WINTER 2021
THE OLCS ALUMNI MAGAZINE
WINTER 2021
Contents 3 Welcome
Stay Connected The OLCS Alumni Group on Loughburians Live is your exclusive online forum allowing you to connect with our global alumni community. Loughburians Live brings people together and provides members with access to news and updates, an alumni directory, networking and mentoring opportunities, as well as a job board and groups to engage with others with the same interests. There is also a section to advertise your business. Registration is simple at www.loughburians.com. Please contact the Development Office if you need any assistance.
4 The School Year 6 Events 11 Careers Focus 16 It Takes a Village 19 Announcements 20 From the Archive Stay in Touch
Merchandise
Connect with OLCS alumni in the OLCS Alumni Group on Loughburians Live: www.loughburians.com ‘Like’ our Facebook page for event invitations, School news and sharing memories: search @olcsalumni Follow alumni and school news via Twitter @AlumniOlcs
ook events, check out our galleries and find out how B you can get involved at www.lsf.org/development
We have a selection of School merchandise available for purchase from the LSF website including the OLCS pin badge and a brand-new item – the OLCS Mug of History. Stocks are limited and they are flying off the shelves, so order soon to secure yours. Orders are usually fulfilled within five working days and both delivery and click-and-collect options are available. To order your items, please visit www.lsf.org/shop and select gifts and merchandise or call 01509 232600.
The Team LAURA-JANE RYVES
Director of Development L.ryves@lsf.org
NATALIE SAVAGE
Development Manager n.savage@lsf.org
EMMA FRASER
Data and Development Officer e.l.fraser@lsf.org
OLIVIA SMITH
Alumni Engagement Officer o.smith@lsf.org
Contact Us Development Office, Buckland House, Burton Walks, LE11 2DU • Tel: 01509 638920 • Email: olcs.alumni@lsf.org
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Welcome To all Our Lady’s Convent School Alumni Dear fellow alumni, Welcome once more to our Pelican magazine for the OLCS Alumni. On my retirement from the staff at Our Lady’s Convent School in 2009, I joined what was then a Past Pupil Association. In those days, the Association met in the Convent House and were entertained to lunches and film evenings by Sister Shelagh and Sister Celine. With the building of the new Convent house and the transfer of the Grade 2 listed building to the school, opportunities for these sorts of activities changed. It was agreed that all former staff could be included in the Association - hence the Past Pupils and Staff Association (PPSA) was formed. Fortunately, three members of the old Committee agreed to remain, and we were able to recruit other former staff and students to form the new Committee and remain active. The new Committee held events each year, afternoon teas, dinners in the redesigned refectory, and attracted a wide range of past pupils and staff to the events. All the work was carried out by the Committee, a mammoth task. With the school joining the Loughborough Schools Foundation in 2015, we were immediately provided with huge support from the Development Office, especially by Natalie Savage
who also happens to be one of our past pupils. As a Committee, we agreed to retain the OLCS Alumni Association rather than try to merge at that time with the alumni groups from the other Schools, as we felt our association with the Convent past pupils would be lost in a large organisation, so our current OLCS Alumni Association was formed. We have continued to hold events with the Development Office communicating with our members and it is thanks to all their work that we are able to send an annual newsletter out to you, our members. I have decided that it is time to hand over the role of Chair to one of the younger members of the team. I wish Grace all the best in her task and look forward to seeing the OLCS Alumni Association and Amherst grow from strength to strength until such times as all the alumni groups join together within the Foundation. After 35 years of involvement, the school and its students have become a huge part of my life - I’m sure that I shall keep in touch in some way, as I leave the role in good hands. Mary Hopkins
Outgoing Chair of OLCS Alumni Committee and Former Staff
It is an absolute privilege to be taking over as Chair of the OLCS Alumni Association Committee and I wish to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to Mary for the incredible leadership she has provided over the last 12 years. Mary has worked tirelessly to ensure the Association has continued even during hard times when numbers dwindled and our existence was brought into question. Even though she moved to Yorkshire before taking on the Chair position, she still drove down to join us for meetings and was always present at events. We are so lucky to have had such a devoted and supportive Chair and I hope to continue Mary’s wonderful work with pride and dedication. I joined the OLCS Alumni Committee more than 10 years ago and have seen it change and grow over the years. One of the first events I attended was a wonderful family friendly event held on the lawn which I do hope we will be able to replicate in the future. We are incredibly lucky to have the support of the Development Office and I am very much looking forward to working with them closely to provide our alumni with every opportunity to engage with others in our community. Grace Hutchinson
New Chair of OLCS Alumni Committee (Class of 2005)
Welcome to our new Director of Development We are excited to welcome LauraJane Ryves as our new Director of Development at Loughborough Schools Foundation. Laura-Jane has nine years’ experience in higher education, working in development and alumni relations, and has delivered university-wide engagement and fundraising campaigns at The University of East Anglia, Loughborough University, King’s College London and The University of Kent. Laura-Jane is responsible for schoolwide campaigns, alumni engagement and events, alongside philanthropic donations and benefits. Laura-Jane said, “I’m looking forward to developing a culture of lifelong meaningful relationships and offering more opportunities for alumni to become involved in their School today. Alumni are our greatest ambassadors, and we are extremely grateful to those who act as inspirational role models to current pupils and fellow alumni by sharing their experiences on the journey through school and life beyond.”
“Helping to transform lives through education is one of the reasons why I have chosen a career in philanthropy and alumni engagement. By welcoming girls and boys from all backgrounds into our Schools, our whole community benefits from fresh perspectives, diverse viewpoints, curiosity and challenge.” “When I was at secondary school, we lost contact with my dad and my mum was unable to afford school fees for me and my younger brother. At the time, mum was working as a nurse in the operating theatre earning around £17,000 a year. With no bursary provision available, I had to change schools and leave my friends, sports clubs and societies behind at the end of Year 9. The school I ended up in was dubbed as the ‘worst in England’ because of a litany of dreadful exam results, poor basic skills and scores of children bunking off every day. My brother had a very different experience. His school had a bursary programme and this support helped pave the way to his future.”
“Speaking with alumni, it is clear that the support they were given has had a profound impact that has remained with them, long after their school years. I am humbled that so many alumni choose to give back and transform lives by creating bursaries for today’s pupils. In the last year, our donor community helped 25 pupils experiencing financial hardship caused by the pandemic and raised a further £47,120 to support bursary places. I am proud to make my own personal monthly donation in support of bursaries and know that I am helping bring young people, like my brother, to achieve their full potential.” Laura-Jane Ryves Director of Development GET IN TOUCH Contact Laura-Jane for an exploratory conversation about how you can get involved with your school today: L.ryves@lsf.org / 01509 638922 ext: 5301
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THE SCHOOL YEAR
Amy Thompson Review of 2020-21 by LAS Head Prefect
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am lucky enough to have both a historical and a present connection at Loughborough Amherst School as my Mum, Aunties and Uncles attended the schools within the Foundation and now my brothers, cousins and I are following in their footsteps- making it a very cherished place for my family. However, the beginning of my journey at Loughborough Amherst School was different to most. I started at the end of Year 8 just two days after my family and I had moved here from Australia. Unfortunately, the change in climate was not all I had to get used to. Academically, I was a year and a half behind my peers, I had to break into established social groups and the netball team was full - so not the easiest of starts. However, the small class sizes and the dedicated teachers suited me perfectly and although the climate was a little chilly, a warm welcome was given to me by students and staff and I definitely knew that my journey ahead would not be a lonely one. 2020-2021, a year where face to face learning was replaced with Teams meetings and Zoom calls, whole school assemblies replaced with year group bubbles and smiling
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faces were covered by masks. But regardless, Amherst was doing what it has always done. Amherst was continuing to teach us how to live, learn and grow. Every day, students at Amherst are supported, encouraged, challenged, praised, corrected, enlightened, celebrated. This didn’t change – these acts continued because we are Amherst. Every student should be extremely proud for not just surviving the past 15 months, but for smashing it out of the park as it has been a collective effort of hearts and minds that has meant Amherst remains a place of learning, growth and enrichment. This year has been full of some amazing activities and events including our very successful HelloYellow day (showing our support for young people dealing with mental health challenges), reopening of sports clubs, lunchtime dance competitions, staff /student Christmas nativity, lockdown challenges, World Book Day, the Easter Lockdown Live concert, our annual Burton Services, sports days and many more. One of my personal favourites was our Year 13 Leavers’ Week - from jumping off inflatable obstacles at Rutland water, to our school sleepover and singing in the Chapel at 12am, to the
unforgettable leavers’ meal. I would like thank Dr Murphy for how he has steered Amherst over the past few months. He set our course and helped us believe we could continue to succeed. We really couldn’t have asked more of our Headmaster in such unprecedented times. And a massive thank you to all the teachers - this year we have truly learnt the importance of their guidance and support, perhaps before too easily taken for granted and undervalued. I hope I speak for all students at Amherst, when I say that, in a year where many of our plans have been replaced with uncertainty, the spirit we have learned at Amherst offers us reassurance in knowing that despite even the greatest challenges, we can go on to achieve great things and carve out our own path in an everchanging world. I will be forever grateful to Amherst for shaping me into the confident, ambitious and resilient person I am becoming. I will miss the undeniable community spirit that radiates from our students, teachers and the Sisters and I am extremely grateful for my time spent at Amherst with an amazing group of friends and teachers.
