Old Wits Through The Decades

King Edward’s has a rich history of inspiring pupils to achieve and fulfil their potential. Our pupils go on to lead extraordinary lives all over the world, carrying our values with them. Old Wits have many great stories to tell, and their experiences illustrate how education influences what we become. In this special feature, we share the stories of four alumna, who studied with us at very different times. From the 1950s to the 2010s, they explain how King Edward’s shaped their lives. The Queen Mother planting

Mrs Lesley Syme 1952 to 1959 Mrs Lesley Syme (née Williamson) joined King Edward’s when the School became co-educational in 1952. Here she recounts her experiences as one of the first 38 girls and remembers a

special royal visit in 1958. a tree, 1958

I was living with my grandparents in Surbiton when I was offered a place at King Edward’s at the age of 11. It would be my first time away from home, but I don’t remember feeling nervous. The fact that I was one of the first girls didn’t seem significant. In those days we simply did as we were told.

We travelled to the School by coach and stopped for a picnic at Wimbledon Common. We arrived and were given our dormitories: mine was Magnolia. I remember there was a painted pixie frieze on the top floor of the Junior House. It was there for many years afterwards. Later I’d move up to Queens’ House.

The same tree outside the Science Block, 2020

Our uniform was a grey skirt and blazer, light blue blouse and hat and in the Summer Term we wore coloured striped dresses. We collected everything in a large initialed bag and were given our School number; mine was 324. Our House Mother worked in the basement and was in charge of the laundry, uniforms and general running of Queen Mary House. Miss Lily, a biology teacher, lived on the top floor and kept a close eye on us.

I really enjoyed games at King Edward’s. There was a swimming pool in those days that was only used in the summer. In the winter it was boarded over and became the gym. I swam and played tennis for the school, taking part in matches at Bedales and the Naval School at Hindhead.

In 1958 the Queen Mother visited King Edward’s to open the Science Block. I remember it vividly. We all lined up outside the School and she had lunch with us in the dining room, sitting on the stage with the Headmaster, Mr Humphreys. We had steak which was a real treat!

When I was 15, I had an accident playing rounders which caused me to lose the sight in one eye. The experience shaped my life in a positive way, as having spent time in hospital I decided to train as a nurse. I studied at King’s College Hospital and went on to work in emergency medicine. I live in Chichester now and have 2 children and 3 grandchildren.

My years at King Edward’s taught me to be self-reliant and above all to be fair. That was part of the School’s ethos. My message to today’s pupils would be to make the most of their time and take every opportunity. My education gave me a very good grounding and prepared me well for adulthood.

Dr Liz Gordon 1965 to 1970 Old Witlean, Dr Liz Gordon, has lived in New Zealand for nearly 50 years, working as a lecturer, barrister, and serving as an MP for the Alliance Party from 1996 to 2002. After leaving Parliament she founded her own research agency and is a current council member of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Liz has held a number of honours and awards, including a doctoral scholarship, a Fulbright Travel Award and a Claude McCarthy Fellowship.

I started at King Edward’s on 14 th September 1965. I was 10 years and 8 days old, more than a year younger than my peers. Like many at the time, my sister and I came to the School as a result of a family breakdown. I am forever grateful.

I remember my first day. I loved what the School looked like, but so much was new! Large dormitories, strict rules and lots of new people. I liked the classes though. As a Liz, I was automatically in Elizabeth House. That year, the new Tudor House was formed, so most of the girls in my year went into that house.

I enjoyed English, maths and geology even though the teacher taught the theory of the time that earthquakes were caused by rips in the earth crust. I’ve since lived through more than my share of earthquakes! I liked French in the Sixth Form and read Camus’ ‘La Peste’ in French, a fictional story of the plague. In the current pandemic, I have thought a lot about that.

I left King Edward’s after Lower Sixth and after working in London, moved to New Zealand. It was the best thing I ever did. New Zealand is exciting, relaxed, quirky, bright and beautiful. I worked for a number of years, got married, had a child (Sonya) and then decided to go to university. My good school qualifications helped in that decision. I completely fell in love with the social sciences, earned a PhD and accepted a job as a lecturer.

My study opened me up to politics. I became a political junkie and, when the opportunity to enter Parliament arose, I took it, representing The Alliance from 1996 to 2002. I’m most proud of my achievements in education, campaigning against huge university fees. I see education as a human right.

I think it’s so important for young people to be politically aware. Politics is all around us: it defines relationships, where we live, our wealth, health and happiness. Humans have the ability to change their own lives and that of others, and that is what politics is about.

After leaving Parliament I became a lawyer and researcher. I run a small research company working with government and community partners, write books, sit on various Councils including the Royal Society of NZ Council, and also volunteer at a local prison.

I remember King Edward’s with some affection. I had problems coping with the discipline - I hope the School today is more geared to meeting pastoral care needs - but I did enjoy the learning and the religion. While no longer a Christian in practice, I still follow Christian principles. Overall, the gift King Edward’s gave was great learning.

Dr Carole Presern 1966 to 1973 With a global health career spanning three decades and continents, Dr Carole Presern has dedicated her life to helping others. After leaving King Edward’s, Carole enjoyed a career in nursing, midwifery and global health diplomacy, working for WHO and The Global Fund. Carole has lived in Nepal, Pakistan and Zimbabwe and Geneva. In September Carole starts a Professorship at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Growing up on a council estate in London, it was hard to imagine my future. My mother was a single parent bringing up two children alone. I was a quiet child who escaped through books.

In 1966 when I was 11, I was offered a place at King Edward’s. The idea of boarding was quite a big thing. I was nervous but very excited. I was in Copeland, the Junior House, and our Matron was fierce but kind!

