Old Girls’ Association Newsletter 2021
Covid-19
Frontline NHEHS alumnae
A Trio of Tandys
Success in three distinct careers
Mrs Critcher 30 Years at NHEHS
Upcoming Alumnae Events 2021
Inspiring Each Other: Virtual Alumnae Networking Event 24 March, 6pm - 7.30pm STEMinism: How to Succeed as a Woman in STEM A free virtual panel discussion open to all with Q&A session. Tickets: https://inspiringstem.eventbrite.co.uk
OGA Annual Reunion Tea Party 18 September, 2pm – 5pm As the 2020 Tea Party was cancelled due to Covid-19 we are doubling up the 2021 Tea Party! Specific reunions will be for those who left in: 1955, 1956, 1960, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016. But, as ever, all alumnae are welcome to attend. We are hopeful that things will be more ‘normal’ by September but will be in touch to confirm exact Tea Party plans, and how to buy tickets, in the Spring.
If you would like to be involved in any of the above events, or would like more information, please email: alumnae@nhehs.gdst.net or visit the alumnae section of the NHEHS website.
Notes from the Editor Welcome to the 2021 Newsletter. I hope you find it enjoyable and interesting.
Contents
In what has been a very busy year, thank you so much to the alumnae (and staff) who made time for me to interview them. It was such a pleasure speaking with you all. In particular, a huge thank you to our cover girl, Suky Gahunia BMBS MRCS (NHEHS 2012), who found time to be photographed despite working as an ICU doctor throughout the pandemic. On pages 13-16 you will find more stories of some of our inspiring alumnae and their work during the pandemic, which I hope you read with pride. A special mention must go to Ruby Gordon-Wilson (NHEHS 1946) who has kindly supplied her school memories and Liz Broekmann, the Archivist, for sharing her endless knowledge about the history of NHEHS – who knew there were once boys at NHEHS? Thank you to all alumnae for your support since I started my role in June 2020, and especially to Zosia and the OGA Committee.
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Head's Review Mr Shoults
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A few words from the OGA Chair Zosia Thackray
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Water Unite Connie-Goring Morris
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Welcome back to the Director of UCAS Marie-Helene Collins
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The Female Lead Bea Appleby
COVID-19 13 Frontline Alumnae 17
GDST Bursary Update Sam Davies
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Trio of Tandys Three different careers
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Time Out Sarah Cohen
As ever, please do continue to send me your news, old photos and memories as well as new projects and adventures. I promise to get back to you as soon as I can.
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Thank You Alumnae
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30 years at NHEHS Mrs Critcher
And finally, a big thank you to graphic designer, Sam Raybone, at the GDST and the NHEHS Marketing Team for their assistance with this publication.
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News from the Archive Liz Broekmann
It has been particularly fantastic this year to see so many recent alumnae coming back (mostly virtually!) to NHEHS to share their knowledge and experiences with current students. All alumnae have value to add, no matter your age or stage!
Charlotte Truman
Memories 29 Ruby Gordon-Wilson 31
News from our Alumnae
(NHEHS 1997) Alumnae Relations Officer NHEHS OGA Newsletter 2
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HEAD'S REVIEW As we were able to reconvene fully as a school in September, our new Alumnae Relations Officer, Charlotte Truman, stated in staff briefing “It’s very good to meet you all; I’ve actually been here since June”. Such are the challenges that this year has presented, and getting to know new faces is not a straightforward task remotely. However, I have been delighted to welcome Charlotte as Natalie Burns-Spence’s successor, with one redoubtable alumna following another, and I know that you have welcomed her in her new role, albeit remotely. Despite the hurdles to keeping in touch with our alumnae community, we have looked for ways to stay connected, or to plan replacements for lost events. As I celebrated the school’s birthday back in September, I certainly felt keenly the absence of the annual OGA Tea Party, which for me is such a central part of our anniversary. Restrictions inevitably caused its postponement, but I know that Zosia, Charlotte and the Committee are looking for a suitable but safe replacement later in the year. Our Year 13s were not able to have their Leavers’ Ceremony, but we hope to have a party for them this summer. Yet there have been ways in which we have been able to connect. Our alumnae networking events continued this year, with both pre-Covid live events and remote sessions, spanning entrepreneurship and the world of work in a pandemic situation. There has been a boom in online activity on the school Facebook and new Instagram accounts, sharing some wonderful images and stories about the school both past and present. Please do connect with us if you haven’t already. A number of alumnae have helped us on our steering group, looking at the school’s response to issues of diversity and tolerance, and I am particularly grateful to Pavita Cooper, who has given considerable time to advising us, as we review how we ensure that we provide the best possible education for girls. A number of recent leavers have told me that, while the school feels a supportive and welcoming community, we need to prepare girls particularly for a world of study and work where they may encounter prejudice, and give them robust skills for handling this; provision for this is being strengthened.
Despite this year’s restrictions, many initiatives have advanced since this time last year. We have increased leadership roles in the school, with more girls taking on responsibility and leading events, including our high profile Film Festival. We introduced a new enrichment afternoon for girls of GCSE age, including a range of volunteering opportunities. We have developed deeper links with other schools, particularly Harrow School, and hosted events for students from many institutions, including a timely (and reassuringly remote) conference on infectious diseases! All of these (and more) efforts led to us being named Independent Girls’ School of the Year 2020 by Independent School Magazine, reflecting our efforts to encourage confidence and leadership in the girls. For this year’s Move to Ealing Day, I reflected on the history of the women’s suffrage movement, and its intimate connections with the school. I shared with girls the courageous actions of staff and students of what was NHHS, including Aeta Adelaide Lamb, who would lead the singing of campaign songs, when she had been incarcerated for her militant campaign, and Hertha Ayrton, a distinguished teacher and scientist, who supported the campaign for votes with influence and organisational panache, and went on to have a distinguished career in science. With anniversaries in mind, I am sure many of you know that NHEHS will be 150 years old in September 2023. This will be a wonderful opportunity for our community to look back on our rich history and celebrate our future, together. We will be reaching out to alumnae to gather your input to ensure that we celebrate our anniversary to the full. I would like to finish by thanking Natalie BurnsSpence for all her work as Alumnae Relations Officer; I am delighted that she will, of course, still be in our community. I do hope that you have all kept well in difficult times. We will continue to plan with Zosia and the Committee for opportunities to be able to reconnect with you directly, as restrictions are lifted.
Matthew Shoults Headsmaster
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A FEW WORDS FROM THE OGA CHAIR Happy New Year! Welcome to the OGA Class of 2020! I hope you have all been able to weather the ‘unprecedented’ year we have just had with true NHEHS spirit? I am aware that there will have been times of hope, ingenuity and entrepreneurship among you, as well as times of despair and heartbreak. My wish for you all, for this new year, is that the positives will start to outweigh the negatives, the anxieties will begin to lessen and that the coming year will be filled with the things you have missed the most during the lockdown restrictions. As always, the newsletter includes a selection of interesting feature articles and news of many of our alumnae. Thank you for the news which you have contributed and to all those who help to bring this all together, including Charlotte Truman, our Alumnae Relations Officer, and our archivist Liz Broekmann. Charlotte joined the NHEHS team, part time, in June and was thrown in at the deep end as we were still in lockdown! She has taken over the reins from Natalie Burns-Spence admirably and is a great link for us to have between alumnae and the school.
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During 2020, we obviously had to take many of our alumnae events online and we sadly had to postpone the September 2020 OGA Reunion Tea Party. As a result of the ongoing concerns and restrictions, we have made the decision to double up for 2021! Therefore, the next Reunion Tea Party will be on Saturday 18th September 2021, 2-5pm. Specific reunions will be for those who left in: 1955, 1956, 1960, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016, but all are welcome to attend. We will be in touch in the Spring with further details including how to buy tickets. Talking of virtual events, many of the alumnae events were able to go online this year and were a great success! Some of these included: a networking event, ‘Career Development in Difficult Economic Times’ with alumnae Pavita Cooper, Amabel Polglase and Sarah Baynes and former GB Olympic swimmer Fran Halsall; Year 11 virtual work experience; a substitute UCAS session about student-life at various universities; alumna Rupa Huq MP spoke to A-Level Politics students; Careers
Spotlight with Marisa Charosky (née Elliott) (NHEHS 1997) and Chandni Kaneria (NHEHS 2010) speaking to the Sixth Form about their careers so far and top tips they wish they had known in the Sixth Form. Thank you so much to all the alumnae who offered their time and help with these events. If you would like to volunteer to take part in any alumnae events in the future, please get in touch with Charlotte Truman by emailing alumnae@ nhehs.gdst.net We are always looking for more members on the Committee to help continue to grow and develop our wonderful organisation. This involves just two committee meetings per year and helping with the annual tea party. If you would like to join us, please get in touch with me to hear more.