HEADLINES Dr Julian Murphy, LAS Headmaster
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he summer of 2021 saw the completion of the first phase of our plan to turn Loughborough Amherst School into one of the finest and most sought-after independent schools in the Midlands. The aims of this first phase were to establish a strong and growing word-of mouth reputation for the school as a place of outstanding pupil care and great academic results; to grow the school above 300 on roll so as to make it much more financially secure for the future; to overhaul the teaching staff and create an unusually effective and tight-knit body of teachers; and, finally, to achieve a strong ‘value-added’ measure in public examination results. All four of these targets have now been achieved. In particular, we have achieved continuous and impressive growth in numbers on roll for several years in a row, and an overall growth of 60% during the last five years. This summer’s results were 35% A*-A and 42% A*-B at A Level, which was 28% above the national average. At GCSE our pupils achieved 22% grades 9-8 and 42% grades 9-7, which was 14% above the national average. Although the actual grades for results in 2020 and 2021 should be taken with a slight pinch of salt, it is nonetheless pleasing to see that our position in regard to national average results continues to rise year-on-year. This success is the result of having a firm, ambitious and unwavering vision, and a team of staff with the enthusiasm, skill, and work ethic necessary to make that vision a reality. It has also been greatly helped by the very vocal support and ambassadorship of our parents, to whom we are - as ever very grateful. As we have gradually emerged from lockdown, we have taken the opportunity to review and improve many aspects of our community and extra-curricular life. Following parent and pupil surveys, our extra-curricular offering has been thoroughly overhauled, and we are now offering a much wider range of clubs and activities. It is particularly pleasing to me to see the successful launch of our eco-gardening club and our debating society. The restructuring of sports staffing across the Foundation has also enabled us to further improve our PE and games curriculum. We remain very grateful to Loughborough Grammar School for opening access to their afternoon games programme as an option for those of our boys who prefer rugby to football. The expansion of the school has necessitated the creation of a completely new classroom in the area where my office used to be, along with the creation of a new computing room. We have also created a new Sixth Form Art room, extended the facilities in the Food room and (finally) created a proper department area for Religious Education.
This year has seen us make some changes to our morning rota to create more time for the celebration of spiritual life and the promotion of a healthy reading culture. Friday mornings are now devoted to weekly spiritual life meetings within year groups, with the whole school gathering every third or fourth Friday for an act of worship led by the pupils from a particular year. Staying on the theme of spiritual life, one of the greatest pleasures of emerging from lockdown has been the return of School Mass. My particular thanks to our celebrant, Fr David from St Mary’s in Loughborough, who is working with such enthusiasm and such a great instinctive feel for how to help non-Catholic pupils feel both informed and comfortable in Mass. Thursday mornings see us splitting into year groups for Book Club, in which students select a book from a shortlist of choices presented every eight weeks and then gather in small discussion groups with those who have selected the same choice of book. I am enjoying working with Year 13 in their Book Club, where the choices so far have been The Road by Cormac McCarthy; Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo; and Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. This September saw the launch of the second phase of Amherst’s development plan, in which we are turning our focus to the ongoing improvement of the learning culture within the School. The aim here is not just to continue raising examination results, but – perhaps more importantly – to provide our pupils with a solid bedrock of growth mindset and work and emotional skills that they can take with them into their adult life. The name we give to this overall learning culture is our Minerva programme, and it is broken down into four main areas of focus, each of which can be expressed as a question or questions, as follows: The learning environment – are our expectations of behaviour, dress, and academic focus such that they guarantee a calm and purposeful atmosphere and greatly increase the chances of producing strong yet empathetic leaders of the future? Knowledge and confidence – do we take every step we can to minimise extrinsic cognitive load and maximise intrinsic cognitive load for our learners? Do we take every step we can to ensure the successful transference of information from short to long-term memory? Learner mindset – do our habitual ways of working and speaking really nurture resilient, creative learners who can enjoy their work? Articulation – do we force our learners to articulate their thoughts and defend their ideas? If you are interested in learning more about how our Minerva programme works, please contact the Development Office, who will be delighted to email you a copy of our Minerva booklet.
We would like to congratulate LHS alum Grace Davies (Class of 1999), Senior Deputy Head at Amherst, on the birth of Rory on 3 May 2021. She is on maternity leave at the moment and describes having Rory as the best thing she has ever done – despite the current lack of sleep!
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EVENTS
QUAD FEST CLASSES OF 2020 & 2021 10 SEPTEMBER 2021 The first alumni event for the ‘Class of 2021’ was Quad Fest. This opportunity enabled students from the three senior schools to see each other one more time before departing on their post-18 journeys. We were joined by the year preceding us – the Class of 2020. Guests flooded through the school gates and under the tower (a walk which once seemed so regular) at 6pm whilst being snapped by the photographer and then receiving their food token and Alumni Association cup for the night. Quad Fest aimed to provide alumni and staff from the previous two years an opportunity to catch up after a long summer and to acknowledge the fact that both year groups missed the usual leavers’ celebrations due to the
pandemic. With around 250 attendees, the sun shone, the live band played, and both alumni and school staff made great use of the open bar! Guests gathered in groups and reminisced about both the summer and School - a great opportunity to relive fond memories. Food vans allowed no one to go hungry on the fine Friday night after which many alumni seized the chance to celebrate together in Loughborough. The event was seen as valuable by all and opened the door for future events and reunions which are highly anticipated in the years to come. My thanks go to the Development Office which yet again did an outstanding job of bringing the Classes of 2020 and 2021 together for a fantastic night. At the same time, Quad Fest provided the newest alumni the opportunity to view the newly-turfed Quadrangle after 102 years of use. Finley Parsons (Class of 2021)
Decades Dinner: 30, 40, 50, 60 Year Reunion SATURDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2021 We were delighted to welcome alumni from the Classes of 1960, 1961, 1970, 1971, 1980, 1981 1990 and 1991 back to School for our last reunion of 2021. Many were visiting for the first time since leaving School. The tours were a particular highlight with alumni viewing the Cloisters and previously unseen areas of the old Convent Building, finding themselves on whole school photographs and reminiscing about the Sisters and Ice Cream Mass.
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Don and Pat Wood Commemoration 28 AUGUST 2021
On 28 August 2021, on what would have been their 73rd wedding anniversary, we were delighted to host a small gathering of family and friends to celebrate the lives of Don and Pat Wood and to dedicate Lecture Theatre (L1) at Loughborough Grammar School in their memory. Don was a classics teacher at the school for 34 years. Involved in all aspects of school life in his time at LGS, from CCF to ballroom dancing, his dedication to the School was matched by his wife Pat. Even in retirement, Don served the school as Chair of the OLA for a further 23 years. The Don and Pat Wood Lecture Theatre was officially dedicated to the couple following an ‘In Memory’ gift from Don’s nephew Brian Wood which enabled the complete refurbishment of the room. Don’s wish was to be reunited with Pat and be laid to rest at their beloved LGS. The commemoration, conducted by Canon Tony Cox, former LGS Chaplain, included a time for reflection during The School Hymn and an ode to a Teacher’s Great Expectations. If you would like to remember your School in your Will, we would love to be able to thank you in your lifetime for your generosity. To find out more about in memory giving and leaving a legacy to School, or to discuss, in confidence, your intentions in more detail, please contact Natalie Savage in the Development Office on 01509 638921.
