16 minute read
Valete
from The Dolphin - 2021
We say goodbye to...
Isabel Brearley
By Ashley Marshfield
T i g g y Brearley started at King's in September 2017 as a Graduate Music Assistant and quickly found her feet in the Music School. Alongside providing support in the classroom, she has rehearsed and played accompaniments at concerts and provided training to pupils for ABRSM aural tests and Grade 5 theory examinations. Tiggy is a talented oboist and has played in various ensembles; she also covered oboe and bassoon teaching at both King's and Hazlegrove. Tiggy also has much experience of singing and has supported the School Choir and Chapel Choir at concerts and at termly visits to cathedrals; she has also provided organ accompaniment at several School Services in St Mary’s Church. Tiggy’s directing skills have seen her lead the Girls’ Chamber Choir and Wind Quintet as well as being a general helping hand around the Music Department.
No task has ever been too much for Tiggy, including photocopying music for rehearsals, organising choir folders, opening the Music School on Sundays and cataloguing the entire Choral Music library! Initially appointed for an academic year, Tiggy expanded her responsibilities when she became Resident Tutor of Priory House, supporting the girls and in particular her tutor group. Tiggy loves the outdoors and has enjoyed supporting the CCF and leading the Ten Tors activity including the organisation of training and expeditions. In addition, Tiggy has played an active role in sport, assisting with coaching of the U14B, U15B Hockey, U14B, U15B and U15C Netball and assisted with Junior Athletics. Tiggy has also taken part in Duke of Edinburgh expeditions to Snowdonia, the Lake District and Dartmoor.
I asked Tiggy what she had enjoyed most at King's and she had this to say:
“I have really enjoyed the complete variety that has come with my job here at King's, whether that’s singing Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral or zip lining through slate mines in Snowdonia, there’s certainly never a dull moment and I am incredibly grateful for all the amazing opportunities I have been given.”
The Music Department and King's will miss Tiggy, but we wish her well as she moves on to pastures new having been offered well-deserved position as Oboist in the Royal Corps of Army Music. I am sure that Tiggy will relish a new challenge.
Adie Davis
By Louis Tuson
King's Bruton loses one of its true characters this summer, when Adie Davis, our Head Groundsman, retires having originally joined the School in 1989. Although he was lured away for a short period in the noughties, like so many others, Adie found his true calling was back at King's, and since his return he has committed himself to making sure the pupils had the best sports pitches he could turn out. Adie is at his happiest when pupils are using the facilities, particularly if King's are winning and his eternal optimism and good humour are infectious. Over the years, Adie has got to know hundreds of pupils and has always had a word of encouragement, or advice to help them on their way. Nothing is too much trouble, and he happily works though the grimmest of weathers to make sure the pupils get the best playing surfaces he and his team can produce.
The transition of the 1st XV rugby pitch to a cricket outfield and back each year is miraculous, and is only possible because when it comes to his profession Adie is up there with the best. Many is the member of staff who has fallen into the trap of asking him about grass and been given a masterclass for the next hour. Over the years, he has delivered continuous improvement to all of our sports pitches, but the 1st XI cricket pitch is his true legacy. His skill and experience have given us a pitch that you would have to travel a long way to match.
He has tried to retire before, but this time it is for real, and having built his house locally, he is ready to take on a more prominent role at the Seymour Arms, but I am sure we will see him pitch side checking on the bounce and carry of the ball on his beloved 1st XI wicket where he will always be welcome.
Sam Gibbins
By Henry Eriksson
Sam joined King's in January 2019 to take over as Old House Resident Tutor and Strength & Conditioning Coach.
Having achieved a degree in Strength & Conditioning from Plymouth Marjon University, and enjoyed travelling around Australia, Sam decided to take the opportunity to broaden his experience by immersing himself in
Sam has been a popular member of staff, both with the pupil body and Common Room alike, and he should look back upon his time at King's fondly and proud of what he has achieved in his two and a half years at the School. When Sam joined, Strength and Conditioning was something which few pupils had access to, whereas now, at least a sixth of the School have regular sessions with him and the impact he has made is clear for everyone to see. Our junior pupils have become better movers and are more comfortable in a gym environment and understand the importance of taking their physical training seriously, whilst our senior pupils and 1st teams have become, faster, stronger, and generally fitter.
With the quantifiable nature of Strength and Conditioning support, Sam should be hugely proud of the progress that the pupils he has worked with have made. He leaves the King's Strength & Conditioning Programme in a very good place, and he has set the foundations which will allow it to grow further still, of which I am very grateful to him for.
Sam has also been a big support in helping to build and improve the popularity of the King's rugby programme and his coaching expertise has been very much appreciated by Mr Hawley. Within the boarding house, Sam has been an excellent Resident Tutor and his ability to build positive relationships through his good sense of humour, approachability, and generally likeable personality, has made him very popular in this environment too.
