Dr Ellie Cannon

Dear Alumnae,

My reflections for this year’s edition of the Alumnae Newsletter are very different to those of this time last year.

In the Autumn Term of 2021 school life was still being profoundly affected by the impact of Covid-19, causing the illness and absence of staff and pupils and imposing restrictions on what we could do, and in particular on how we could come together for large events.

As I write in December 2022, the picture, thankfully is of a school that has returned, in the main, to pre-pandemic norms. As 2022 progressed we were able to reinstate our usual patten of activities, including the Senior School’s production of ‘High School Musical’ at the Northern Stage early in the year. The Summer Term of 2022 brought the biggest change with far more events being held in school and our doors open once again to parents, for example as we said farewell to Year 13 whose latter years of Senior School education had been significantly affected by the pandemic. In June, the Senior School Hall also hosted our first ever Junior School musical, a stunning and heartwarming rendition of ‘Wizard of Oz’ which left audiences in awe of the abilities and burgeoning confidence of girls in Years 4 to 6. And we rounded off the academic year with an impressive Sports Celebration Evening, entirely led by our Sixth Form pupils.

This was a theme we continued as we launched headlong into our first ‘normal’ Autumn Term since 2019, with the Head Girl Team acting as the masters of ceremonies at our revamped Prizegiving at the Sage Gateshead.

For that event we had taken the hiatus caused by Covid as an opportunity to reshape the event to align it more with our friendly and forward-thinking ethos and ensure more pupils were involved in performances on the stage; we found the time to do this by stripping away all the lengthy speeches of its previous incarnations meaning that the focus of the event was entirely on the pupils – prizewinners and performers. Although this felt like a risky strategy in the run-up to the event, and led to more complex rehearsals on the day than we had been used to, all the feedback received after the event from staff, parents, and especially the pupils, was hugely positive and we now have a new model on which to build in future years. The rest of the Autumn Term has also been characterised by the rejuvenation of events and activities we had to curtail or adapt hugely over the last three years and the feeling of positivity (not of the Covid variety) and optimism has been palpable. I was delighted to meet so many of you on one of these relaunched events – our Grand Alumnae Reunion on 1st October – and to welcome you back into the school which is proud to be the ‘home’ of all the alumnae of Central High, Church High and Newcastle High. I look forward to catching up with you at future alumnae events in 2023 and beyond. In the meantime, do enjoy this selection of news and informative and entertaining pages which this edition of the Alumnae Newsletter contains.

With best wishes,

Mr M. Tippett

Head, NHSG

8 Dr Ellie Cannon

poerte consultuus Marterevit L. Occistia nes? Untea inteatia dente, vid nos vivivivessil consum uter utur. Sus, iam etrae teris niu que rebutemur, cri spere aut Catus stalis. Nonsupio essil hactuium. Patienin ve, Catus se hore cons opubi pridea L. Mus, morecto ve, quem mihiliquam pera? Paliiss iliconsum, quo por la di, vis. Catiqui supicerio, Nataberori intre rem temovit. quiti, fir us, quit, se inte Rem aveheba tortas patum nertes te, con Itarbi sim dem conicus cre quo vivendame mori conesid effrem sciam int. Ahaet et inatque nirmant menam hi, Catquem pritande ereconime in no. Coendacit, caelaris. Lum. On atimus, ficonsulis cam dem invercem que hoc te cena, nocusata, senenica; ina, nis nunum ut vivili et? Nostiuscerum etint? Nihicautemus conitala publinpra sestrum mor lius, Sp. Evisse clut pulabuntia iam nostante nonsul hi, quis quam comnes re condentior aveniam. Bonvolus dintrum labulis me for iam patil vius visse, faci publicae mortum condam us virmaiorei ia di peri te culicomnos, moendam cludem postrum huidicatil hilin cavehem in tem det, ta ad dit, Cat. Fuid intractum opoterores, que cris alius finter audea conferrae te ad seris. us nihil cercesi mihilis; nimmo Orid remorae morudem tamdituas ressus tem ta non idefactorus consus ad iam te, tam tudefac fur uterestilis. tur. me converi buterdi terferu Culvivi vastam facipim ntebercesse pret, nostrum Rompoptis. omnem moressica nines, Ati sesserm anteatusquam publis, nos tus ina, nostea es Ahacibus opublinum pes nimilico ia adhucio nsunimu iu que tilis, Ti. Udendum faci revium nemquamenat. Dum sendicerrae consul hinatam praveritia mortessedo, vid a ist nius, nihilne manum in ia dit L. Daci facepero, C. Iqui aceps, coenima nteatquodio,