HERITAGE OPEN DAY 18 & 19 SEPTEMBER 2021 Postponed from the 525 celebrations in 2020, LGS Archivist John Weitzel’s plans to open the Grammar School archive and tower for the first ever Heritage Open Day to the wider community, finally happened on 18 and 19 September.
Over Saturday and Sunday more than 300 people visited the School and climbed the landmark tower to survey the fabulous views and splendid grass on the Quad. Visitors ranged from those interested in local history to curious locals who always wanted to look inside - and of course we were delighted to welcome so many alumni, including many from OLCS. The Open Days afforded a number of alumni the first opportunity to come into the School since the 1950s, retelling their experiences of Mr Murray of whom the Biology department is named. Also attending was John Mulcahy (Class of
1951) whose mother, Clair Mulcahy, was the first female member of staff at LGS teaching English and Latin between 1941 and 1964. Many current staff and pupils attended and climbed to the very top of the tower for the first time. The visitors also had the opportunity to see pictures from the Victorian period of the School, the original school contract, profiles of those old boys lost in the world wars, a Johnnie Johnson display and access to the expansive digital school archive. We were encouraged to open again for Heritage Open Day 2022 and perhaps for that we will open up the WWII air-raid shelter.
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Loughburians Go Live Talks Around 140 alumni joined us online for talks this year. You can listen to these talks online: vimeo.com/user128069309
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1. Mental Strength for Success in Life
3. Who is going down the fat trap?
25 March 2021
28 June 2021
Matt, Director of Coaching at Action Coach, looked at how you can deal with pressure more effectively and make it your friend not your enemy. Participants were invited to consider resilience, overcoming fear, the power of choice and the cost of allowing fear to block opportunity.
2. The Life and Times of CPT
On Friday 28 June 1996 Her Majesty the Queen visited Loughborough Grammar School. Pupils from all the Schools enjoyed the occasion despite the terrible weather, but there were few there that day who will have appreciated the huge amount of preparation that went on behind the scenes to ensure the visit ran without a hitch. 25 years to the day, John Weitzel told the story of this eventful day.
6 May 2021
4. Johnnie Johnson
Matt Bull (Class of 1998)
John Weitzel (LGS Archivist)
John Weitzel guided us through the extraordinary life of Colin Tivey (CPT) and his contribution to the history of LGS as both a pupil and long-standing member of staff. CPT is often a feature of school-based recollections we hear from our alumni. As well as hearing a potted history from John, there was a wonderful opportunity for our audience to participate and share memories. It was a very moving evening.
John Weitzel (LGS Archivist)
18 February 2021
John Weitzel (LGS Archivist)
LGS legend John Weitzel illustrated the life of fellow LGS legend Johnnie Johnson.
DECADES DINNER 10 & 20 Year Reunion 25 SEPTEMBER 2021 The coronavirus pandemic meant we had some catching up to do with our year group reunions so this September the Classes of 2000, 2001, 2010 and 2011 came together for a combined 10 and 20 year reunion. 62 alumni from all three Schools enjoyed tours and a delicious meal before reminiscing over the archive tables.
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Remembering JOHNNIE JOHNSON (Class of 1933)
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wenty years following his death, the County publicly honoured and remembered one of its most famous sons in two different ways during 2021. In Loughborough, a giant mural, located at the junction of New King Street and Great Central Road, paid tribute to the RAF Spitfire pilot who shot down more enemy aircraft than any other Allied pilot in the Second World War.
Painted by Dan Smith (known as Buber Nebz), the work is part of the ‘Ladybird Collective’ set up by Loughburians Nick Hardy (Class of 1963) and Councillor Ted Parton (Class of 1990) and is on the wall of a property owned by local businessman Andy Moore, proprietor of Print Monkey. Its position is perfect, being between the Cobden Street School, where Johnnie was a pupil until he was nine, and LGS. For the first three years at LGS, until he boarded, he would have walked past this wall on his way to School and back from the family home on Meadow Lane. The mural was completed at the end of January and then in the Summer, on Saturday 26 June, Armed Forces Day, the School was well represented at the unveiling of a blue plaque at Johnnie’s birthplace—21 Warner Street in Barrow-upon-Soar. He was born there on Tuesday 9 March 1915. John Weitzel, LGS Archivist, spoke about his childhood in both Barrow and Loughborough before Johnnie’s son, Christopher, unveiled the plaque and ended his short address with the following words:
“Johnnie would have appreciated seeing the RAF Cadets here as he always believed today’s youth would serve, if called upon, with the same distinction as he and his comrades did.”
Pictured left to right:- Wing-Commander Peter Sergeant; Christopher Johnson; RAF Cadets Ed and Sam, Councillor Pauline Ranson
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A VOYAGE BEGUN AT LSF Megan Raven (Class of 2020)
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lthough school life will always have an academic focus, for me it was those extra opportunities offered at Amherst that have helped set me on my latest journey studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Plymouth. My sailing journey began in the summer of 2014 when I went for a week sailing from Brixham to Falmouth with my Guide unit. I fell in love with sailing on tall ships and have been every summer since then! The first four years were with an organisation called the Tenacious – We Tall Ship Youth Trust on a ship called Stavros S sailed 191 Niarchos, a tall ship 195 feet in length. She can nautical miles carry 61 people on board. in 4 days
2018
Following the sale of Stavros in 2018, I joined another tall ship Tenacious for a voyage on which there was a mixed ability crew and a specially adapted mast enabling wheelchair users to be hoisted aloft. Speaking to one of the Officers on Tenacious, I was advised to try a tall ship race and was accepted onto the 2019 international tall ship race; we sailed from Bergen in Norway to Aarhus, Denmark on the Blue Clipper.
and afforded opportunities for sailing beyond just these. There is very much an ethos of leadership and In Summer 2020, I sailed on a fourth tall ship called teamwork in all that happens within CCF. When Pelican of London; we sailed from Sharpness to working on a boat, teamwork is one of the main Liverpool via Folkestone on a voyage sponsored Blue Clipper priorities as there are lots of tasks needing more – sailing 937 and overseen by Darwin200. Darwin200 is an than one person to complete and there are often nautical miles environmental project looking at the world’s groups of people working simultaneously towards in 11 days ocean health whilst re-tracing the global voyage the same goals on different tasks. For example, undertaken by Charles Darwin in 1831-36 on HMS stowing the sail requires the coordinated efforts of Beagle. Darwin200 partnered with the University people up aloft working with the sail, and other people of Plymouth and the ship was fitted out as a floating on the deck working with the sheets and the tacks. Working laboratory to study conservation and wildlife. Our purpose in the galley to feed the crew requires three additional people on this voyage was to test the equipment on board in each day to gather the stores and help prepare and serve preparation for the global voyage which will take place in food to the crew. The crew is split into three watches and for 2023-25. each 24-hour period each watch will be ‘in charge’ with the help of an Officer for four hours at a time, with roughly In 2020, I travelled the first half of the an eight-hour break between each watch. circumnavigation of the British Isles; this summer,
2019
I completed the last third of the circumnavigation of the British Isles from Portree on the Isle of Skye to alongside HMS Belfast on the River Thames, again on the Pelican of London, as part of the second test voyage for Darwin200.
2020
Pelican of London – sailed 1114 nautical miles in 22 days
Over the same time period, CCF (Combined Cadet Force) in school was playing a big part in my life. Joining the Navy division seemed like an obvious decision
Other school activities have also helped develop valuable skills I use in my sailing. I gained my Level 2 Sports Leadership qualification and completed the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s award, my residential being on the Tenacious.