Zosia Thackray (NHEHS 1994) OGA Chair
WATER UNITE
Connie (NHEHS 2012) studied History of Art at the University of Sussex before joining the Carluccio’s Marketing Team working her way up to Brand Manager in a few short years. At the start of 2020 Connie started as Brand Manager for wagamama and was also nominated as one of Restaurant Marketer & Innovator’s “30 under 30”, recognising her as a talented future leader in marketing, innovation and strategy in Europe. Like many others in the hospitality industry, Connie was furloughed in March 2020 and ultimately her role at wagamama was made redundant in July. However, during furlough Connie started volunteering at Water Unite offering her marketing skills to the charity, which led to
a permanent role as Marketing Manager.
FACTS & FIGURES
As for so many of us, 2020 was a year Connie had not planned on. She explains, “It has been a challenge to adapt to a new sector having previously been in hospitality, but I have acquired a whole new knowledge base including lots about plastic, international development and the charity sector!”
520 billion litres of packaged water are sold per year - that's around 5 million bathtubs of water per day!
Water Unite brings together retailers of bottled water to raise funds to tackle water poverty and plastics pollution. It does this by implementing a micro-contribution (a small voluntary contribution) of 1p per litre on bottles of water sold in major grocery retailers. The Co-op, the UK's fifth biggest food retailer, is Water Unite’s first corporate partner. The money funds projects in developing countries including providing drinking water and toilets for some of the world's poorest people, and providing infrastructure where it is lacking. This is particularly important for the protection of women in developing countries so they don’t have to find a secluded spot to go to the bathroom, and for girls’ education, as many girls will not attend school when they have their period due
785 million people today don't have access to safe & clean drinking water Over 2 billion people (almost a quarter of the world's population) don't have access to a toilet 300 million tonnes of plastic is produced each year - nearly the weight of the entire human population - but less than 15% is recycled. If a micro-contribution of 1p per litre was applied to every bottle of water globally it would generate up to $5billion of funds annually.
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to the lack of sanitation, which has long-term impacts on the future prospects of those girls as well as the economy of the country.
understand what Water Unite does), so I have the ability to distil the more complicated messages into more bite-sized bits of content.”
If the micro-contribution of 1p per litre was applied to every bottle of water globally it would generate up to $5billion of funds annually. That could create real change and help millions of people.
“To be honest, I have been finding my current role quite hard as I love to create physical experiences, such as walking into a restaurant and seeing what you have created and running events that create a feeling of joy. I find this job is much harder as it is less tangible, and I am having to take all the negatives about water pollution and lack of sanitation and create a positive hopeful message. It’s also been challenging to learn about a new sector in a work-from-home situation. However, I am enjoying the learning process and finding that once again I have a lot of transferable skills. The best part, however, is that I know that I am making a positive social impact to communities around the world. Sometimes it’s easier to make your job bigger than yourself in order to overcome the challenges you face on a day-to-day basis.”
Connie explains a little about her role, “I am responsible for the planning and execution of the communications strategy which includes looking after the website and any digital marketing, tracking the budget, developing the Annual Report and working with retailers on point of sale. I essentially do everything as it is a very small team! I also project manage any events that we hold. In September 2020 Water Unite was supposed to be hosting an event at the UN in New York and I had move it to a virtual event within six weeks!” “My main goal at Water Unite is to simplify its message so that the public and those in the retail sector can understand it, while also creating interesting content. I sit between the team at Water Unite (who know everything about it) and the retailers (who need to
Connie attributes part of her resilience to her time at NHEHS. “School can never really fully prepare you for the world of work, but I think NHEHS instils quiet confidence and curiosity. You don’t really realise you have that until you are a junior somewhere and you get feedback from senior colleagues who comment on your confidence and ability to cope with pressure and juggle lots of tasks.” As ever, when chatting with alumnae our conversation turned to favourite memories of NHEHS. “My year was lucky enough to sing The Boar’s Head carol at St Barnabas Church, which was absolutely amazing – such a beautiful atmosphere. I really enjoyed performing so I loved being part of the school plays and concerts - we even sang in Windsor Chapel once which was pretty cool – something I still brag about to be honest. I loved art which I took at A level. It felt like a club as there were a handful of us who would spend lots of time together. And a day is never dull when you’re covered in paint!” Reflecting on her career so far Connie says “Failing to get onto graduate schemes is not the end! You can make your own luck by working hard and having fun. Ask questions and be open to new things you might not have considered. When you keep your eyes open, doors open. Ask questions and listen to the answers, even if you don’t agree. People love talking about what they do, so meeting people in a range of roles and talking to them about what they do helps you distil what you like (and what you don’t!) And do the tea run when you can!”
Gjenge Makers turning recycled plastic into building materials in Kenya. 7
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Connie is happy for any other NHEHS Alumnae thinking of a career in marketing to get in touch directly or via Charlotte Truman, Alumnae Relations Officer.
WELCOME BACK TO NHEHS! In February 2020, Marie-Helene Collins (née Quaradeghini) (1994) returned to NHEHS as Director of University Admissions and History and Politics teacher. Prior to her new role at NHEHS, Marie-Helene was Deputy Head at St Augustine’s Priory in Ealing and before that Assistant Head at King’s College School, Wimbledon. How has your return to NHEHS been?
It has been such a strange mixture of familiar and completely unfamiliar, sometimes I get lost despite all the familiar parts! I dread accidentally heading to the girls’ loos in the main building on autopilot, rather than the staff loos on the floor above. I don’t really know which building the swimming pool is in, I know it is underground but it could be under anything as far as I am concerned! But there are still some of the same old things here such as the distinction signing in the head’s office, the portrait of the old headmistress, returning your roughbook to get a new one. The investment in the school has been phenomenal but there is still a sense of economy. The Sixth Form Centre is a million miles from the one we had with sofas from a skip! The first lockdown began a few weeks after I started which made things really difficult as I had to move to online teaching without having had time to get to know my students. The learning curve from the technological point of view has been enormous.
Tell us about your role as Director of UCAS.
It is a new role designed to try to synthesise the existing really good careers guidance and preparation for higher education and university life, but also to develop a particular specialism for university courses and applications, especially to international universities. I also teach History, Politics and Oxbridge extension classes. I still have the sound of Miss Ashley and Mrs Anderson’s voices in my head when I am teaching American politics! How can the Alumnae help?
The students respond amazingly warmly to alumnae speakers; it is hugely valuable to them. They love learning about the different paths alumnae have taken since leaving NHEHS. Role models are phenomenally powerful. We did a small event due to lockdown with recent leavers talking about the reality of their experience at university and it was so successful we will repeat it. Offers of help with work experience and interview practice are always gratefully received. There is a real need for good-quality professional work experience, so I would ask any alumnae who think they can help to get in touch. Networking is also something that is key and tricky now with everything being virtual. So any help with LinkedIn connections and the like would be great. What do you love about teaching?
I am now colleagues with Miss Plowden and Mrs Critcher, who were teaching staff when I was a student here and they remembered me!
I think teaching can be a thousand different jobs. I have done so many different things that I could never have anticipated. I love the fact that you are always NHEHS OGA Newsletter 8
learning new syllabus content as well as skills. It is never the same thing twice, no two students are the same. I have learnt to ski, teach history of art, but I hate the marking! I love working with people who are true experts in their fields and know how to explain it clearly. Any favourite memories of your time as a student at NHEHS?
I loved being in the Madrigal Choir with Mr Pullin. I remember doing Evensong at St Paul’s and the Magic Flute was a huge production. I love that the Boar’s Head carol is still going strong. I loved helping paint the mural in the old gym and remember hanging off the top of the scaffold to reach the top of the wall. The choir tours to Italy and Spain were amazing, we got up to so much naughtiness! I remember the trip to the Ardèche when I had to canoe for a whole day with Mrs Strange as my partner was unwell. We canoed past a nudist beach and Mrs Strange made a comment that was so funny I nearly fell out of the canoe! Did you have a favourite teacher?
