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unique and was also matched by Wendy's dedication to teaching; first at the Bar Convent, then Bootham and finally at St Peter's.

It was her sporting ability that brought Wendy to us in December 1982, just three months after I came here to teach. We have seen six headmasters, including two interregnums, come and go in that time and are now onto the seventh; As with all of us, they came to understand that it was probably in their best interests not only to listen to Wendy, but also to agree with her as they would do so in the end and it simply cut out all the hassle!

In Wendy's time with us she has presided over the development of an outstanding games programme for the girls. Recent inspector's reports include the following statements;

"The physical skills and ability attained in lessons was higher than expected; skills were learnt quickly and applied successfully. Planning and organisation were important features of a programme that was relevant, challenging and appropriate to all abilities. Pupils' attitudes to learning and behaviour were exemplary, showing high levels of motivation, confidence and enthusiasm for physical education"

Wendy never let the standard of behaviour, dress, competitiveness and sportsmanship amongst the girls falter beneath her own very exacting standards. Once reminding a rather bemused Headmaster that it was best to be sure of your ground before questioning her approach; "I know not all the pupils at the school wear the right kit but the girls do, do you want me to drop my standards??" As her own department can testify she had high standards for them to; .....just after Justine was appointed to St Peter's she and Helen recognised that Wendy was on the warpath as a set of bibs had gone missing. Fearing that they were implicated in this heinous crime, they hid in the Wendy house in CPS as their Head of Department left the sports centre. Sadly Wendy was then engaged in conversation by colleagues, pupils and parents for the best part of an hour!! Rather stiff and a bit like Cagney and Lacey they finally emerged from their cramped confinement determined never to lose a bib again.

Wendy was utterly fearless of authority and at times dismissive of it. Her own natural presence meant that she could never understand the need to have titles or positions in order to get a job done; she just did it without fuss. Her ability to deal with middle school make-up, ear piercings, bare midriffs, ridiculous attempts at off games notes, boys ties, skirt lengths etc, without any compromise, was legendary and the fact that so many you recalcitrants are here today is testimony to her effectiveness.

Every single girl who has been through the school in the last thirty years has benefited from her desire to emphasise success at the top end and also to demand properly coached participation for all; B and C teams really did matter to Wendy. Theodore Roosevelt's famous address in 1909 sums up Wendy's approach to coaching as well as anything I can find.

"It is not the critic who counts. Not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who

spends himself in a worthy cause. Who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, at least falls while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat".

Wendy has been hugely involved in all areas of school as a parent, houseparent, assistant, tutor, Head of Department, running ski trips, sports and educational tours, on the committee of the Friends of St Peter's and latterly as Chairperson of the Common Room. In all facets of her life she brought organisation, discipline, leadership, a good sense of humour, real emotional intelligence and truly lousy IT skills.

It was as a communicator and educator that Wendy excelled; she hardly ever had to raise her voice in class, on tour or on the games field, normally a raised eyebrow would suffice to quell even the stroppiest teenager or member of staff! Because she was fair and consistent we all accepted the criticism if it came; Wendy was always a glass half full person and found negativity frustrating especially if she felt it was holding her back.

Wendy always wanted to look good and felt it was important for all girls to be well turned out at all times. In her early years at the school many an outdoor lesson (especially ecology) would be taken near the tennis courts during the summer months allowing aspiring students the opportunity to admire nature in all its guises!! Whether it was at the races; where I don't think she actually saw a horse race, because she was in the champagne bar chatting to friends, at a school function, helping the foundation, at the rugby club or simply at home Wendy was always dressed beautifully. This pride in her appearance and desire for normality has been so noticeable over the past three years when she has put the bravest of faces on her illness; "Paddy it is remarkable what a bit of make-up can do to cover things up!, and by the way you need to lose some weight or you'll be next"!!

Wendy was so much more than the sum of her parts;

Always late to York tennis matches Wendy would arrive wearing a boob tube, pretty little skirt and that infectious smile. She would whizz into meetings, sort out the team, tell everybody what sandwiches or cakes to bring and whizz off again.