Over the last couple of years, I have focussed more on the engineering side of sailing. When I first started my A levels in Maths and Physics, I assisted the engineer John on Blue Clipper - it was insightful for me to examine the workings of the engine and encouraged me to look for an undergraduate course in Engineering. In the last year I had a chance to physically help Patrick and John, the Pelican’s engineers. I am now hoping to specialise in Marine Technology in the second year of my Mechanical Engineering studies. I chose to study in Plymouth Pelican of London – as it has connections to the Navy and sailing - my On that trip I sailed long-term ambition is to be a Royal Navy Engineer. 1487 nautical CCF has been massively influential in my life and miles in 28 I would recommend it to all those students who days. follow me. The CCF has made it possible for me to have amazing experiences aboard very exciting ships and the sense of achievement of completing tasks as a team. It has encouraged me to go for a dream career in the Royal Navy as an Engineer and I am so grateful for the opportunities that have been opened up to me.
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CAREERS FOCUS
Safeguarding Manager at the English Football League
Alex Richards née Morris (Class of 1997)
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joined Our Lady’s Convent School in 1983 at four years old. I left after completing my A levels in 1997. The school was my constant and leaving was a hard transition as I had never known anything different.
managing a large student welfare department.
As part of my Head Girl’s speech at Prize Giving, I focused on the fact that OLCS was about creating rounded individuals with good morals who had achieved academically to the best of their ability. I was not a high achiever - I did well in my GCSEs and found A levels hard. What I did not realise at the time was that the moral and spiritual education that I had received would influence my career path.
In 2018 my husband asked me when I had last interviewed for a job. I realised that it had been over a decade and that I needed to ensure that I could perform in a competitive environment. I started to look in The Guardian for national positions that would suit my experience, where I saw a role advertised for Head of Safeguarding for The English Football League. It appealed to me as I wanted to use my skills from education in a new industry. After two nerve wracking interviews, I was offered the job and we relocated to the Northwest of England three years ago.
Transition from my safe place, my school to university, was confusing and scary. I did not know what I wanted to do at all after school, just that I did want to do a degree. I was given some advice and told to do something that I enjoyed. I had always loved history and so I opted for that. I liked it so much that I went on to complete my Masters as well. I spent four amazing years at university and met my husband aged 21.
I love working with such a wide range of organisations. We have 72 football clubs across England and Wales, making up the Championship, League One and League Two of Professional football. I work closely with other key stakeholders in the industry, the FA and the Premier League and travel around the country ensuring that Clubs meet the safeguarding standards we set.
We wanted to settle down and get on the property ladder, so it was time for me to look for employment. I saw a short-term contract advertised at the University of Sunderland working within student welfare administration. I took the role and ended up working within the department for five years. Next, I applied for a role at a local Further Education College, again in student welfare, this time gaining experience of working with under 18s. I was always willing to take on new challenges, expand my learning and push myself out of my comfort zone. During my 12 years at the College, I became Designated Safeguarding Lead and worked my way up to the role of Assistant Principal
Working in safeguarding is a privilege but does have an impact on you as an individual. You need to have a strong conviction and passion to do this type of role. My motivation is to ensure that children, young people and adults at risk are not only safe from harm but that they can thrive in whatever activity or environment they are in, reaching their potential and becoming well rounded individuals with good social skills and morals. I feel as though I have come full circle - how I described the School’s ethos at the Prize Giving as Head Girl is now my vocation and I look back at my school years with nothing but gratitude and happy memories.
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Thank You! Our alumni give back to our Schools in a plethora of ways and this page is dedicated to highlighting your amazing contributions. Thank you for giving your time, talent and expertise to support today’s pupils and make a difference to our Schools. The generosity of our alumni never fails to astound us – Thank you!
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ere are some examples of how alumni are contributing to the Schools today:
Cyril Engmann (Class of 1987) spoke at our 100th Burton Service. He made a huge impact on the staff and students as our guest speaker. Lieutenant Colonel Adam Foden DSO MBE (Class of 1996) returned to School in July to inspect the contingent as the Reviewing Officer of the Combined Cadet Force’s 63rd Annual Review. The Music Department valued the assistance of Ellie Slorach (Class of 2012) who ran a Symphony Orchestra Workshop and Ailsa Burns (Class of 2019) who made tutorial films for the Y2 strings scheme to allow lockdown learning. Our Black Alumni Group are continuing to work closely with Dr Fiona Miles. Thank you to all who have contributed, including Kash Palmer (Class of 2013), Jualani Palmer (Class of 2017), Seun Matiluko (Class of 2015) and Chanju Mwanza (Class of 2012) who have led the way with a new initiative at LHS called ‘Proud to be…’ The Development Office are hugely indebted to the efforts of Dave Barnett (Class of 1977) who coordinates the Loughburians Golf Society. Ellie Leeson (Class of 2018) has worked extensively on the LHS Archive to reorganise and catalogue the materials held there and continues to work closely with the Development Office on archive activities. The Careers departments have run several events, both virtual and in person and our alumni community have been so generous with their time. Becky Simms (Class of 2013), Sarah Kelly (Class of 2005), Jualani Palmer (Class of 2017), Katie Morris (Class of 1999), Lydia Forster (Class of 2009), Tessa Boyd (Class of 2014) and Emily Daniell (Class of 2007) all delivered careers talks for LHS pupils over the lockdown learning period. Firaz Waez (Class of 2001) got back in touch with the
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Schools on his return to the Loughborough area and gave a fascinating careers talks about the music industry. Phillippa O’Neill (Class of 1991) offered networking assistance to a fellow LHS graduate. When LGS were organising their Careers Dinner, we put out a call to arms for assistance in multiple industry areas. Aaron Anstey (Class of 1995), Ed Wheatley (Class of 1991), Emma Wardle (Class of 1991), James Hutchinson (Class of 2014), James Taylor (Class of 1994), Peter Cannon (Class of 1980), Ricky Ruparelia (Class of 2009), Robert Saunt (Class of 2018), Sam Wilkinson (Class of 2006), Shameet Thakkar (Class of 2006), Tom Bird (Class of 1994), Tom Fanthorpe (Class of 1999) and Tom Owen (Class of 2007) all attended to represent their individual industry sectors. In addition, we had offers of help from the following alumni who remain on the careers department radar for future years: Arjan Giga (Class of 1997), Ethan Youel (Class of 2014), Stephen Bott (Class of 2005), Michael Smith (Class of 1987), Chris Ninan (Class of 2002), Mairi MacLean (Class of 1984), David Watson (Class of 1999), Rachel Healey (Class of 1999), Rajvinder Saundh (Class of 2002) and Louisa Sanfey (Class of 2000). Sometimes alumni are asked if they would consider coming back to School to lead assemblies or other special events. Robert Saunt (Class of 2018) presented an assembly on apprenticeships as a post18 option. Niraj Nain (Class of 2000) led a session with our computer science students about careers and internships in programming. Alex Eveson (Class of 2020), Gurbaksh Sandhu (Class of 2019), Ethan Stratford (Class of 2017) and Jake Walton (Class of 2018) contributed to the leaving assembly for outgoing Headmaster Duncan Byrne. Lauren Church (Class of 2016) was a fantastic contributor to the LHS Space Day inspiring all in attendance. During lockdown we hosted several Loughburians Go Live talks for alumni and are extremely grateful to Matt Bull (Class of 1998) and John Weitzel (LGS Staff 1978 – 2016) who entertained us on a variety of subjects. Jack
Nunn (Class of 2004) and Ross Burns (Class of 2015) have both volunteered their time to present future talks. Mansi Vithlani (Class of 2019) and Diya Kalyan (Class of 2019) both spoke at the Life after LHS day and Giles Kristian (Class of 1994) inspired Year 6 pupils with his experiences of being an author. QuadFest was a huge success as a celebration of our recent leavers and their achievements. Caitlyn Byrne (Class of 2020), Alex Eveson (Class of 2020), SarahJane Feeley (Class of 2020), Libby Mallon (Class of 2020), Elicia Pancholi-Moore (Class of 2020), Finley Parsons (Class of 2021) and Naomi Wilbram (Class of 2020) were all a huge help with recruiting guests
or creating the decorations for the evening. Shailan Mehta (Class of 2007) and his band provided the entertainment and Emilia Foot (Class of 2020) wowed us with her amazing singing voice. Thank you all. When the Classics department were looking for a way to inspire our current Classicists, the following alumni all contributed to a Where my Classics Degree took me… piece: Verity Simpson (Class of 2005), Kate Gray (Class of 2010), Fay Collinson (Class of 2006), Rachel Emmerson (Class of 1978), and Elizabeth Lewin (Class of 2001) all spoke so glowingly of the teaching they received in this area.