There were so many! I loved Ms Mercer who was very tough, but really brilliant. She gave me so much time to help prepare me for my Oxford interview. She was the biggest influence on me in the long term. Mrs Hurd was my art teacher who I absolutely loved. Miss Shaw was an outstanding English teacher who gave us really interesting work to do. Miss Shaw was my role model in terms of how kind she was to all of us. I adored the Pullins. Mrs Fitz was amazing at remembering everyone’s names. One of the most 9
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influential things I saw as a pupil at NHEHS was Mrs Fitz, the former head mistress, and a deputy head who were pregnant in their roles. When I was at King’s I was the first member of the Senior Leadership Team to have been pregnant whilst doing the role. I also remember Mr Macginn the maths teacher who did a sleepout for charity in the courtyard. It was blooming freezing but exciting being out all night. What characteristics do you think NHEHS helps to bring out in the students?
I think NHEHS is still great at a full well-rounded educational experience. The sense was, and still is, that your education is more than just about your lessons and exams. You are prepared to be part of the world around you. I learnt so much extra-curricular stuff, particularly musical things that I would not have learnt at home. One thing that is a bit different now is preparing you for success, rather than guarding against failure, which I sometimes felt in my time as a student. But for all its ambition and intellectual calibre it still has a remarkable level of casualness about it, and I quite like that. Marie-Helene is happy for any other NHEHS Alumnae who think they may be able to help current Sixth Form students with work experience/career advice, or those alumnae thinking of a career in teaching, to get in touch.
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Reflecting on her time at NHEHS Bea comments, “Dealing with lots of women has definitely helped with my current role! I feel the drama festivals at NHEHS were an opportunity and great training for leading a project, directing it yourself, coming up with the idea, with no help from teachers, and bringing it to fruition. Those opportunities are quite rare when you are at school, but such great training. And that is what I do in my work now – come up with ideas and bring them to life.” “I don’t remember very much directed feminist teaching, but it must have seeped into me somehow! I think when you don’t have to compete against boys at school you don’t realise there is gender inequality, other than as a theoretical concept. We didn’t have to fight for air time with boys in a classroom.” “I was a bit against the institution of school generally. But I was very into drama and music. I loved being in the Madrigal Choir and we sang in the Vatican and Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome with Mr Pullin (which is totally wasted on you as a teenager) but I look back now and it was such an amazing opportunity.” “I also loved being part of the Magic Flute and all the music festivals. I think I won best solo singer one year which was a big moment for me. I loved the drama festivals (which I think Mr Dace ran) especially because you got to do your own thing and choose your own play to do.” “My favourite teachers were Miss Shaw and Mr Green. I was the first year that had Mr Green. When we signed up to do Theatre Studies A level it was Mrs Powell and there were 4 of us. Then Mr Green started and the following year about 250 people did Theatre Studies! Mr Green treated us like grown-ups, we went to the theatre loads and it felt a lot more like being at university. And we all remember when Mr Green turned up at the first school assembly of the year in his black leather trousers! He certainly broke the mould.” “I also liked Ms Ashley and Ms Mercer, who were tough but inspiring.” When asked what she wishes she had known whilst at school, Bea said “I think I wish I had known that there will always be an opportunity to go out with boys, there will always be boys. Don’t let them distract you! Just focus on yourself, what you want to do with your life and feed your passions by becoming an expert in them, even if they are not academic or especially valued by the grown-ups in your life”.
Bea Appleby, (NHEHS 1995) Despite a tough 2020, Bea is positive about the future for young women. “I think pre-Covid I would have said I don’t think life is harder for young women, but now I think the enormous uncertainty makes life harder. Plus the challenges of climate change, Brexit – the list goes on!” “However, I think on balance things are more or less the same. It is true social media means girls can’t switch off at home, but it also means that if you don’t fit in at school you will always be able to find your people online. You will always find someone like-minded which is positive.” “Other positives are that society is more accepting now and we understand more about young people’s mental health and schools understand the need for pastoral care, so overall the positives and negatives probably balance out.” Bea is happy for any alumnae thinking of a career in journalism to get in touch via the Alumnae Relations Officer.
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NHEHS Alumnae in the fight against Covid-19 We have all lived through the life-changing impact of Covid-19 and are aware of the huge impact it has had on medical professionals in particular. We wanted to share some of the work done by our alumnae and their experiences in this Newsletter. Here are some of the many alumnae involved, but our thoughts and thanks go out to you all.
Zosia (Sophie Carr) 2010 Midwife with Sugha (Sughashini Murugesu) 2007 Obstetric Doctor. Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea Hospital, London 13
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Fran Hathaway (née Hammond) (1994) Midwife. “I am a senior midwife at Singleton Hospital, Swansea and have been working through the pandemic with reduced staff numbers due to a significant number shielding. The women and families we care for have struggled with the restrictions, since, although birthing partners have been able to accompany them for the birth, they have not been able to stay on the ante/ postnatal wards. Consequently, we found our supportive role to be even more enhanced than usual! I'm in absolute awe of the staff who work on ICU though, as that is a whole different level!”
Eleanor Ward (née Johnson) (1997) Midwife. “I work in the delivery unit at St. Mary’s Hospital, Manchester where over 10,000 babies are born each year. Working through the pandemic has been extremely variable. During the first wave it felt like we were somewhat in a bubble. All our patients were shielding so luckily there were very few who were unwell with covid. There were extra senior doctors and anaesthetists on duty to cover potential absences which was great. It’s amazing how you adjust to PPE & wearing masks for 10hrs at a time. However, I know it was really difficult for many women who were nervous about coming into hospital and having scans alone. The second wave has been worse for us. We are often short
staffed with staff self-isolating, a lot more women testing positive & morale is generally lower. In Manchester we were only really out of lockdown for 4 weeks in July before restrictions were tightened again & it has definitely taken it’s toll on patients & staff. I work with an incredible team & we continue to support each other & ensure that women & their families get the best care possible.”
Miss Sukhpreet Gahunia BMBS MRCS (2012) Trainee Surgeon. “I am a doctor and trainee surgeon in Liverpool, which has been one of the hardest hit areas. Like many of my colleagues in the NHS, it has been both a terrifying and incredibly challenging time. As elective operating was cancelled, I volunteered to work on the intensive care unit, looking after the most unwell covid patients something far out of my comfort zone as a surgeon. This was all while being hundreds of miles from my family and missing them terribly. It has been a truly humbling experience and reinforced to me even more the importance of making sure your loved ones know just how much you love them.”
Anshu Kaura (née Bhimbat) (2007) Pharmacist. “I can safely say that the coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on myself and my colleagues, both personally and professionally. A lot has changed in pharmacies since the outbreak. We have seen a surge in prescriptions, which has meant stock management is more important than ever. Implementing new ways of working (e.g. 2 metres apart and 2 customers in store at a time) has been stressful, but we continue to try and provide excellent service to meet our patients’ healthcare needs”.
Dr Farnaz Motamedi (2009) Orthodontist, Eastman Dental Hospital, UCLH. “Similar to other professions, the pandemic has proven to be very challenging for dentists. In the first lockdown we closed the doors to our orthodontic department and I volunteered to redeploy to the maternity ward at UCLH. This was
my small way of supporting our hospital and the NHS during the pandemic. This brought back many memories (good and bad!) of the oral and maxillofacial surgery job I undertook in 2015. In the maternity ward I helped with junior doctor jobs such as ward rounds, taking blood/cannulation, prescribing and assisting in theatre with c-sections! Helping bring life into the world was very special and I’ll always cherish being given this opportunity. But thankfully I’m now back in the dental hospital being more useful in Orthodontics!”