Pupils here remember arriving in the third year (yr 9) terrified of the dragon in the sports centre. Don't wear make up on PE days they would tell each other, some did, only to be met by the piercing stare, a face wipe at the door and absolutely no backchat. One recently left OP said this fear progressed very quickly to respect and even awe. By the time you were in the sixth form, she said, "Wendy was like your mum, teacher, mentor and friend- a person to trust and who trusted you".

This awe / fear was not just confined to pupils; I well remember a former colleague, who is sitting very near my wife returning home to change because Wendy had taken such a dim view of her creased skirt!!

Wendy has been an inspiration to many of us here and she was very proud of the achievements of the girls in her care at the school, and of Clifton Sports club in all its guises; however her greatest pride was in her family especially in Emma and Nicolai. Nothing gave her more pleasure than their successes, their sense of humour and fun and their love. I am sure that without their support and that of the indefatigable Glen she would not have been able to fight the inevitable for so long and so bravely.

Wendy was a one off never to be repeated or forgotten; she was her own person who lived her life to the full and in doing so gave others the confidence to do so themselves. The following quote taken from the film Coach Carter sums up Wendy so well:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

It was this fearless ability to let others shine that singled you out from the crowd. We will really miss you Wendy and Cod bless you.

David Hughes

Following a long illness David Hughes, a well respected former teacher at the school, passed away in October. His funeral service was held in The School Chapel which was packed to the gunnels by those who knew him including past and present staff and pupils. A full testimonial to David was written by Mr John Owen-Barnett and was published in the most recent issue of The Old Peterite Magazine.

Penny Lacy

Penny took up the purse strings of St Peter's in the Autumn of 2003, joining us after a very successful time as Bursar at Queen Margaret's School. She has since given 9 years of outstanding service to St Peter's and, after spending 21 years as a Bursar in independent schools, one can perhaps understand why she has decided that it's time for a breather. Being a bursar is hard work and it takes real steel and great skill to survive the role, let alone perform it with distinction. This Penny has managed to do.

Popular Bursars are rare beasts, for a number of good reasons. It is often down to the Bursar to make the right decision rather than the popular one and to communicate tough news. Bursars tend to get the job of saying 'No' more often than 'Yes' (this latter, more pleasant, task being snapped up by Head Masters, amongst others). Bursars, then, are most fairly judged on the financial health and smooth running of the school they leave, as they hang up their desk calculators and close down the spread sheets for the final time.

Penny signs off from St Peter's with the school in excellent financial health, despite challenging economic conditions, with building projects such as the swimming pool delivered on her watch, and with very good pupil numbers across the three schools, including much increased Bursary provision. The fact that the school is able to look so confidently to the future is a great credit to Penny and her team for skilled and effective work.

Those who have worked most closely with Penny will know that she is a colleague of great loyalty, wisdom, humanity, wholeschool vision and a terrific sense of fun. Penny has sensed that it is the right time to explore and travel the world, to seek other and new challenges. As we thank her warmly for all the excellent service she has given the school, we all wish Penny interesting times ahead and hope that she will keep in touch.

LW

David Watkinson

David was appointed to St Peter's as Head of Mathematics in 1989 (when the current Head Master was just leaving school). David led the Mathematics department with great skill and an eagle-eye for detail. He is an expert practitioner in the classroom: pupils of all levels respond to the clarity of his explanations and the thoroughness of his method. Colleagues speak of his decisive and meticulous leadership of the Department.

pastoral ability matched his virtuosity in the Maths Department. With Sue, they managed the transition of The Rise from boys' to girls' boarding house, caring for their charges with a rare blend of pastoral insight and firm expectations.

It was in 1997 that David was appointed Director of Studies, a role he held until 2011, when he stepped up to be Deputy Head in his final year at the School. Some pupils have referred to David Watkinson as 'The Machine': we all know his remarkable ability to remember facts and figures. Name an Old Peterite and David would pipe up: "Yes, took A levels in 1984, only got 3 C's, but beat his older brother by 2 grades". This exceptional talent, and apparently faultless memory, gave David tremendous authority as Director of Studies. He was able to advise pupils and parents wisely on the right choices to make. He knew all the key data and could guide and steer colleagues with his fine eye for detail and his exacting professional standards.