There are exciting times ahead for Sam as he embarks on a new adventure, and one that sees him start his own Strength & Conditioning business at home in Devon. We all wish him the very best of luck for the future and I have no doubt that this new venture will be a great success for him.
By James Pearce
Jamie’s first introduction to King's began in April 2014 when he worked onsite as an ICT Technician for the company that was providing IT support to the School. I first met him when I came for an interview in the Summer of 2015. A fresh faced (no signs of facial hair in those days), slightly nervous, young man gave me a tour of the School and took great pride in explaining the technical setup that was in place. When I started working with Jamie later in the year, it was evident very early on that he was a very gifted individual.
When the decision was made to bring the IT support provision back in-house, it was an easy decision to promote Jamie to become the new ICT Manager. His natural talent for all things technical, thirst for knowledge combined with excellent communication skills and crucially a lack of arrogance, made him the ideal candidate.
We had very ambitious plans for the transformation of ICT at King's, but noone could have predicted the rollercoaster ride we were to experience over the next five and half years. Wholesale infrastructure changes, Bring Your Own Device, moving to the Cloud, cybersecurity incidents, GDPR, remote working/learning - it was stressful, exciting, and rewarding in equal measure with Jamie fundamental in this seismic shift.
Jamie leaves us to join one of the UK’s largest Microsoft partners as a cybersecurity consultant, an area he has driven forward throughout the Foundation over the last few years. We won’t miss his tendency to grab a pen and draw huge, detailed technical drawings on the whiteboard coupled with very long explanations, but we will miss an extremely talented IT professional with a deep love and affection for King's, and a supportive and caring colleague.
By George Beverly
King's Bruton is losing an utter treasure. An Old Brutonian who returned to his school and has enriched it in so many ways. From the moment I met Dan in September 2013, I knew I had encountered a genuinely kind and outstanding schoolmaster who, eight years later, I am proud to call my friend. In my early days as a tutor in New House, observing Dan on duty and chatting to him in the House office, taught me some excellent skills about rapport with pupils. Whilst I was training for my PGCE, Dan recommended various lesson ideas and behavioural strategies that turned out to work a treat. It was always done with heaps of encouragement, laughter and a relentless “can do” approach. He’d finish his evening New House duty shift at 10.30pm and then run home to Castle Cary in the pitch black dark.
It’s hard to try and summarise all that Dan has done whilst at King's. But here goes: Tutoring some eclectic groups of boys in New House for a few years. Scores of evening duties in New House. Heading up the Geography Department and transforming it to become one of the most popular GCSE and A-Level subjects. Printing millions of his trademark A3 worksheets. Devising new schemes of work for different exam boards. Organising and leading numerous Geography trips within the UK and overseas. Being a leading member of staff on the incredible extended trip to Costa Rica. Mentoring NQT and PGCE teachers. Refereeing rugby matches. Coaching hockey and cricket teams to victory. Masterminding and running a joint Science and Geography EcoWeek. Helping run Duke of Edinburgh expeditions. I could go on and on.
been his Housemastership of Lyon House. It is no exaggeration to say that Dan has transformed the House in terms of ethos, facilities, academic standards, and wellbeing. I asked some of the Lyon boys what they think of Mr Hodder. The level of heartfelt glowing responses was overwhelming. Here’s a snapshot of Housemaster Hodder:
Those boys speak the truth. Dan has the time to genuinely listen to, talk with, encourage, and support pupils going through a rough patch. Dan makes the effort to put an arm round a colleague in need. Moreover, Dan’s an excellent one for making colleagues see perspective. Dan never does it for the limelight; often it’s hidden and unnoticed, but it’s made a huge difference to so many. Victoria College’s gain is King's Bruton’s loss. I know that Dan will be keeping in touch with the KSB Community, and we all wish him and his wife Cerin the very best as they start a new chapter of their lives in Jersey. Thank you Dan - you will be sorely missed, but the difference you have made will be long remembered.
By Angela Ashworth
Dr Adrian Kewell has taught at King's for two short years and has navigated his way through the demands of teaching during a global pandemic, becoming adept at teaching live and remote lessons simultaneously.
Adrian is a highly qualified Physicist having completed a Batchelor of Science degree in Physics with Astrophysics at the University of Leicester, a Master of Science in Optics and Laser Devices at the University of St Andrews as well as a PhD in Electronic Engineering from the University of Surrey. Adrian then worked in Engineering and Project Management in the UK, Spain, Ireland and the United States, as well as a period of time working as a Spanish Translator in the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela; many of you may not have realised that Adrian is a fluent speaker of Spanish.
In more recent years, Adrian decided to have a career change and re-trained as a teacher, completing his PGCE at the University of Chester. He arrived at King's in 2019 to take up the post of Physics Teacher.
During his time here, Adrian was always willing to give up his free time to offer support to his pupils and he embraced the role of Academic Tutor within Blackford House. He enjoyed the opportunity to help with sport, and many pupils have told me how much they have enjoyed their recreational tennis sessions with Adrian this term.