Hafsa Malik (2014) Dentist “At the start of the pandemic, I was working in a dental practice which closed during lockdown so I continued to support my patients as best as possible via telephone triage - easier said than done! I recently moved to a new job as a trainee in the maxillofacial surgery department at Luton Hospital treating patients for a variety of reasons - tooth extractions, complex head and neck cancer, injuries from lacerations to severe fractures, and everything in between! The job never gets dull. The hospital is super busy as patients are struggling to get GP/ dentist appointments so A&E is full of patients who can't be seen in primary care and we are starting to address the huge waiting lists caused by lockdown! Nevertheless, I am proud to be supporting the NHS, especially through this very difficult time.” NHEHS OGA Newsletter 14
Dr Melanie Tan (1994) Consultant Anaesthetist, UCLH. “As the pandemic started, I had to brush up on my basic intensive care and PPE training in order to help provide round the clock care for the ICU in repurposed operating theatres, nicknamed ‘The Pod’ which almost doubled our capacity. We also supported other London hospitals with their COVID patients and transporting patients between hospitals. It was pretty scary because no-one knew what to expect and many questions came to our minds like: "What if I get sick?" and, "What if I bring it home to my family?” In April we were able to de-escalate our “pod” and re-open theatres to start catching up with non-urgent operations and a hospital reshuffle now means for the future we have extra provision for complex postoperative care and can continue elective operations regardless of COVID. On top of all the above, with my digital hat on, in April 2019 we launched our digital healthcare records system. This technology upgrade enabled us to move outpatient clinics to a virtual service in about 48 hours. It also meant we could continue to deliver education and run management meetings, explore new technology to make digital workflows easier and use secure video platforms to interact with patients. I can safely say it’s been a challenging year. I found the
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weekly Thursday #ClapForNHS a constant bemusement mixed with a feeling of pride for the job I do. I would love 2020 to be the end of it but something tells me the NHS will be living repercussions for many months and years yet.”
and some had their treatment compromised by contracting the virus. So times continue to be challenging and it unclear whether a vaccine is going to be the saviour we are hoping for, especially for my group of patients.”
Dr Shireen Kassam Consultant, King’s College Hospital, London. “The last 9 months have been challenging for all healthcare professionals. I treat patients with lymphoma, so I have not been in the frontline of the pandemic, however, we have had to adapt in unprecedented ways to ensure a safe, high quality service. A rapid transition from face to face clinical appointments to telephone consultations wherever possible was particularly challenging when you are having to unexpectedly break bad news. The inability to respond to body language cues on telephone appointments makes these situations even more challenging. We rapidly needed to put in place pathways for the patients so they were assessed and treated in safe, 'COVID19 secure' environments. This has meant regular virus testing for patients and staff (the virus swabbing is not pleasant at all!) and separate wards for COVID19 patients so not to risk transmission to immunosuppressed cancer patients. We have also realised our patients are more susceptible to the virus and its complications. We have sadly had a number of patients die due to the complications of the virus
Rachel Ellison MBE (1988) “I usually work as an executive leadership coach and during the pandemic I have been volunteer coaching frontline NHS workers including consultants, nurses, hospital porters and cleaners through a clinically led programme to help them get through the waves of Covid admissions, as well as trauma induced by some of this work.”
Dr Isabel McMullen (1999) Liaison Psychiatrist, King’s College Hospital, London. “I lead a team of doctors, psychologists and nurses covering mental health problems across the whole of King’s. Nobody knew what Covid would bring for our specialty. After a short-lived initial reduction
in mental health presentations, the numbers of referrals to my service increased dramatically and has remained high. The psychological impact of lockdown has been significant. We have seen a lot of people who have developed new mental health problems like depression, anxiety and psychosis, and sadly along with those, many people who have harmed themselves or are recovering from a suicide attempt. People with preexisting mental health conditions like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder have also found it harder to get the community support they need to stay well and so rates of relapse have increased. I have also seen many patients with Covid who are delirious with it, or who develop neuro-cognitive problems afterwards, or who are traumatised by their experience of being unwell with it.
means, particularly when you look at the impact on all of our wellbeing and mental health. However, my work is immensely rewarding, and I am reminded on a daily basis of how fortunate I am to be able to support people at their most vulnerable and advocate for people with mental health problems. I wouldn’t change it for a moment.”
Alongside my clinical work, I worked with colleagues to set up a staff support service to help staff who were affected by what they were dealing with as part of their clinical work. Many staff were redeployed to unfamiliar clinical settings and were profoundly affected by what they were required to do. It has been an exhausting year, and we are not through the worst of it by any
Irene Reguilion (2010) Marketing & Communications Manager for eConsult Health, a company born from the NHS and run by active NHS clinicians. “We have been working hard to support the roll out of online consultation software to over 2,000 GP practices across the UK since March. We allow patients to provide their own GP practices with information about their needs
and symptoms online, day or night, without adding to the telephone queues. This means GPs have a better idea of the different needs of all their patients and can then prioritise based on how urgently they need help. We have been really proud to support more practices, as well as all serving Ministry of Defence personnel, to ensure they can still access their GP for support during the pandemic and going forward into this new normal.” Please note all submissions were received prior to December 2020 Tier 4 announcements.
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LIFE CHANGING PHILANTHROPY Mrs Sam Davies, Head of Philanthropy & Alumnae Engagement Alumna, Portsmouth High School, Class of 1994. Bursary Fund donor
It is a wonderful feeling to do a job that helps change people’s lives. I lead the GDST’s efforts to raise philanthropic support to grow our bursary programme for talented girls from disadvantaged backgrounds, and they tell me how their awards encourage and inspire them, showing them that they can achieve and exceed their ambitions. I like to think of myself as a bit of a matchmaker – bringing together donors who feel passionately about educational access with those bright students who will best benefit from a GDST education. The difference made to these girls comes as a result of donations (of all sizes) made by alumnae (and others). It is thanks to this philanthropic ‘matchmaking’ that I am where I am today. Although I am not a NHEHS alumna, I attended Portsmouth High School on a full bursary. Back in 1987, I lived on a council estate in Portsmouth with my mum – a single parent – and 3 siblings. Receiving a bursary was a pivotal moment in my life – and it drove me to work hard to demonstrate my full potential. It is exactly this that I want for others like me, whatever their family circumstances. As NHEHS alumnae, you will likely know that for almost 150 years, the GDST has delivered forward-thinking, girls-first and accessible education. Social mobility has always mattered to the GDST. Since 1998, the GDST has given means-tested bursary assistance to over 6,200 pupils. In 2019-20, a total of 1,100 pupils were supported through a bursary award. But we want and need to do more – for the current school year, 1247 applications were received for bursaries, but we could only offer 163 new awards. And although we are hoping for brighter times during 2021, the inequalities exposed by the pandemic and the negative impact on social mobility very much remain – 17
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which means bursaries and assistance are even more crucial going forwards. In the run-up to the 150th anniversaries of the GDST and NHEHS (in 2022-23 and 2023-24 respectively), our goal is to significantly grow our bursary fund. We were delighted with the response from NHEHS alumnae to the initial Help Girls Learn Without Limits appeal which was sent out almost a year ago. Thank you very much to all NHEHS alumnae who chose to contribute – your support is much appreciated, especially from those girls currently benefitting directly. However, our appeal must continue and we are keen to encourage regular gifts by Direct Debit or standing order as these help us when planning for the future. I personally make a monthly gift to Portsmouth High’s bursaries, which means I am helping a girl from a similar background to me follow in my footsteps. To create an additional through-school bursary award for a new pupil joining year 7 at NHEHS in September 2021, the school would need to raise £150,000. Although this is a large sum on its own, it can be easily generated through collective giving – if 1,000 NHEHS alumnae signed up to give just £10 per month for the next 3 years, this would create a new full bursary for September 2021, another for September 2022 and one for September 2023. Three girls benefitting from all that NHEHS has to offer, thanks to the support of NHEHS alumnae. So, if you can join us, and open doors to more gifted girls from less affluent circumstances, please visit www.gdst.net/donate or email giving@wes.gdst.net. You can read the stories of a range of alumnae who all benefitted from financial support whilst in GDST schools by visiting https://www.gdst.net/news/in-herwords/.
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One of the striking things about speaking to Lizzie, Sarah and Rachel Tandy is how much they all love their different careers. Lizzie says “Without a doubt I love that it is different every day. Working in a deals environment is fast paced and so I never quite know what challenges are going to come up. It also continues to stretch and challenge me which I think is key to whatever career you choose – it has to engage you and keep the brain cells ticking over.”
Sarah explains “I love every. Single. Thing. I love the fact that it’s a never ending journey. I’m learning new things every day. And I’ve been incredibly lucky to travel the world and meet some incredible people. Music is the language we all share.” For Rachel it is the adrenalin rush of going to Court. “Contrary to what all my friends think, it really isn’t much like the films – there is rarely a big “mic drop” moment or a dramatic confession in the witness box. Rather, you are required to piece together a series of subtle and carefully engineered strategic moves which will all add up to either winning or losing. Being part of that process is incredibly stimulating, never predictable, and great fun.”