David doesn't make mistakes. Indeed, there is only one occasion on record when he got something wrong - arriving at a hotel in France with two young sons having booked in for the wrong day. This error had the rarity value of a collectors' item. Professionally, David's organisation and thoroughness are legendary.

David's love of sport is well-known, and with his mean handicap I'm sure golfing is going to be high on his 'to do' list once retired, as well as on Sue's. For many years David coached rugby at the school and was a formidable refereeing presence. Opposition teams - and their coaches - came to respect his decisions as instantly as the home team. David was firm and fair, but also showed a great empathy for the game. It's fair to say, though, that his first love was running the 2nd XI cricket team, which he did until very recently and I know the pupils have valued his expertise in the sport.

For many years David and Sue also ran the school ski trips, apparently wearing their matching 1970's ski suits whilst 'gliding' down the slopes. The trips were hugely successful; though not without the obligatory traumas that come with such holidays: pupils forgetting passports, fire drills in the early hours, illness, a coach with no snow chains and, rumour has it, Mrs W stranded half way up a black slope.

Colleagues would all agree that David is always principled you don't get fudged answers from him and you may not always like what you hear; the workings are always there for all to see, whether you like the answer or not. He is wonderfully organised and blisteringly efficient - you get answers to your questions almost before you finish asking them. He is a shrewd judge of character and of situation; always firm but fair. A colleague summed it up perfectly recently when they said: "When you need to know something about school or you don't know what you should do, who do you go to? The answer of course is David".

With his extraordinary fastidiousness, allied to his remarkable efficiency, his pastoral nous and exceptional skill in the Maths classroom, David has served the school, its pupils and staff, with unwavering loyalty and strength of character. In his role pulling the academic strings David oversaw increasingly impressive examination results. The fact that the school is currently in such excellent health is in no small part down to David Watkinson.

David is a remarkable school master and colleague. His 23 year chapter in St Peter's long history is an illustrious and deeply accomplished one. We all wish him, and Sue, every happiness in their retirement and thank David warmly for all he has done for St Peter's.

LW and DJS

David Kirby

I must start by pointing out that no matter what is said in this article, it cannot possibly do full justice to David's outstanding contribution to the community of St Peter's School and its cricket in particular.

However this is my attempt at the impossible so I hope you will bear with me.

David has been associated with St Peters for 60 years as a pupil, Old Peterite, where he has been both President and secretary of the OP's, schoolmaster, Head of German, housemaster for over 16 yrs in Queens and Rise and games master. In the latter role David coached and refereed rugby with great success and enthusiasm, coached Squash and ran the school 1st team for many years including the memorable win in the national finals. He was also a founder member of York Squash club at Clifton Park where he also played and coached a great deal of cricket.

Despite all this it is his contribution to cricket that stands out as a quite unique feature of the history of this great school.

David played 1st XI cricket for 5 years captaining the side in his final year. (Incidentally he also played 1st XV rugby, 1st XI hockey and 1st team Squash). He moved on to Cambridge where he won a Blue and captained a side that included 2 future England Cricket Captains; Tony Lewis and Mike Brearley. After Cambridge David went on to captain Leicestershire CCC as the youngest ever county captain.

In 1963 life changed a little as David married Anna in August of that year. For the next 49 years Anna has been at David's side. I am sure David will agree that all he has accomplished since would not have been possible without the total support that Anna has given him.

David was "head hunted" by the then Head Master, John Dronfield to come back and teach German and help with the 1st XI cricket. Initially as coach and then as master i/c for 43 years David has devoted himself to St Peter's cricket.

In this time David set up the original six school festival that has morphed into the festival that finished yesterday with St Peter's winning it for the second year running. Winning in this context was less important to David than the spirit of cricket that went with the boys meeting others year after year. Friendships made then carry forward many years after school days are over.