Adrian also relaunched the Astronomy Club, and this proved popular with pupils across all year groups. Adrian was always willing to get involved, and who will be able to forget his performance as Grandpa Joe in the 2019 staff performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!
Adrian leaves King's to move to the Midlands for family reasons. He will be missed within the Department, and I wish him every success for the future.
Georgie McLeodAsh
By Inmaculada Gea Neff
Over the last year, we have had the pleasure of working with Georgie in our Languages Department. Georgie studied Politics and Spanish at Bath University and, being an Old Brutonian, she fitted into the workings of school very naturally.
She is a wonderful colleague and has contributed enormously to pupil progress, the Spanish and French curriculum, and school as a whole. Georgie taught Spanish in 3rd and 4th Form as well as in Upper 6th and French in 5th Form.
She has made the most of this year, even with the restrictions of remote teaching, both the good, the bad and the hilarious sides of it, “cameras on”! The benefits of using a computer for countless hours in the day is that one becomes far more ‘tech savvy’. Especially in regard to such platforms as Parents Meeting portals where Georgie and I spent many confusing minutes in the lobby not realising we had to actually press this button or that.
In House, Georgie is very popular with the girls, and has made a good impact on them. She is fun, positive and inherently kind, she also has gained lots of experience pastorally as a House tutor. Georgie was also very flexible and adaptable and covered the House tutor positions both in Wellesley House and Priory House.
Georgie has been active in her role in the time she has been here at King's,
helping in wider school activities such as Spanish workshops and the DofE Award activity days.
We will all miss her here at King's, but we are sure she is going to enjoy her new adventures in London. We wish her all the very best for the future.
Rose VigersBelgeonne
By Gilly Bunday
R o s e joined King's in 1993, as Catering Manager, initially for two months and only to cover maternity leave. Little did she know that 28 years later she would still be here. During her time at King's, she has covered a myriad of roles. In 2003 she was asked to run Arion House, which at the time was a boys’ House for Sixth Formers only.
When the decision was made, four years later, to turn Arion into a girls’ House, she remained in place and oversaw the transformation of everything to pink. I believe, therefore, that she is only member of staff ever to have been Housemistress to both boys and girls!
Having studied for an OU degree in her own time, whilst being Catering Manager and Housemistress (quite how she found the time is anybody’s guess), she then taught GCSE Biology before moving to teaching GCSE and A-Level Food Studies and, ultimately, on to becoming Head of Department. She set up the hugely successful BTEC Hospitality course, initially with only four pupils and, this year, finds herself teaching the subject to 40 pupils across the Sixth Form.
During her time here, other roles have included Head of the Navy section of the CCF, during which time she took the cadets to Gibraltar; was a swimming and water polo coach (including a very successful match against Clayesmore); she climbed Mt Toubkal and Mt Sinai as part of the King's Orphanage Challenge and is currently Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. By her own admission, and having spent a little time coaching hockey, tennis, and netball, she was asked never to do it again! For the past ten years, she has been an outstanding tutor in Blackford House and the boys for whom she has cared, mentored, and tutored will remember her fondly, for her patience, her boundless time and commitment to the role.
For over 20 years she has been involved in the Friends of King's including a stint as Chair, and been passionately involved in the Old Brutonian Association, as the Honourable Secretary. She was an integral part of the idea behind and the organising of the annual Day of Celebration, introduced the Day of Celebration Car Tours and co-organised the 500th Anniversary Ball. The highlight, however, of her 20+ years has to be training her pupils to serve lunch to Her Majesty The Queen in March 2019.
It is hard to put into words what Rose means to King's and indeed what King's means to Rose. She will leave a huge hole - few people are as committed, hard-working, loyal, supportive and caring. She will certainly be missed and we all wish her well on her next adventure.
Andrew (Wilf) Williams
By Louis Tuson
Although Wilf only joined us as our Estates Manager in 2018, in his first job on leaving the Army, he has had a huge impact and all the staff will be sad to see him leave.
King's occupies buildings from 5 centuries, so understanding how they work is hard enough, let alone making sure they are fit to accommodate all the functions of a 21st Century educational institution. The task is enormous and never ending, but Wilf has made the role his own and achieved huge improvements in his short time here.
He is an absolute professional and nothing is ever too much trouble. Invariably, when something went wrong it was Friday evening, but Wilf would smile through every problem, and putting pupils and staff first would always solve the issue.
Wilf has been a major contributor to the School’s response to Covid, where his wisdom and experience in assessing and managing risks has been a key factor in keeping the pandemic out of the School. Most of all we will miss Wilf’s positive enthusiasm and good humour. His is perhaps one of the most challenging roles in the School, but he has been outstanding.
He moves on to a bigger role to work for Amey where no doubt he will also make his mark and we wish him well for the future.