SISTERS, ALUMNAE, SUCCESSFUL CAREERS The NHEHS ethos Reflecting on a shared education that had a ‘girls can do anything’ attitude it becomes clear how the same NHEHS ethos impacted on their different career paths. Sarah notes “While I was at school I never thought there was anything particularly unique about my experience. It was only after I left that I realised not everyone had the privilege of such a strong education. When I first started playing jazz it was a VERY male dominated field. I was always the only girl on the bandstand, and I was the only girl in the entire jazz department at the Royal Academy of Music while I was studying there (thankfully things are changing now). But at no point did I ever feel that I shouldn’t be there… and I’m not sure I would necessarily have felt like that if my educational experience had been different.” Rachel agrees “What’s interesting is that I really don’t remember being aware of that messaging at all: I just took it for granted that any and all options were open to us. For example, I remember Helen Sharman coming in once to give a talk about being an astronaut. The fact she had been into space was obviously a remarkable thing; but it never dawned on me that anyone might think that was a remarkable
Lizzie Hunt (née Tandy) (NHEHS 1997) read Mathematics at the University of Manchester and is now a Partner at PwC where she leads a team within the tax business which focuses on advising investors in infrastructure assets. She is a Chartered Accountant and Tax Advisor as well as an Associate of the London College of Music.
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thing for a woman to have done. It’s only now when I look back on it that I realise what a privilege it was to genuinely just expect everything to be up for grabs. I think that mindset has been incredibly valuable; in my job, there are times when you really have to hold your own, and part of that comes from the confidence of believing that you have something of worth to say and you deserve to be heard.”
Sarah Tandy (NHEHS 2000) studied English Literature at Cambridge University. After graduating she completed a masters in Jazz Piano at the Royal Academy of Music. She has subsequently become one of the most in-demand players of her generation, touring internationally with a number of jazz and hip hop artists. She is also a member of the Ronnie Scott's House band. She was nominated for Jazz FM Breakthrough Act of the Year Award 2019 and awarded the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Instrumentalist 2020.
Lizzie laughs “Well, for a start we had Ms Ashley who was a force to be reckoned with! I don’t think there was ever a suggestion that there was something we couldn’t do. I suppose the basic starting point was, what do you want to do and then let’s work out how you are going to get there. I do think that for my generation, there was this mantra that you could have it all – the stellar career, the immaculate house, the perfect family etc… The reality is very different – you make choices and compromises every day when balancing a career and family and you just hope that at the end of the week it has roughly all evened out. For me personally, it took me a long time (and three small children) to learn to let some things go and to ( just occasionally) let the chaos reign. Funnily enough, once I did start to do that I think it made me a better leader (and probably much nicer to work with!).”
Special teachers The sisters also share many fond memories of their teachers at school. Rachel remembers “Mrs Evans, who taught Latin, was obviously completely and utterly obsessed with her subject. Her fanaticism was infectious. If you were late handing in your homework she would put her hand up to her forehead, mock fainting, and cry “EHEU!” As a result I have never forgotten what it means.” Sarah says “I thought Mr Warne was cool because he played guitar and
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used to hang out and jam with us after school. Also Mr Dace taught me English in the Sixth Form. He used to bring in song lyrics and we would read them alongside poetry. I think that was the first time I really started to discover just how powerful words could be.” “I think I was lucky that I always had a strong leaning towards Maths and so for me I knew what I wanted to study at university quite early on” Lizzie comments. “That enjoyment of Maths was certainly fuelled from an early age by Mrs Chase who I remember took over our maths lessons in the last year of junior school and in the early years of senior school and then later by Mrs Critcher who I always remember as being strict but fair. I was particularly touched to see her at Sarah’s album launch at Ronnie
Scott’s last year and just think that goes to show how invested she was in those that she taught – even those of us that were less likely to go on to study Maths.”
School memories Lizzie’s favourite memories include the annual carol service at St Barnabas Church. “It was always so atmospheric and magical. I was also lucky enough to have the chance to sing evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral with the Madrigal choir which was very special – and then there was the anniversary concert in St John’s Smith Square and the productions of Little Shop of Horrors and Cabaret. I don’t think I truly appreciated how privileged we were to have access to these opportunities until I was much older.”
Sarah jokes “I won the egg and spoon race in kindergarten… I’m not sure that’s a triumph I can ever top!” Rachel says “I used to enjoy the last day of the Autumn term with its two very different Christmas assemblies. The light-hearted celebration in the morning, when we all dressed up in tinsel and santa hats and sang rowdy carols (accompanied by sleigh bells and tambourines “borrowed” from the music department) was always fun: but I was weirdly captivated by the more sombre assembly in the afternoon when the Sixth Formers would don their black robes and sing the Boar’s Head Carol by candlelight. Given the job I’m in now, I obviously have a thing for prancing around in a cloak in the name of tradition!”
Rachel Tandy (NHEHS 2002) read History at the University of Sussex and is now a barrister at Henderson Chambers where she specialises in commercial disputes and post-disaster litigation. She is recommended as a leading junior by the Legal 500 and is currently representing 100,000 claimants in the Volkswagen Emissions Litigation.
Lizzie, Sarah and Rachel are happy for any other NHEHS Alumnae thinking of a career in their respective fields to get in touch via the Alumnae Relations Officer. NHEHS OGA Newsletter 20
We are delighted to announce a new alumnae platform, GDST Life.
What is it? GDST Life operates in a similar way to LinkedIn and, whilst all GDST schools are on the platform, we have our own NHEHS Group (private to our alumnae) within GDST Life. Joining GDST Life will enable you to connect with NHEHS alumnae and also the wider GDST community. It is a completely free resource so make sure you are part of it! As you know, we love to stay in touch with our alumnae and ultimately the NHEHS Group will be a major way for us to communicate with our alumnae and share events and updates, in addition to email, post and social media. We hope this online group is something you will enjoy being part of. It has fantastic potential! You can also join numerous other groups on the platform. From school and university groups to career specific networks, you'll be able to stay in touch, find old friends and make new connections, join discussions and access online resources.
How do I join? Accessed on any device (phone, laptop, tablet), signing up for your account couldn't be easier - all you need to do is visit www.gdstlife.aluminate.net to register and join. Once you have registered your email address and created a profile (you even have the option to sync with your LinkedIn account), Charlotte Truman, the Alumnae Relations Officer, will verify your school information and then confirm your account. From there you can explore and connect. 21
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SOCIAL MEDIA & THE FUTURE OF PRINT Sarah Cohen (NHEHS 1993) is Deputy Chief Sub Editor at Time Out London and has held staff jobs at various newspapers and magazines, including the Guardian, the Evening Standard and Total Film. Sarah also worked in an editorial capacity for several cultural organisations, notably the British Film Institute and the British Council. In the year of the global pandemic Sarah explains “a week after the March lockdown Time Out became Time In for four months! We produced content about what to stream, takeaways from great restaurants that were delivering, podcasts etc and it was a really successful pivot for our brand. In July, as lockdown eased, we went back to Time Out again. At least for now…” Sarah’s more usual day to day life involves reading and reviewing content from lots of journalists, fact checking, look for good grammar and punctuation (her degree in Classics from Cambridge comes in handy!), making sure it fits with the tone of Time Out and sits well with other content it is next to.