This year we launched the Completion Fund in response to the three-fold increase in families experiencing financial hardship who were unable to meet the cost of school fees due to pandemic. Collectively, to date, 122 alumni raised £44,908 enabling 25 pupils to continue their education and ensure that no pupil got left behind. We are delighted to celebrate all who gave on our Donor Roll of Honour:
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Edem Ankutse (LHS Class of 1997) Ian Antill (LGS Class of 1971) Michael Aris (LGS Class of 1952) Ronald Atkin (LGS Class of 1963) John Birch (LGS Class of 1959) Don Bird (LGS Class of 1943) Tom Bird (LGS Class of 1994) David Brockhurst (LGS Class of 1950) John Bryson (LGS Class of 1974) CMS Cepcor Romaine Darey (LHS Class of 1987) Joan Davis - née Hancock (LHS Class of 1953) Gary Deurance (LGS Class of 1976) Tom Drife (LGS Class of 1994) Stephen Drott (LGS Class of 1997) Tony Eley (LGS Class of 1953) Peter Frewer (LGS Class of 1966) Janet Frost - née Smith (LHS Class of 1959) John Futcher (LGS Class of 1965) Laurence Gormley (LGS Class of 1972) Elaine Hare (LHS Class of 1954) Gillian Hayward - née Smith (LHS Class of 1959) Michael Hendry (LGS Class of 1967) Andrew Hill (LGS Class of 1964) Helen Hood - née Lesser (LHS Class of 1957) Ed Hopper (LGS Class of 1994) John Hubert Lacey (LGS Class of 1963) Carol Laidler - née Lloyd (LHS Class of 1975) Steven Xiaochen Li (LGS Class of 2003) Katherine Morris - née Sprake (LHS Class of 1987) Joseph Murphy (LGS Class of 1997) Michael Napier (LGS Class of 1964) John Neal (LGS Class of 1966)
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Gillian Neal - née Mee (LHS Class of 1974) Tom Owen (LGS Class of 2007) Vina Parekh - née Patel (LHS Class of 1986) Mitul Patel (LGS Class of 2003) Jacqueline Prescott - née Kirk (LHS Class of 1970) Sandra Prince - née Ellis (LHS Class of 1972) Ajay Ratan (LGS Class of 2009) Lisa Ratcliffe (LHS Class of 1987) Laura-Jane Ryves (Current Staff) Tim Seager (LGS Class of 1982) Peter and Chris Sergeant (Former Staff) Elizabeth Sydenham (Former Parent) Fiona Sydenham (LHS Class of 1992) Lawrence Taylor (LGS Class of 2012) Dr David Taylor (LGS Class of 1963) Pauline Taylor (LHS Class of 1972) Kate Thurman (LHS Class of 1973) Steve Tilsley (LGS Class of 1967) Harris Tisarhontou (LGS Class of 1997) Philip Tranter (LGS Class of 1977) Ian Walker (LGS Class of 1948) Douglas Ian Watson-Walker (LGS Class of 1963) James Webster (LGS Class of 1954) Robert Wix (LGS Class of 1985) Catherine Woodbine (LHS Class of 1977) Jennifer Wyles - née Leach (LHS Class of 2005) Jason Young (LGS Class of 1989)
Thank you to those 63 donors who chose to remain anonymous. If you would like to be recognised in the future, please do get in touch with us.
Many alumni choose to support the Schools in other ways. Some contribute to our Burton Bursaries Fund, helping to make a Loughborough Schools’ education accessible to young people. Together we raised £47,120 and helped enable 120 children to access a Loughborough Schools Foundation education. Other alumni have chosen to remember their former School in their Will. If you would like to become a donor, please do get in touch – development@lsf.org or 01509 638920.
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Back on the School Roll
LSF Governor Sunny Shah (Class of 2000)
S
unny Shah attended Fairfield (1993) and Loughborough Grammar School (2000) and went on to pursue a successful career in investment banking with Citi Global Investment Bank and Goldman Sachs. Earlier this year he started his own venture and joined the Loughborough Schools Foundation Board of Governors to give back and help prepare the next generation for the future. Here Sunny shares what Loughborough means to him and his advice for current pupils and alumni looking to give back and get involved with the Schools today. I have good memories of Fairfield and LGS and owe a lot to the schools for shaping my career today. I’ll always remember my A Level maths teacher suggesting I should avoid pursuing A Level Further Maths, however my father encouraged me not to give up and to prove them wrong. This theme of grit and resilience stayed with me throughout.
Over the Summer I came back to the school for the first time in years and fell in love with the new Music Hall for children to express their artistic and cultural creativity. It was nostalgic remembering friends and games we used to play in the Quad and on the sports fields. Some of my closest friends today are boys from Fairfield and LGS and we remain in touch, attended each other’s weddings and our children all play together today. During school I played chess and was on the rugby, hockey and tennis teams. These days I play golf and squash. Growing up in the Loughborough countryside, I was always keen to experience the city. Most people I knew were into Medicine, Dentistry, Law or Engineering. But I grew up around business and my heart was always in business. I went on to study Business, Maths and Statistics at the London School of Economics and found my love for a career in finance. Following graduation, I joined Citi Global Investment Bank as a summer intern in 2003. I joined when banking was at the start of the Chinese industrialisation and the broader growth in emerging markets. Then the Chinese industrialisation meant there was a huge boom in commodities, and metals and mining and I was involved in some of the world’s largest M&A transactions and capital raising transactions - a fantastic and surreal experience for someone so young. I went on to join Goldman Sachs where I spent 10 years, was promoted to Managing Director and was most recently Head of EMEA Metals and Mining Investment Banking team before I left in 2021. I am now working on some entrepreneurial projects focusing on the minerals supply chain that are
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critical for de-carbonisation technologies. I chose to get involved as a Governor because of my four-year old son and our daughter who was born in May during lockdown. I benefited from my early education and I want to give something back to the next generation. For my kids, it’s a good thing to teach them altruistic values, giving back and inspiring other people. But also, as I spend time with my children, I can see education is going through an evolution right now. It was different when I was at school. Now everyone has access to the internet and the answers to every question within two seconds. It means that education will no doubt have to adapt to the digital age. I want to pass on my resilience mentality and teach my children to try new things. It doesn’t matter if you don’t get it right the first or second time. If there’s anything I want to teach my kids it’s that, and of course to find their passion in whatever they choose to pursue. We’re at a period where technology and innovation are going to change so many industries. We can’t possibly predict what jobs children are going to be in in 20 years’ time. Everything could be digitalised and automated. To prepare them for the future they will need to think differently and collaboratively. I want to understand how schools in general, and my old schools, can think about preparing children for that future. If I had to give one piece of advice to pupils today, I would say believe in yourself. Whatever you think you want to do, just keep trying. As my father always told me, if you follow what you want to do with diligence and passion you will get there. If you are thinking about getting involved in the alumni community today my advice would be just do it. I understand everyone has different schedules, especially with families and young kids, and it can be challenging, but in the end it’s the future generations that are going to drive us forward. It’s our children and the people they’re surrounded by who are going to make the world a better place.
Back on the School Roll
LSF Chaplain Elizabeth York (née Merry) (Class of 1989) Rev’d Elizabeth York began working as the first Chaplain to the whole Foundation in September 2019 (previously Chaplains were only ever appointed to LGS). Elizabeth is an alum of LHS and is married to Chris (LGS Class of 1988). She has three children – one an LGS alum (Class of 2019) and two who currently attend LAS.
