroma in New College and found a rotting fish surreptitiously secreted behind a radiator; not only did she find the fish but she found the miscreant as well. We have been swimming along in the tide of energy and enthusiasm which is Mrs Clarke ever since she arrived at Churcher’s in 1987. In the 33 years Gill has been involved in the school, there seems to be no area and no activity that she hasn’t touched, except possibly the model railway club. When she arrived, she took on residential duties with the girl boarders and she supervised girls’ games. She has been involved in the Public Speaking and Debating Competitions, the Junior Reading Competition, Drama including judging, with astonishing insight and with extraordinary diplomacy, the very amateur actors in House Drama. She has also run work experience and there was always her ever-present involvement with the choral society. She’s kept the Committee of the Parents’ Association under control, she flew the blue flag as Head of Nelson House for a number of years and in her spare time she was Deputy Head, teacher of English, History and Latin.

Gill is a heart and soul kind of person, whatever she is involved in she gives it her heart and soul. There are few who have the same level of devotion to both the children in her charge but also to the school; the benefit both the school and her charges gained as a consequence has been immense. It is astonishing to note that Gill actually retired from teaching in 2006 but it is only the foolish that let someone of such worth escape and, with much persuasion and arm twisting, Gill was encouraged to stay on as our very first school archivists, adviser to all and, of late, one of our trusted invigilators.

Churcher’s is on the cusp of entering its tercentenary year and it has an impressive history over the last 300 years with inevitable ups and downs. Gill has been instrumental in collating evidence of that journey and coauthored the most recent History of Churcher’s. What is quite clear in that history, is that the school has been inextricably linked with the town of Petersfield, very much to the benefit of both. The school is as much a part of the community as the community is of it and Gill, with her remarkable involvement in all that is good and great about Petersfield, including Historical Societies, Town Council, social groups, St Peter’s Church and such like, has often been the link between town and gown, nourishing the good and tending to the not so.

There are many who know they have much to be grateful to Gill Clarke for; there are even more who may not recognise the impact she has had on their lives through her involvement with the school but whose heart and soul approach has, directly or indirectly, been very much to their benefit.

Jo-Anne Jarrett Upon joining the English Department in September 2015, Jo quickly established herself as a warm, supportive and caring member of the team. This approach very much came through in her teaching and Jo’s camaraderie with her pupils helped them to feel valued, confident and that their ideas were always appreciated. Outside the classroom, Jo brought her own love of literature into the founding of the First to Third Year Book Club, thus giving the younger, sometimes more reticent members of the school the opportunity to share literary views, exchange book recommendations and extend their reading. From close textual study to fervent debate, the group’s members gained much from their lively discussions and, most importantly, furthered their enjoyment of reading in the process. The arrival of baby Solomon last year prompted Jo’s departure and we wish her and the family all the very best in this next exciting stage. Kayleigh Pendry Kayleigh joined the Junior School in September 2014 as a Year 4 teacher, moving year groups two years later to teach our Reception Class. Kayleigh was dedicated to the progress of her children and brought energy and fun to the classroom. The children particularly enjoyed how musical theatre was part of everyday life in their classroom. Kayleigh had an amazing way of making rehearsing for productions fun and inspiring and on her final day in the Summer Term she led the whole school in a postlockdown dance routine on the field, ending her time with us on a high! Her dynamic and energetic passion for performing arts will be very much missed, as will her funny stories in the staff room! Rachel Blewett Rachel’s arrival brought youth and enthusiasm to the Maths Department. She was always fiercely determined to get the best from her pupils and gave hours to supporting them during lunchtimes, even giving up free periods to help pupils in need. Her fun, enthusiastic but caring nature and methodical approach inspired confidence in her young charges and her results speak for themselves. Always sporting a huge smile, her laughter and positive attitude were infectious. On top of teaching, Rachel got fully involved in all aspects of Churcher’s life, leading World Challenge groups across the globe and taking sports teams out for matches at weekends. In fact, Rachel was often seen in her PE kit; if she was not helping in the PE Department with games sessions, she was taking herself into the gym during frees and at one point started a running club for the more enthusiastic runners in the school. Her altruistic nature continued outside the Department and she gave great energy, enthusiasm and flair to the whole school activities, skills which were very quickly recognised and soon she was appointed assistant Head of House, then later, Head of the Sixth Form Enrichment Programme, becoming an important part of the Sixth Form team. Rachel has left us to take up the post of Head of Mathematics at Portsmouth Grammar School and although sorely missed, we wish her the very best in her new role.

Charlotte Schryver, Fifth Year.