Sarah notes “The online side is very fast paced, I will read stories as soon as they are written and once checked the story will go live. There are 5,6,7,8 stories a day as well as longer interviews and opinion pieces, such as lists of restaurants with cosy outdoor spaces! Time Out also sends lots of email newsletters which I have to review.” “I love the people I work with, they are brilliant and passionate editors, writers and designers and I love the subject matter as I work with arts, culture, food, social issues and living in London.” However, Sarah also cautions “This is a really hard profession. Even before covid, you would be incredibly lucky if you found a full-time, permanent, salaried job with 9-5 hours! It is 24/7, built on freelancers and you will have to fight for your next job. It is so competitive. However, there are more outlets than ever you can write and work for. There is also the technology now to have your own platform and to have your own voice heard if you have something original to say. You can make money out of that, but it is hard.” “I have been really lucky to have great role-models and mentors. In particular, Cath Littlejohns at the British Film Institute who offered me
a job I was not really qualified to do, but she saw something in me and gave me a chance. She has a great motto, that I have carried through to the rest of my life, which is: ‘How hard can it be?’ She says it all the time in a very calm way. She has been a champion of mine and real inspiration.” Our discussion turned to the future of print media and Sarah explained, “When you search online you need to know what you are looking for at the start, but if you are flicking through a magazine, something unexpected could grab your attention. There’s a level of curation that you can’t easily achieve online. I think print media has to offer something you can’t get digitally. High end magazines like Vogue are more like coffee table books and the tactile attraction will remain. People will want to own and be in those magazines.” “However, I think newspapers per se are going to struggle to survive because news is reported so quickly online and through social media that they are always catching up. The weekend papers may survive longer as they are a bit more like magazines. Several broadsheets are already behind pay walls, but that model is relatively new and unproven.” NHEHS OGA Newsletter 22
Sarah explains how the online world also directly affects editorial decisions at Time Out. “We have a daily meeting for the team to suggest stories that they think would be good for that day and one influence is what is being talked about on social media, and particularly for Time Out what people are searching for on Google. Time Out is really good at making sure its results come out at the top of a google search for anything from ‘Valentine’s Day’ to ‘best Chinese restaurants in London’. It is an essential part of our business model to stay ahead of the trends. It’s a real art and we have a whole department responsible for feeding this kind of search data to the editors.” Reflecting on her time at NHEHS, Sarah comments “The vibe was always there was nothing girls or
women could not do. It was not hammered home, it was just fact. That gave me confidence to apply to universities I wanted to go to and for jobs I wanted to go for, as it did not cross my mind sexism
would be around. Having such a brilliant array of women teaching us was very inspirational.” “I had 3 favourite teachers who taught my favourite subjects, Mrs Geary Jones who taught RS and Mrs Evans and Mrs Sergeant who taught me Classics. They were so passionate about their subjects and because the classes were small they were more like seminars.” “I have so many great memories of NHEHS as I was there from age 5 to 18, basically my whole childhood! Redlands playground, making a snailery with Konnie Huq for lunchtime snail races, I enjoyed almost all senior school lessons but I loved extracurricular stuff, being the stage manager for productions, I played netball (always reserve, but I loved the camaraderie of it), lots of public speaking competitions.” Those are most likely memories that resonate with many alumnae reflecting on happy school times. Looking forward to 2021, let’s all hope Time Out continues to stay Time Out! Sarah is happy for any other NHEHS Alumnae thinking of a career as an editor or journalist to get in touch directly or via the Alumnae Relations Officer.
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Alumnae who have given time to help in school during 2020 A huge thank you to all NHEHS Alumnae who were such an inspirational part of school and alumnae events in 2020 – the following alumnae have provided career advice, taken part in alumnae events, talked to Sixth Form about university life and helped in many other ways. The door is always open to any alumnae who feel they have something to offer current students, so please get in touch with the Alumnae Relations Officer at alumnae@nhehs.gdst.net Daphne Argyropoulos 2019 Anika Dhawan 2019 Elizabeth Down 2019 Iva Grujic 2019 Frankie Wilson 2019 Phyllis Keen 2019 Issi Stronge 2019 Lucy Whittock 2019 Ella Murphy 2018 Mathilde Roca 2018 Iola Ryland 2018 Natalija Kasic 2017 Sukhpreet Gahunia 2017 Ella Lidstone 2017 Eva O’Mara 2017 Grace England 2016 Issy Warren 2016 Hafsa Malik 2014 Yasmin Sahota 2014 Guneet Anand 2012 Connie Goring-Morris 2012 Olivia Sivelli 2011 Chandni Kaneria 2010 Phoebe Syms 2010 Emma Chowdhury 2009 Ailis Duff 2009 Rachel Haynes 2009 Farnaz Motamedi 2009 Sophia Djili 2008 Francesca Paltenghi 2008 Sophie Cater 2007 Anshu Kaura 2007 Felicity Capon 2006
Natalie Hughes 2006 Alice ter Haar 2006 Chloe Hole 2005 Marisa Hofat 2005 Eimi Howse 2004 Anna Ma 2003 Philippa Boyle 2003 Lucy Dartford 2002 Rozi Morris 2002 Katherine Farrell 2001 Yasmine Say 2001 Maggie Rogers 1999 Marisa Charosky 1997 Lisa Priestley 1997 Talia Harvey 1997 Carrie Hartnell-Grundy 1997 Anna Allatt 1996 Lizzie Davison 1996 Shazia Ovaisi 1996 Aneeta Parthipun 1996 Azmina Airi 1994 Nishani Amerasinghe 1994 Seema Arora 1993 Alia Gormley 1990 Rupa Huq MP 1990 Silva Dilanchian 1988 Meg Cope 1987 Caroline Woolley 1985 Pavita Cooper 1984 Kate Murphy 1984 Amabel Polglase 1984 Anna Zakharova 1981 Sarah Baynes 1977
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30 YEARS AT NHEHS
Mrs Critcher first joined the Maths Department in 1991 and is the second longest serving member of the teaching staff after Junior School Head, Ms Silva. Maths is currently an incredibly popular subject at NHEHS at A Level with around two thirds of girls taking it as one of their subject choices and 80% achieving an A*-B grade.
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Farnborough, Hampshire, and I went to an all girls’ secondary school. I really enjoyed school which is part of the reason I became a teacher. I loved maths particularly in Sixth Form, but also Latin and all the sciences. Where did you study maths? I originally had a place to study computer science at Manchester, but after my A Levels I decided I didn’t want to go to university so I withdrew from UCAS and went to work as a nanny in London. After a while I reapplied to do a Maths degree at London University where I met my husband (whom I am still very happily married to!). Did you go straight into teaching after university? No, even though I really wanted to it was at the time of all the teacher strikes in the 1980s so no-one thought of going into teaching. Most students went to work in finance in the City as it was booming. I originally went to study accountancy and my first job was auditing Anglia TV, but I felt like a fish out of water and didn’t like it at all! So I left and applied to do a PGCE as I had always really wanted to be a teacher. Then I worked at a state school in Brent for 3 years before I came to NHEHS.
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What are your favourite/least favourite bits of being a maths teacher? Almost everything is great fun (except the marking!). Helping students to make progress and when they make connections in maths or suddenly feel they understand it. You can have a lot of fun in the classroom, which has sadly been very hard to replicate online. What memories do you have of first starting to teach at NHEHS? When I first joined the school was planning the gala evening of the Magic Flute and it was the whole focus for the first term! I was surprised not to have my own classroom but I got used to that. All of the students were so helpful; I had a 4 Upper form in ‘the walkthrough classroom’ (room 24) and they were so lovely to me. It struck me as a school with lots going on but a very relaxed atmosphere where you could trust students not to mess around. How do you feel NHEHS has changed over time? The foreign trips now are phenomenal – I have been to Iceland, Russia, Berlin as well as many other European countries, also the curriculum trips and day trips are so varied. The teaching technology has changed so much – I stated with chalk and a blackboard! The timetable was done on a big board in Ms Ashley’s office – there were no computers! What changes have you noticed in the students over time, if any? I don’t think that the students have changed much. There is still an expectation that the girls will give new things a go and do lots of activities. Sport seems to have become much more of a force in the school. I do think that the students seem more stressed, we have a student counsellor now, but maybe that is just
a reflection of people’s willingness to be more open these days. How have the school buildings and facilities changed over time? The school is nothing like it used to be! Security is much stricter now. I remember Skipton House and the massive hole being dug for the swimming pool. To see the whole new West Wing go up was amazing. But the maths rooms are still the same as they were 30 years ago, the pin boards are even the same! Have you taught any of the alumnae on the current teaching staff? I didn’t teach Clare Eastwood but I remember her, I taught Marie-Helene’s sister but not Marie-Helene. I did teach Julia Wood/Bushby when she was in Year 7. I have also taught some of the mothers of children currently in the Junior School and I love seeing them when they are dropping their daughters off in the mornings. What are your favourite extra-curricular activities you have been involved with? I have loved taking student teams to maths challenges and running Pi Club. I have been on many trips with the History department, including the trip that never actually got to Ypres because the bus broke down before we even got to Dover! I must have been on about fifty DofE trips and all the fun and games that comes with those.