W
hether it’s favourite teachers and lessons, trips, sports days, Burton services, the May Ball or LES musicals, I have many memories of LHS/LES. I joined LHS in the Lower Fifth and I’m grateful that I was able to make friends and feel as though I belonged to the school so quickly - this was especially true in the Music Department. Music was always an important part of my life at LHS, as both an academic subject and as something I enjoyed through extra-curricular ensembles; it has remained important to me beyond the barrier and now one of the great privileges I have as Chaplain is supporting LSF’s young musicians by attending Soundbites, Lunchtime Live and other school concerts. Having joined LHS so late, I was surprised to be chosen to be Head Girl - a role that often took me out of my comfort zone. I can still remember the nerves before I had to speak at Prize Giving! I would never have put myself forward for this role, but I know now that it was a great opportunity to learn about service and gain valuable leadership skills. During the past couple of years as Chaplain, I can see that giving our pupils opportunities to lead continues to be an important part of the offering made by all our Schools, whether this comes through being a form captain, by running a society or by captaining a sports team.
I left school to study French and German at the University of Birmingham but decided at the end of the first year that it wasn’t for me. It took me a long time to integrate this false start in a positive way: at the time, I remember feeling as though I had fallen short of where I wanted to be. I took a year out and worked in various retail jobs and banking, all of which gave me the chance to learn about myself and the world outside the privileged
contexts of home, LHS and University. At the end of the year, I began another degree studying Music at the University of Nottingham. After a short period exploring orchestral management, I found my way into fulltime teaching – firstly as a peripatetic music teacher in inner city Nottingham and then, after a PGCE at Nottingham Trent University, as a full-time teacher and Music Coordinator in primary schools. I added another subject specialism by completing a distance learning diploma in teaching RE and then, years later, when my children were little, my language skills and teaching experience enabled me to begin a new chapter as a teacher of French across the primary school phases. This in turn led to some valuable experience teaching in KS3 and the realisation that the year of study in Birmingham had led to something positive. By this time, I was aware of being nudged in a different vocational direction, but I continued to teach for a few more years until I found the courage to respond to a sense of calling to full-time ministry. It took me around a decade to let go of teaching, which was a career I loved, and commit to the discernment process that led to me being selected for training for ordination in the Church of England. This change of direction meant a further two years of full-time, postgraduate study, before I was ordained and served four years of training for ministry in local parishes. During this time, I completed courses in Chaplaincy Skills and Counselling before being appointed as LSF Chaplain in 2019. Looking back to write this account has reminded me how much happened in those early years after leaving school and how unexpected much of this was. I had always assumed that learning and
life would follow a linear pattern after school but, in fact, the journey to now has been a lot richer, more creative, chaotic and challenging than I could ever have planned. This feels like an important, hope-filled story for the Chaplain to tell whenever invited: life can be fuller and more exciting than we might imagine for ourselves! Whilst at theological college I came across a quote by the Danish philosopher and theologian, Soren Kierkegaard, who said that ‘life can only be understood backwards but must be lived forwards’. I like to think it’s possible to live life forwards with understanding too, with the help of the gift of faith, trusting in God who loves all his creation and desires to give each of us ‘hope and a future’ (Jeremiah 29:11-13). With a lot of life lived since those first steps beyond the barrier, I know I have re-joined the LSF family with a deeper personal understanding of the ‘blessings’ and ‘unfailing mercies’ we sing of in the school hymn. As Chaplain, it is a privilege to be able to represent the faith, tradition and hope on which the Schools are founded and help current generations begin and continue to live their own, unique and hope-filled stories.
Since the first lockdown, the Music Department have been sharing many of their musical treats, both weekly occurrences such as Sound Bites and Lunchtime Live as well as concerts for special occasions with us via their YouTube channel. Even though in-person attendance is now possible, they continue to post recordings and these are available to all at www.youtube.com/channel/ UCb7x4StW96miQ2ScK1Zs5QA
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It Takes a Village Since September 2018 the Loughborough Schools Foundation has provided fee assistance to 296 pupils. In 2020/21 alone, 184 pupils benefitted from fee assistance. But how does a bursary come to fruition? The process from first enquiry to first day at one of our Schools can often be a journey of more than a year. We went behind the scenes to find out what happens – from initial outreach to the lived experience of a bursary pupil - and to meet some of the people that make a Loughborough Schools Foundation bursary a reality. In most cases, it starts with outreach. Sam Lister, Registrar at Loughborough Grammar School explains. “My role is to develop links with local primary schools and the community at large to raise aspirations, expand engagement and increase awareness in the kinds of opportunities that Loughborough Grammar School can provide.”
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Programmes that the Schools run help to create strong relationships between Loughborough Grammar School, Loughborough High School, Loughborough Amherst School, Fairfield Prep School and participating local schools and pupils. These include summer schools and masterclasses that enable local children to discover new subjects, talents and interests through interactive activities and workshops delivered by our teachers and sixth formers. Sam sees the consequences of these programmes every day. “Once we start to develop relationships and engage through these initiatives, we are able to generate more enquiries for bursaries
“For many families we are their first experience of an independent school. I want them to feel welcome.” Alison Anderson
Each school has its own approach to bursaries. Dr Christopher Barnett, Head of Loughborough Grammar School, describes a process which demands very individual attention from the Head to secure the best and most deserving candidates. He estimates that as many as 50% of applications to the school will be for bursaries at some level. After a highly personalised process, he will make offers for the seven places that, on average, he has available every year. “We aim to encourage and challenge every pupil to become the very best version of themselves”. Dr Julian Murphy from the schools we are involved with.” And although it takes a lot of work, she says, “It’s all worth it when the boys arrive here in school and discover an extraordinary range of opportunities to develop their passions and skills, so that they get to know themselves and acquire the emotional intelligence needed to thrive.” At Loughborough High School, Alison Anderson is there as Registrar to take girls through the applicant journey and is one of the first people that a potential bursary candidate will meet. “Warmth is an essential characteristic for the role,” she says. “Some people may have a preconceived idea about the School, and for many families we are their first experience of an independent school; I want them to feel welcome. The School buildings are large and imposing, and you don’t get to see much beyond that in the first instance – so it’s important that we can give people a sense of who we are.” Once Alison has an application registered, she’ll pass it on for financial assessment, and then steps in again to help organise the assessment process and entrance exam. She’ll hold the candidates’ hands until they are in the school, helping with their uniform, transport issues and anything else that’s needed.
“Loughborough Grammar School has a transformative impact on boys’ lives. Everywhere you look, you discover a school bursting with activity, where boys have huge respect for the varied talents of their peers and learn as much outside the classroom as within. Bursaries enable us to provide the highest quality education and a world of opportunities to those whose families wouldn’t otherwise have the means to access it.” “Tom joined us from a small primary school in Year 7 and grew in confidence and capability, inspired by his teachers and supported by friends. He got involved in all aspects of the School; from playing the trumpet in Big Band to joining the RAF section in the Combined Cadet Force. Here, Tom experienced RAF camps, leadership courses, fundraising, flying planes and shooting. He set himself a goal to become an RAF Officer and I am absolutely delighted to see Tom has realised his ambitions and become a pilot in the RAF.” Dr Fiona Miles, Head of Loughborough High School, is a Head who likes to be involved from the first open event right through the process. She is passionate about bursaries, but mindful, too, that it’s crucial to make sure the awards go to the right pupils - and she sees her active involvement as vital in this. She is also very clear that a bursary is about more than a girl joining the school; that it’s about the whole family joining the LHS community, and establishing strong, mutually supportive relationships. “It is important that they really want to come to the School and are as invested emotionally in us as we are in them. One
of our sixth formers said to me recently that LHS are creating the young women that the future needs. Looking up, our Year 7 pupils see in the older girls their leaders, their role models and their future selves. They see no limits on female aspiration as they watch our Year 13s go on to become astrophysicists, architects, actors and artists, and they benefit from an inspiring and culturally diverse network of alumni who regularly return to share their wisdom as women in the world of work and entrepreneurship.” Dr Julian Murphy, Head at Loughborough Amherst School (formerly Our Lady’s Convent School) describes a caring ethos routed in a core Catholic belief about respect and love for each individual. His school aims to encourage and challenge every pupil to become the very best version of themselves by helping parents nurture confident, compassionate and happy young people. “Two of our recent bursary recipients went on to the University of Oxford and Imperial College. During their time with us, both students took full advantage of opportunities such as the Extended Project Qualification, Debating Society and one-on-one university admissions coaching, and both in turn contributed much to our diverse community.”