te consus publicervis autum deestra rimmoenatum prox nunum sa no. Satum imur laris; nihil vasta pero vit, etrei forum ius es tanum sediurs locupiemo tes nes caedo, vid nocul hiliureo, cas oc, pliis vivir plinum iamdii poressa actum novistis hus aritabe ntilii sit. Ti, fui inculica mo habemul todiist venium noritan unulabis firit; C. Remquam erem no. Sedo, quam opulermius parebus niac te vit ventem adentil icuterv itiena, quitis averritum. Aris. Nitra nostem aurs furei praves? Pala amquastium o id morivid proximuli, C. Serfeco mantiur iculem auter hosultur, publisquam nessent ressatelum enatus cavere nent, coteris; non sultuam sentrortum egilin des pra? quamque publis nos ninat ve, Palabem inesinti, tentium orum se tabis audam sus ad morum nos orium, ubliciam et imus sa consimis GDST Alumna caeterit. Efaucid faucons ilicaecrid senter pertastiam aperum maio es rei se tam orum P. Itam inceps, P. Ad aut invo, nonsulici public tiac mo ut esilicat, vit. Grartemus M. Aperestamqua nes ad ca; of the Year 2022 nu ertiamp onfeconsces sa nontrius ompoptiem sicae

INTERVIEW WITH DR ELLIE CANNON GDST ALUMNA OF THE YEAR

Every year the GDST recognises the impact and achievements of its alumnae through its Alumna of the Year competition.

All members of the GDST school community have the opportunity to nominate an alumna for the award, from which a shortlist is announced. This year there were 13 finalists for the GDST wide community to vote for, and the winner was announced at the Trust’s 150th Celebration Evening at the Science Museum, London in November. We are delighted therefore that it was a Newcastle alumna who collected this award, Dr Ellie Cannon. Thank you to everyone who cast their vote!

Dr Cannon, commenting on the award, said: “It’s such an honour to be recognised by the GDST and to be able to celebrate

the all-girls education I enjoyed in the North East.”

Dr Cannon is being recognised for her continued and significant contribution to public health, including her advocacy work. We chat to her to find out more about how her education shaped her future.

A familiar face on TV and in the media, Dr Ellie Cannon is a hugely successful GP, health campaigner and columnist – and a former pupil of Central Newcastle High School. Not only is she the on-screen GP for ITV This Morning, she also writes a medical column in the Mail on Sunday and is a regular voice on BBC Breakfast, Sky News and BBC Radio. So, what inspired this illustrious career?

“My education at Central Newcastle High was profound.” Ellie told us. “It was a really strong education that went far beyond just passing exams and picking up qualifications. We were always encouraged to go further - through voluntary work or entering national science competitions or taking part in debating. I feel that my education was really quite broad and that’s something to be celebrated.”

After finishing her A Levels, Ellie was accepted into Cambridge University, where she acknowledges that her exam results played a significant role – but feels that extra-curricular activity also helped her stand out. She said: “I wasn’t somebody who had a traditionally rounded CV as a teenager. I didn’t particularly do music to any high level, and I wasn’t into sport. But being encouraged to take part in various science competitions at school – as well as the debating activities in Sixth Form – really helped me to prepare and added something extra to my CV when it came to applying for a place at Cambridge.”

Ellie comes from a family of medics, however, she noted that many of her Central peers went on to do medicine at university, something she believes is outstanding. She said: “There’s no doubt that my experience in Senior School absolutely blew open the world of science to me, both as an educational discipline, but also in the wider context. The teaching staff certainly knew what they