Why do you think maths is such a popular subject at A level? It is a really exciting subject but I think at NHEHS it is the continuity of staff and the fact that you teach the same group for 4 years from Year 8, a steady thing in an uncertain world. I am currently teaching someone in Year 13 who I will have taught for 7 years, so you get to know each other really well. What are your favourite memories/moments at NHEHS so far? How long have you got?!? Looking back makes me feel quite emotional thinking of the many kindnesses and happy times I have shared with students and colleagues. I honestly can’t imagine a more stimulating environment to work in, especially if you are interested in people. I feel so lucky to have worked here for so long and to have had so much fun. Being a Sixth Form tutor for the past twenty years has been such a privilege. I love meeting up with former students and finding out what they have been up to. It is such a worthwhile job and I have been so lucky to work with my colleague Paul Quarmby for twenty years. To me it is not just a job, it is such a massive part of my life. I have probably spent more waking hours at NHEHS than I have at home! I just feel so lucky to have worked here for so long; the school means so much to me. NHEHS OGA Newsletter 26
FROM THE ARCHIVES Heroes among the heroines: Boys at Notting Hill By E.Broekmann On 16th September 1873, Notting Hill (and Bayswater) School, the second of the Girls’ Public Day School Company schools, opened its doors. There were only ten girls, ranging in age from 5 to 15 years on that first day, but by Christmas, there were 130. The school did well from its earliest days and passed inspections by the Board of Education with flying colours. It was the 1911 Board of Education inspection report which first alerted us to the presence of boys at Notting Hill. The section describing the pupil make-up of the school revealed that there were ‘three small boys’ in a school of 139 pupils! This discovery clearly
needed further investigation. When were they here, why and, of course, what happened to them after they left NHHS/NHEHS? The first task was to trawl through all the admission registers to confirm that boys were in fact at the school. Through this, we established that there have been 345 of them over the years! The first four to arrive, in 1899, were Phillip Cowley, Edward Davis, Griffith Nelthorpe and Elkan Schaap and the last two to leave, in 1949, were Andrew Hill and Alistair Fraser. The intake varied from year to year, usually just a handful coming at any one time. There are, however,
three periods with larger intakes 1915-1920, 1922-1925 and 1931-1933, just before the junior school moved to Ealing. The highest single intake was in 1920 when 22 boys were admitted. So far we have not established any reason for these fluctuations in enrolments. The boys generally came when they were about 5-6 years old and only stayed for about 1-2 years, before heading off to ‘big boys school’. It was this short stay which led Headmistress, Miss McCaig, to write in her 1936 report - ‘I am beginning to doubt the wisdom, with our present accommodation, of continuing to admit little boys who fill up a vacancy and often stay for a very short time.’ If boys were admitted, it meant that a girl, who might have stayed for her full school career, was denied a place. In 1936, the school had 476 pupils and was bursting at the seams. We can only speculate as to the reason all these boys came to Notting Hill. Several of them had sisters at the school about the same time, so perhaps NHHS/ NHEHS provided a ‘gap year’, keeping them constructively occupied before ‘big school’. In some cases, however, the presence of a sister has not been established – one example being
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the four Boucherat boys who were at NHEHS in the early 1930s. Perhaps Mama just wanted them out from under her feet! After establishing the dates and names, we were able to begin the next phase of the project: finding out what ‘our boys’ did after they left. This is an ongoing and challenging process as many of the ‘boys’ are proving difficult to track down. So far, we have established that amongst our boys were many doctors. One was an A&E consultant in Derby who pioneered new approaches for dealing with patients with severe head injuries. He, sadly, died of head injuries after a cycle accident in May 2020. There are also vicars, barristers, solicitors, a Russian prince who came as a refugee, an actor, a pewterer (a member of the Bonham auctioneering family), a veterinary surgeon, a glider pilot, a politician, a violin maker and a ship’s musician. One, Richard Liversidge, was a world renowned naturalist who worked most of his life in South Africa while another, Richard Brooke was a polar explorer who was part of Sir Edmund Hillary’s team which set up supply depots to support Sir Vivian Fuchs on his traverse across Antarctica. Mt
Brooke in Antarctica is named after him. For just one year, a few older boys joined the fold – at least partly. Alumna Ruby Gordon-Wilson (née Hetherington) (NHEHS 1939-1946) remembers … “At the beginning of the Autumn Term in the Lower 6 we were told we would be joined by BOYS! We were very excited, but quickly became disappointed. Four boys came from St Benedict’s Priory, a local Roman Catholic minor Public School and they only joined us for Biology. They were probably intimidated by giggling teenage girls, because they huddled together on one side of the lab and I can’t remember ever having any conversation with them, because they never looked in our direction, and though we wanted to be welcoming, they made it too difficult! These boys had come to study at NHEHS to help improve their chances of getting into medical school at a time when priority was being given to exsoldiers.” It is amazing to think how many boys have passed through the school gates over a period of fifty years, yet most alumnae know nothing of their existence. What makes this even more surprising is that the last two only left in 1949
– within living memory! Although boys appear in a few early photos of the junior school, we have found only one passing reference to them in magazines. Hopefully, learning more about them will help us to appreciate their contribution to the school’s history and allow us to think of them as part of our impressive alumnae/i (!?!) body.
The NHEHS Digital Archives
Work on the digital archives continued in 2020, with more records being added. The documents now available on the site are: Admission Registers, Staff Registers, Junior and Senior School magazines, School Newsletter, OGA Newsletter and whole school photographs. In 2021, we plan to include the Oxford and Cambridge (1875-1912) and Board of Education (1903 +) inspection reports. These give a wonderful insight into the curriculum, teaching methods, sporting activities, clubs and societies, star pupils and so on. More recent personal records are password protected. If you need information from these records for your research, please contact me on e.broekmann@nhehs.gdst.net.
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THE LASTING MEMORY OF A FINE TEACHER By Ruby Gordon-Wilson In July 1946 I was 18, and I left Notting Hill & Ealing High School after taking the Higher School Certificate in the Upper Sixth Form, ready for the next stage in my education. Because I was doing science subjects (in those days you were either doing Arts or Science, you couldn't mix the two), I had to take English as a non-examination subject. This turned out to be the most rewarding experience of my entire time at school. Miss M.A. Bradford was our English teacher, and because there was no exam at the end of our 2 years in the Sixth Form, we were not under any pressure. Miss Bradford was an inspiring teacher, and introduced us to the Impressionists, the Post-Impressionists, Pointillists, and many other artists. She took us to art galleries to view some of the works we had learned about.
We went to Fulham to see the Gas Works to learn about coke making. I don’t think it exists now. We were told about poverty and visited a particularly impoverished area in London, where I can't remember, presumably to "see how poor people lived". We read books which we then analysed together. Probably books we would not have chosen but nevertheless classics of their day, and which we all enjoyed. Miss Bradford was the daughter of a vicar in Richmond, and I don't think she realised how much we learned from our "non-examination lessons". I still remember her after 70 years. At an Old Girls' meeting many years ago I was talking to Miss Bradford and asked her how we ought to differentiate between "should" and "would" and she laughed and said "Ruby you were always so pedantic", so I have never discovered the answer.
We also learned about films and film-making. Ealing Studios were still making films, and it was quite easy to watch them from a spot in Walpole Park in Ealing, which was sometimes disillusioning when we saw how a train carriage was apparently moving on about 2 metres of track. Following this we watched The Battleship Potemkin, a very old Russian film. I have no idea where Miss Bradford found it. Because World War II had only recently ended, it was liberating to be able to go out on trips without having to carry a gas mask at all times. During the war we were very restricted because of the threat of air raids. In fact, my year took our School Certificate (now called GCSEs) in the air raid shelter because it was the time when the flying bombs were landing in the south east of England (1944). Air raid shelter. Redlands, c. 1950 29 NHEHS OGA Newsletter
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ALUMNAE NEWS
Patricia Mason (1946)
I am still playing tennis twice a week and at 85 am not the oldest on the court! Also play bridge online so am keeping mind and body in good order. I can enjoy varied walks on the country estate I am lucky enough to live on so lockdown does not bother me. I would love it if other class friends from the 1946 intake would get in touch.
Jane Eastgate (née Lawes) (1956) After 11 very happy years at Notting Hill, ending up as Deputy Head Girl, and a career in Nursing, finishing up to the age of 70 as a Marie Curie Palliative Care Nurse in the Community, I remain sincerely grateful to all the staff, and for all we learnt and experienced there. Many of us are still in touch with each other.