“Looking up, our Year 7 pupils see in the older girls their leaders, their role models and their future selves.” Dr Fiona Miles
How can you help? Our bursaries change lives. By donating you will be helping bright pupils achieve their full potential. Every gift makes a difference. To give, call 01509 638922 ext: 5301 or email L.ryves@lsf.org In 2020/21, Loughborough Schools Foundation distributed £1.3M in bursaries and fee assisted places and, at any time, some 180 pupils are receiving a bursary or financial assistance. More than this, though, the Loughborough Schools Foundation is gearing up for a major fundraising stepchange, with the launch of a new bursary campaign to double the number of places and change even more lives by 2030.
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140
alumni attending four Loughburians Go Live Virtual Talks
TWENTY SIX alumni choosing to remember their school with a gift in their Will
1,453
alumni connecting on Loughburians Live with 118 members of the OLCS Alumni Group
122 alumni gave £44,908 to help pupils facing financial hardship
18,000
alumni in our global community
Alumni in numbers 622
OLCS Alumni receiving our online magazine The Pelican
T H I RT Y T WO alumni gave £47,120 to create bursaries and help bright pupils achieve their full potential
6,428 people reading alumni e-news every month
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TWENTY TWO bursary recipients joined our schools in Autumn 2021
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alumni volunteering careers advice in our schools
Announcements Susan Hemming OLCS Staff
Carol Ann Sharman Class of 1976 18 March 1960 – 25 May 2020 Daughter of Michael Sharman (ex Fairfield and LGS 1937-42) and Cecilia Sharman (Secretary at LGS 1955-78) and sister of John Sharman (ex Grace Dieu and Ratcliffe College). Carol spent 15 years at OLCS, joining Montessori in 1961 and leaving the senior school in 1976 to study a BA in Textiles.
17 October 1932 - 16 September 2021 For those of you who had the pleasure and privilege of being taught by Sue Hemming, Thursday 16 September 2021 will be seen as a very sad day. Sue died peacefully at home with her loved ones round her. Although increasingly frail, a dignified exit came as a conclusion to a long life well lived. Much loved by friends, colleagues and students alike Sue was a woman of significant intellect, tempered by a sensitivity and compassion both to works of literature and people. Sue's innate sense of style and timing showed through in her approach to teaching and literature. Former
students will remember her ability to bring out the very best in everyone, irrespective of their individual capabilities. She created an atmosphere where everyone felt able to contribute an opinion, safe in the knowledge that it would be given due consideration and value. A wicked and witty sense of humour at times, she brought a positive and individual energy to the English Department. Her legacy will live on in the many students she inspired. Mrs Judith Wagstaff
Head of English, OLCS (1996 - 2008)
Izzy Tilson - née Wilkie (Class of 1997)
Izzy and her husband Jake announce the arrival of their son Albert Maurice Christopher Tilson on 29 June 2021. The Dumbledore outfit was made by adoring members of the OLCS Alumni Committee!
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FROM THE ARCHIVE
My Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Journey with OLCS and Beyond By Mary Hopkins - OLCS Staff (1986-2009)
I
became involved with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme (DofE) by accident.
I was a mum with three small children, just considering a return to teaching after an 8-year break. A young girl who lived in the village knocked on our door one evening and told a tale of woe. The Ranger group in the village (senior guides 16+) had lost their leader and, although they planned all their activities themselves, they needed a responsible adult to agree to lead them. I was considered such an adult, apparently, as I was a teacher and had been a Girl Guide many years before. To this day I don’t know what motivated me to agree to attend one of their meetings to talk to them. I must admit that they were a great group of girls who quickly made me welcome and so I agreed to help them out. At the meeting the following week, they announced that they had all signed up to do their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award! This completely threw me as I was no walker, but on the positive side, I thought, at least I had a reasonable knowledge of map work. I went home that night and admitted to John what I’d let myself in for. “So you’ll have to help me,” I stated and, to his credit, he did. After all, he thoroughly enjoyed walking! The dye was cast, we never looked back. We worked as a team attending training courses, seeking advice and training and encouraging young girls, and then boys, with the three levels of the Award, Bronze, Silver and Gold. It wasn’t surprising when I applied for a post at Our Lady’s Convent School to teach Art and Art History that I included DofE on my CV and was asked about it at interview. Would I be willing to introduce the Award in the school alongside my teaching commitments?
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Little did I realise how eagerly my arrival at the school was anticipated by a group of girls, who in the very first lunch break of my first day at the school, arrived at the Art Room to ask when they could enrol with the Award scheme and when I would be calling a meeting. They were so enthusiastic, eager and persistent that I registered the school with the Award and had enrolled them all by the end of the year. This group took part in all the activities - Service, Physical and Skill - over the winter months and I was able to train them for their first expeditions in the Spring, both practice and qualifying. They were then able to continue to the Silver Award during the Summer term, completing both expeditions in one summer!
DofE provision at Amherst Today
My First DofE Group Kate Auty, Natasha Bambury, Julia Cake, Melissa Dunham, Katie Emmerson, Rebecca Fuller, Jane Harker, Natalie Howarth, Sarah Mudd and Sarah Mayo. I’m sure I’ll have missed someone off this list! Fortunately, I was lucky enough to quickly gain the support of other members of staff in those early years: Mrs Lindsay, Mrs Atkin and Mrs Wilcox followed by Mrs Alderson, Mr Leader, Miss Kirk, Mr Langham and Mr Sutch who were key to the scheme running so successfully for so long. The Award and the girls who participated gave me so much pleasure and reward. I’ve logged 40 years working with the scheme, meeting young people from across the country, as an assessor and a trainer, and have also been lucky enough to meet with adults from all walks of life and all regions of the country who have achieved the same things as me.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the provision of the DofE program at Amherst has been challenging, although we managed to get the 2020-2021 Bronze cohort through their Award. We only had 13 participants, but they all demonstrated resilience and enthusiasm to complete their expedition section. We were unable to run our normal training day in March, but they all completed their practice expedition in May, which took place in Leicestershire and we camped at the Girl Guides campsite at Topstones, Cold Newton. We were one of the first schools to complete an overnight expedition at that time following COVID-19 restrictions. It was a great success - but absolutely freezing! Our final expedition took place in July in the Peak District and everyone passed with flying colours. This year we have 31 participants at Bronze level, which is fantastic, and we will be offering a Silver Award for those interested from the previous year. We use an external provider to deliver Gold, offering a full DofE program. As you can see, the DofE program at the School continues to grow from strength to strength. Mr Graham Sutch Current Staff
I hope my work with the Award has given the girls and other young people memories which they will treasure, despite some of the difficulties they encountered on the way, and they will give back in some way the lessons they learnt either with their families or in the workplace... then I will feel my job was done.
Do you have any DofE memories or photos you would like to share? Please do get in touch as we gather together the history of DofE at the School for the archive.
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Uniform Through the Ages T
he school uniform was always such an important part of life at Our Lady’s Convent School. Whether girls were trying to hide the grass stains on their summer uniform after playing leapfrog or turning up winter skirts at the waist because the parents had bought a skirt to ‘grow into’, the uniform represented togetherness and always created a wonderful sense of belonging. The uniform itself may have changed over the years but the importance of it and the sense of pride it gave to those who wore it seems not to have altered. This article comprises reflections from our Committee members on their uniform experiences and illustrates how it changed over time. From boaters and berets to hockey socks, we explore the changes during our time at School and hope it will bring back some wonderful memories for you, our Alumni.