I’ll never forget my first night away from home. The girl in the bed next to me lived in Brunei. The very next day I looked it up on a map and it made me want to know more about other cultures. Throughout my time at King Edward’s I sought out mentors who would open my eyes to the world.

We had lessons from Monday to Saturday and went to chapel each morning before breakfast. That’s why I decided to join the choir. Our Music Master, Mr Sheldon, was fantastic. Wherever I’ve lived in the world I’ve been in a choir. King Edward’s gave me a lifelong love of choral music.

I particularly loved languages. I enjoyed Latin because we had the most inspiring teacher, Mr Herbie Winter, who sadly died just a few years ago. I didn’t like traditional practical subjects – things like needlework and cookery. I was in the first cohort of girls who were able to do carpentry or metal work instead. My mother still has a bowl that I made!

When I was at School, I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to do in life. After training as a nurse, I secured a place at St Mary’s Paddington and took the advice of a colleague who had worked in Africa, who urged me to study midwifery. So off I trotted to Queen Charlotte’s to learn how to deliver babies. They largely deliver themselves, in truth, but the privilege of being part of a family’s life at that moment is indescribable.

My sights were firmly set on working overseas, but I was aware that not having a degree might hold me back. I enrolled at UCL to study Anthropology but the travel bug persisted, so I took a year out to study in Nepal before taking a job in a refugee camp on the Thai-Cambodian border.

This was after the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia and one of the world’s most appalling genocides. I was the only trained midwife in a camp of 60,000 people. Anyone with medical knowledge had been killed by Pol Pot and the hospital was barely fit for purpose. I was, to put it mildly, well out of my depth. It was a humbling, life-changing experience that taught me many lessons.

After leaving the camp, I finished my degree before taking a role with the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). It was the springboard for years of working abroad and in 1986 I moved to Nepal to manage their VSO programme. I lived there for 7 years and my 3 children grew up there.

I never had a blueprint for my career. I’ve just stumbled from one thing to the other. In the 70s I met David Nabarro – who is now the WHO Special Envoy for COVID-19. David has been a hugely influential figure in my life, encouraging me to apply for my first Government job with the British High Commission in Pakistan which took me into a different world of diplomacy, health development and international policy.

In 1992, just before moving to Pakistan, there was a terrible plane crash in Nepal, where I was living. I looked after a British family who had lost 5 relatives in the accident. Years later I realised that one of the victims, Andrew Wilkins, was a former King Edward’s pupil, and one of my classmates. I couldn’t believe the coincidence.

Over the next 20 years I made the switch from nursing to diplomacy, working with DFID in Zimbabwe, the UK Mission in Geneva, and WHO as Director of The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH). One of my proudest achievements is persuading Nelson Mandela’s widow, Graca Machel, to chair the Board when I moved to The Global Fund. Having Mrs Machel on the Board significantly elevated the profile of the Partnership, which does vital work in improving the health and wellbeing of women and children around the world.

It can sound a bit ‘twee’, but the desire to give back is, for me, very strong. If you can do something to help people without privilege, that’s so important. I once met the great Desmond Tutu which was very daunting. He gave me a piece of advice which I’ve never forgotten: “Always remember the face. Keep the faces of people in your mind." I’ve tried to live by this advice, from remembering the faces of my teachers to Leng, the first woman who sadly died in my care as a midwife in Cambodia.

As a nervous 11-year-old from a council estate in Pimlico, I could never have imagined the path my life would take. King Edward’s certainly gave me a great start in life. It helped me to realise that there was a vast world just waiting to be explored. I’ll be forever grateful for that.

Miss Morgan Johnson 2012 to 2014

Miss Morgan Johnson joined King Edward’s in the Sixth Form, moving to Witley from her home in Guernsey. Training first as an accountant and then as a teacher, she shares how her years at King Edward’s defined her future.

I was really excited to join King Edward’s. It happened at a really good point in my life when I was becoming more independent. My prep school motto was “A Family Not A Factory” and King Edward’s felt the same. I joined Elizabeth House and settled in immediately.

King Edward’s really opened my eyes to the world around me. Growing up in Guernsey I had no experience of big cities and enjoyed the outdoors and sailing. Suddenly I was living with pupils from different countries and backgrounds. Getting people from diverse cultures to work together, and discover what they have in common, is something that the School does brilliantly. It gave me an excellent grounding.

I had some fantastic experiences at King Edward’s but one that really stands out was a paintballing trip organised by Mr Pennell. I came away with a few minor injuries! On a more serious note, I took part in the 2013 Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall. I was asked to be a colour bearer for the Sea Cadets and laid a wreath at the Cenotaph. It was a real privilege and a memory that will stay with me.

King Edward's pupils, 2014

Another great memory is singing for Mrs Abraham in the School chapel on her wedding day. A group of us from Elizabeth House sang ‘Danny Boy’ acapella. The chapel acoustics produced a beautiful sound, it was truly magical!

I loved studying a variety of subjects for the International Baccalaureate. Geography and business were favourite subjects and I was really inspired by my teacher Mrs Wilson who used her own experiences to bring business to life. I went on to work for KPMG after leaving school but kept my interest in geography and eventually decided to combine the two by becoming a teacher. I have recently finished my PGCE at Oxford and I start my first secondary teaching job in Guernsey this September.

I had a fantastic experience at King Edward’s. It really shaped the path that I took and taught me lots of things beyond the academic that I don’t think I would have learned anywhere else. I saw how the City of London works because of the relationship the School has with St Bride’s and I learned so much about the world and about different people.

If I could offer any advice to current pupils it would be to make the most of every opportunity and to keep your eyes open. There is always more to see than you realise. King Edward’s allows you to begin to see the world. It’s a really great place to start.