Prof. Diana Crane (1960)
In my retirement I am still able to do recording work for TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication). These are mostly used for examinations. I have a plan to get back from the US to see my dear friends and family in the UK as soon as this pandemic disappears. The last time I went back to the UK I did join a gathering of my old Notting Hill school friends for a wonderful boat trip to Greenwich. 31
NHEHS OGA Newsletter
Mary Sanghvi (née Davis) (1963)
You know, when I was a Notting Hill, I did not realise how special it was. Looking back, my education has given me many interests that I have been able to carry on through life. I am now quite active in the U3A, here in Australia. I tutor French conversation and science. I have taken up art again but my joy is in music, which I would have missed out on if I had not gone to NHEHS. At the age of 70, I have joined a Jazz Band! Westernport Regional Band on the Mornington Peninsula. You can see us play at the Inverloch Jazz Festival on Facebook. Something beyond my wildest dreams! My husband and I founded a company called Kinetic Education and that is now a family business. We write and distribute online educational programs for tutorial support in Maths and English throughout the school years. We have won a prestigious award ABA100 Winner of The Australian Brand Award (Product Excellence) in 2020. We now have 10,000 students in Australia and we also export to Canada and the UK. I have seven grandchildren, aged between 1 and 11 and they are the joy of my life!
Ruth Davidson (née Davis) (1967) I am enjoying retirement and keeping busy. With my husband, I am an account holder for Traidcraft, a fair trade organisation, which aids production of high quality crops and goods worldwide. I'm also the treasurer of Amnesty International Plymouth. Living so close to Dartmoor and the south Devon coast, walking is my major activity.
Raina Spencer (1968)
After Sussex University, I was a Personnel & Admin Manager before changing direction and becoming a Graphic Designer until we moved to Perth, Western Australia, 20 years ago. I am married with two children. I was friends with Tina Jenkins and Anna Pilkington.
Diana Pemberton-Pigott (née Sellman) (1969) I was due to appear as Mrs Eynsford Hill in the latest Oxford Operatic Society production of My Fair Lady to be performed in May at the New Theatre in Oxford, but of course that was all cancelled. Instead, we had regular Zoom meetings. My husband and I delved into our long term memories and found 3 amusing duets to perform on our open Mic nights. As I am unable to go to my voluntary job at my local hospice, I have
ALUMNAE NEWS
been hosting regular Zoom 'coffee mornings' for patients who are well enough to join in. I have been able to keep in touch with my beloved Grandchildren via face time and have devised games and told stories.
Suzanne Bardgett (1973)
I am Head of Research and Academic Partnerships at the Imperial War Museum and I wrote a book which was published this year called “Wartime London in Paintings”. I have happy memories of my time at NHEHS.
Clare Johnson (Amanda Walkden) (1973) As a family carer I’ve been very lucky that the anti-covid measures have affected my life only marginally. I’m enjoying getting back in touch with people I used to know and studying the challenging and deeply rewarding ‘A Course in Miracles’ with its new companion book ‘A Year of Forgiveness’. Wishing everyone health, healing and happiness!
Susi Ridley-Marshall (1981)
I was delighted to read over the summer of the work NHEHS is doing to tackle racism and prejudice. I have been a teacher for 33 years in London, Bristol and recently in Gloucestershire. I teach English
as an Additional Language. I have produced booklets entitled Our Untold Stories, with speakers from different ethnic minority communities, which is now also part of our PSHCEE curriculum, helping students to understand why people move to the UK and the challenges inherent in such brave choices. I work with Syrian refugees and their parents at Stroud College. I have also taught unaccompanied Asylum Seekers from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea.
Nicky Sargent (1981)
After NHEHS I went on to study English at The University of Bristol and in July this year I was the recipient of the BAFTA Special Award for Lifetime achievement in recognition of my career and dedication to the field of television postproduction.
Rachel Ellison MBE (1988)
Since leaving my role as a news reporter at the BBC I have retrained as an executive leadership coach. I run my own company and I also volunteer at Macmillan Cancer Care as a back to work coach for patients who’re returning to work after cancer treatment and help run a local Food Bank collection hub focussing on women and young children. I have two school aged children so homeschooled for the first six months
of the pandemic.
Lynne Tomkins (1988)
I had the very good fortune of attending a webinar with Diane Danzebrink - an esteemed champion and professional in menopausal support and guidance. This was highly informative and I just wished I had known more and sooner. I feel strongly that other fellow alumnae friends could benefit hugely. menopausesupport. co.uk
Marie-Lise Christensen (née Quaradeghini) (1994) We have recently moved to Manhattan, NY, for a threeyear stint, the third big move in 8 years (after Perth, Western Australia, and Sydney, New South Wales). Our children have started school and are enjoying their first-ever sighting of snow. We are all excited to be closer to Europe at least for a while! I was sad to miss the last tea-party by only a few days (Marie-Helene Collins helpfully stands in quite well), but have absolutely loved the last Newsletter. There were so many familiar and much-loved faces. Angellica's memories of Madrigal auditions and other things really struck a chord. And she's right - she really DID have a mischievous streak! Congratulations to Zosia on becoming OGA Chair.
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ALUMNAE NEWS
I did giggle at Jane Sigaloff's reference to Lucy Couzens not taking no for an answer....I fear I may be the only OGA committee member to have ever been asked to leave by Lucy, as I kept arriving half-way through meetings hurtling in at full-speed from my then-job as a leveraged-finance lawyer in the City. Not a moment I have ever referred to publicly until now!
Emily Hughes (née Loukes) (1996) I have been working in the aerospace industry for the past 20 years and was recently made a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and am also a Fellow of Engineers Australia, having lived and worked in Australia for a number of years. I have held the position of Chief Engineer at both BAE Systems and the Boeing Company and have most recently been promoted to Director, heading up Boeing's international prototyping division, based in Brisbane Australia.
Sarah Hagger-Holt (1996) My first children’s novel came out in January titled ‘Nothing Ever Happens Here’. My next book is due out in February 2021, also with Usborne.
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Katy Glanville-Chapman (née O’Brien) (1997) I am Deputy Head at Wellington College and the co-founder of Global Social Leaders, a leadership programme which has participants in 105 countries, all passionate about creating and sustaining positive change in the world. I coauthored ‘Leader: Know, love and inspire your people’ about how to energise leaders in any setting to lead through service and empower them with the tools to help their team flourish, which was published in June.
Pippa Evans (2000)
I have spent the last 15 years working as an improviser and love what it can teach us about being spontaneous, communication and dealing with the unexpected. I have written a book published this year called ‘Improv Your Life: An Improviser’s guide to embracing whatever life throws at you’.
Sophie Costella (2004)
In September I gave birth to Oliver, a brother for Alexander (aged 3).
Alice ter Haar (2006)
has left Deliveroo, which she helped scale for four years, to run her boutique personal development consultancy, Badass Unicorn, full time. Alice’s mission is to ignite people’s
potential to bring more of their best to life. She spreads her inspiring message working with fast-growing industry disrupters, like Gousto and Ovo Energy, running sold-out public courses and as a speaker. She’s running 4.5 hours of free workshops in the new year.
Ella Merriman and Amelia Powell (2013) We are launching our first business in February 2021. Our start-up, Merri Intimates, will produce sexy cotton underwear to help prevent UTIs and thrush which are often aggravated by synthetic fabrics. After being crowned the grand champions of the ‘Big Idea Challenge 2020’ we have been able to bring our product to life with several rounds of sampling. We are launching via the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. Follow our journey at www.merriintimates.com To reply to any of these contributors, or to send your news, please email: alumnae@nhehs.gdst.net
In Memoriam we fondly remember Janet Carole Reeves (née Glanville) (NHEHS 1951). Mr Reeves kindly let us know that Mrs Reeves sadly passed away in Central Middlesex Hospital suffering from the Covid-19 virus in March 2020. He commented that Mrs Reeves always spoke of NHEHS with much affection. Sue Fairbairn (née Smartt) died in France 30th May 2020. Ruth Davidson (NHEHS 1967) let us know that Sue had passed away “after a long courageous fight against cancer. Sue had many treatments and kept positive. She continued working, with her partner, to run a very welcoming stopover for bikers 'Les Ballastiers', which was successful, built friendships and had a large number of returning customers. She is greatly missed.” Judith Isobel Kaufman (NHEHS 1970) Claire Parkyns (NHEHS 1986) passed away on 22nd September 2020. Alumna Geraldine Mynors commented “Force of nature, music maker, candid and loving friend to the end.” Isabel Anderson (NHEHS 1962) very sadly died on 16th November 2020. Her school friends commented “It hardly seems possible when you remember what a vibrant girl she was” and “One of the liveliest girls in our class at school” and “I remember Isabel best at Guides – very bouncy and positive.”
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Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy throughout the newsletter, we hope you will please forgive any minor errors and please inform us of any major ones!