Natalie Savage (née Howarth) Attended from 1982 to 1989 It was with nervous excitement in September 1982 that my sister and I started our journey at Our Lady’s Convent School, myself in the Juniors on Park Road/ Stanley Street and Melissa in the Infants. Our new uniforms were the same and we dressed in eagerness that first morning. I remember being so small and the winter uniform so big. A white shirt, striped tie (which always ended up in a rather tight knot), a dark navy pinafore dress with the beautiful pelican crest badge in the centre and a navy and gold sash, coupled with a navy woollen cardigan with a gold stripe around the edge and the notable OLCS blazer and tasselled beret. Easter came and we switched to our summer dresses, at that time comprising of a boater with the same blazer braiding and an orange and white ‘dog-tooth’ patterned dress with a zip down the back and piping and false buttons on the front - altogether less restrictive attire, if a little dated. I remember feeling immense pride in
donning my new uniform; I now had joined and belonged somewhere very special. Two years in and I entered the Senior School on Gray Street, following a couple of trips to Grahame Gardner School Outfitters in both Leicester and Nottingham to purchase all that I needed. The uniform had changed a little: gone was the pinafore, replaced by a pleated skirt, beige wool socks and navy V neck jumper, still with the same shirt and tightly knotted tie! Summer dresses were now blue and white striped, with buttons down the front and a belt which was generally used to hitch the dress up above the knee. This seemed to be the norm in the seniors with girls, out of sight of Mrs Hill, popping the blazer collar up, the beige socks down and perching the beret as far back on our heads as it would go without falling off. That said, I still loved the uniform and all it represented. I was pleased, when my daughter started at the school in 2011, to see
that the senior uniform hadn’t changed much - although gone was the beret - and she too wore it with the same pride I had all those years earlier. That is, apart from the PE kit. Thankfully this had changed from our all-in-one, navy and gold chevroned, terry towelling slip, accompanied by a wrap-around PE skirt and long nylon hockey socks. I loved sport at school but did not enjoy wearing this most unflattering of outfits. I can’t believe it is 30 years since I left and it was a pleasure to attend the recent Decades Reunion and meet up with school friends from both OLCS and Loughborough Grammar School. Touring the school and reminiscing about my time there is always a highlight.
Rachel Healey Attended from 1988 to 1999 A new boater was introduced the year I started in Year 3. I was bought said new boater, but it was quickly realised, as they were covered with a new varnish, that they turned green in the rain. They were quickly phased out, but my Mum refused to buy me a new one the same as everyone else, so I stuck it out for four years! I remember thinking dresses were highly impractical as we were practicing for a fire drill in Year 3. Our fire escape was through a large sash window onto Mrs Pollard’s strategically positioned chair just under the open window. The joys of the Stanley Street building! It was very exciting when, in Year 6, we no longer had to wear the bib upper part of our dress and it could be worn as a skirt. The design of the skirt changed in the senior school and I remember plenty of girls used to roll them up to make them shorter. I liked the summer dresses and always used to look forward to the announcement of the date we could start wearing them. They were light and breathable and helped keep us cool on hotter days. Then the added excitement in Year 11 that we could wear them with tights. No one ever wore the belt as a belt though, it was always buttoned at the back.
Natalie and Melissa, 1982
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Amber, 2011
I also remember when the new jumpers were introduced with the pelican emblem on. There were so many issues with the first few which developed holes around the wrists where they were designed to be folded back on themselves.
phased out and Years 3 to 5 wore a plain tunic. In Year 6 we were allowed to take the top of the tunic off and just wear the skirt. That was such an exciting day for all involved. It made you feel so important and grown up as everyone knew you were in Year 6 and the oldest in the Juniors. I feel so lucky to have worn the uniform with pride for my entire school life and cherish the memories I made wearing it.
Isabel Tilson (née Wilkie) Attended from 1998 to 2005
Grace and Lucy-Ellen, 1990
Grace Hutchinson (née Smalley) Attended from 1990 to 2005 I can remember my first day in Montessori. I was so excited to wear my wonderful uniform and be just like my big sister Lucy-Ellen. I felt so grown up wearing my tunic with the beautiful school crest badge in the middle with the navy and gold braided sash, a shirt, a proper tie, knee length navy socks and a jumper with arms which were so long I had to fold the ends over. The sleeves of that jumper were ruined within weeks, and I can remember my Mum having to sew up the holes on an almost weekly basis! I loved my uniform. It made me feel proud and like I belonged to something really special. With the winter uniform, we wore a beret. There were two styles, the old one had a long gold, white and navy tassel on the top and the new ones simply had a tiny piece of fabric sticking up in the middle which we all used to hold onto and use to twist them round between our fingers. The summer uniform was a blue and white pinstripe dress which had a belt. The summer uniform brought with it the boater which was a straw like hat similar to the one Dick Van Dyke wore in Mary Poppins! The worst thing about those was they had an elastic strap which went under your chin so if you fell in the playground, it didn’t come off, it stayed put and made a very nasty mark on your forehead! Everyone’s boater had chips out of the edge and their structural integrity was severely compromised if worn in the rain! When I was in Year 4 the school introduced bowler hats to replace the berets and boaters. This was a welcome change for most but did bring the added challenge of trying not to cave the top of the hat in when carrying it! Moving into the juniors, the old-style winter tunic with the crest and sash was
Joining the Convent in Year 7, I needed completely kitting out head to toe! My mum took me to Grahame Gardner. We were there for hours and throughout my years, the same ladies remembered us and would always convince my mum to buy me the longest possible skirt and the biggest blazer as ‘she’ll always grow into it’. I’ll always remember before I started being told that Mrs Hill would line you up to check the length of your skirt and the height of your shoes - I wasn’t sure if I believed that…! When I started in 1998, our uniform was the navy-blue skirt, navy jumper, white blouse with the gold, navy and white stripe tie, that matched the trim on the blazer. We had the pelican emblem with the school moto, before the later version appeared after we had finished.
favourite, was a white shirt, a dark blue skirt, tie and the jumper. The blazer made of wool was very uncomfortable when it rained and often hinted at the smell of wet dog. The only change in the uniform I can recall was the addition of the OLCS lettering on the jumper and blazer. Once I entered the Sixth Form, we were allowed to wear a black suit with our own choice of shirt/blouse (very exciting to be able to choose our own suit and shirts to wear!).
We hope you’ve enjoyed our reflections of the uniform and now we’d love to hear from you. Can you see yourself in one of these photos? Do you recognise the uniforms the girls are wearing? Go to the OLCS Group on Loughburians Live to see the photos in more detail. Please do get in touch with us via email olcs.alumni@lsf.org or by calling 01509 638920. We would really like to build a timeline of the uniform over the years and it would be lovely to hear your stories and reflections and receive your photographs to help us achieve this.
I remember being so excited about having a House tracksuit with my designated colour - I was in Peter so wore my red shoulders proudly, although the tracksuit joggers were the most unflattering material! After a few years, the yellow sports top was replaced by House coloured polo shirts; the gold hockey socks were replaced for navy ones with bands of house colour at the top; and we were allowed to wear the navy ‘OLCS’ fleece for sports. I remember the huge pile of initial embroidery my mum had to do on all my kit when it all arrived!! I always loved our uniform and wore it proudly; it gave me a sense of belonging that I had never felt before.
Stephanie Henshaw Attended from 2012 to 2019 I remember clearly being taken in the summer of 2012 by my dad to the uniform shop to collect my uniform before the start of term. This signified an exciting new chapter for me and the start of the Senior School life. The summer uniform consisted of a blue and white striped summer dress (resembling an old-fashioned nurse’s uniform) with a belt made of the same material and pattern, as well as the jumper with the pelican badge on it. The winter uniform, which was my
Winter 2021
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GALA DINNER 23 April 2022
We are delighted to host our Gala Dinner at Plaisterers’ Hall, London, on 23 April 2022 at 18:30. Originally planned for November 2020 to celebrate the 525 anniversary of Thomas Burton’s legacy, the Gala Dinner has been reimagined to appeal to all alumni across our family of four Schools. If you haven’t attended one of our London events before, this could be the one for you. Partners are very welcome and we’re aiming to make this the largest alumni gathering in living memory. Come along to celebrate all that is great about our community, reconnect with old friends and hear about how you can get involved in the Schools today. Tickets: £90 each - Tables: £800 for a table of 10 Why not get together your year group to form a table? For more details visit Loughburians Live. Book your tickets now by calling the Development Office on 01509 638920. With special thanks to our friends at The Worshipful Company of Plaisterers, particularly Prof Hubert Lacey (LGS Class of 1963) who was instrumental in securing this prestigious venue.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this edition of The Pelican – the magazine of the OLCS Alumni Association. We would welcome any contact or contribution that you wish to make. Please contact the Development Office on 01509 638920 or olcs.alumni@lsf.org
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