David was responsible for the first school tour of S. A. postapartheid. In this remarkable tour back in 1992 they played many memorable matches, none more so than the final one against a township side where all the sponsored kit was left behind for their team to use after we had left. In talking to David he remembers this occasion with huge affection. It was also memorable for the help David had from parents on the tour. Contact with parents who watch St Peter's Cricket has always been important to him and the "top bank club" who entertained David and Anna three weeks ago meant a great deal to him. He always got on well with those who watched the whole game and not just the bit that involved just their child. This inclusive and educational attitude was fundamental to David's coaching. If you played in the 1st XI you were expected to learn to bowl if you were a batsman and bat if you were a bowler. The team was always more important than the individual.

I know how proud David is of Jonathan Bairstow not just because he has played test cricket this year but because he has done so with such dignity and modesty. Who can forget that moment with Raul Dravid. Despite this level of success David was just as interested in how the junior boys got on.

Players who passed through his tutelage are grateful for it; he instilled in them a love of the game, an appreciation of its spirit, of its complexities and an ability to play it hard and well.

It is genuinely hard to overstate David's influence on St Peter's in the time he has been here; it is said that a person continues to be present in a place as long as the memory of their commitment and accomplishments are part of collective conscientiousness; for David Kirby that will be a very long time indeed. David to take up the position of Honorary Life President of St Peter's Cricket and we are delighted that he has accepted this brand new position.

In this way there will be a place of welcome for David and Anna at all cricket played at St Peter's and by St Peter's. We all very much hope to see them both back here on the boundary next season

Paddy Stephen.

Lindsay Stark

Lindsay first joined the chemistry department at St Peter's in September 1995 when teaching numbers meant that we needed a part-time colleague in the chemistry and biology departments. She then left us for one year and taught at Easingwold School before rejoining the staff in September 2001. j Although most of her teaching has been in the Middle school, when sixth form chemistry numbers rose, Lindsay took on AS chemistry as well.

This is typical of Lindsay's work; always flexible and willing to turn her hand to whatever was asked. As new ideas in teaching came and went, and as specifications changed, Lindsay was always very supportive of the work of the department.

Despite being part-time Lindsay was a tutor in three day houses: Clifton, School & Queen's. She ensured that she was always available to students in her care and offered them all support and guidance. This support was always given to members of the teaching staff as well.

Lindsay's help has been extensive outside of the classroom. The highlight of many a DoE expedition was her arrival in the early evening with a car full of puddings, mainly for the staff but always something for the students as well.

On Expedition Days at Ravenscar she led from the front, but not always in the right direction and her support given to the Physics department during their Olympic competitions has been greatly appreciated.

Lindsay was a member of the cast for the first Staff pantomime and has sung with the Choral Society throughout her time at St Peter's.

Lindsay has decided to retire from teaching but will now direct her spare time to working on the family farm. She will be a big loss to the department and the staff.

Sue Watkinson

Sue joined St Peter's first and foremost as a teacher of RS. For Sue her subject has always been of the greatest importance and typically she demanded the highest standards of work from her students and her colleagues. She started teaching here in September 1990 working with Steven Harvey as her Head of Department; he recalls a highly supportive colleague in the RS department who was a very effective teacher and whose work was always characterised by thoroughness and efficiency. Over the last 22 years not a great deal has changed on that front: lessons carefully planned, photocopying done by the office staff in good time not by her at the last minute, marking up to date, reports never late and finding a mistake in her reports was a real trophy.

Back in 1990 a certain fourth form boy encountered Mrs Watkinson for the first time. Paul Taylor remembers two middle school years of RS being totally intimidated by her; he is also insistent that she was one of only two teachers to give him a proper telling off for playing too much cricket and not working hard enough. Not much has changed here over the years either: Sue has frequently had naughty or unwilling RS students lined up for lunchtime correction sessions. She has a reputation for consistency and those boys and girls who have grumbled about another lunchtime session with Mrs Watkinson have only ever been disappointed with themselves for finding themselves in that position rather than disappointed with Sue for dealing out the sanction.

Those who have been taught by Sue in the Sixth Form have appreciated her wisdom, her help in finding true understanding and her articulate use of the English language. She has challenged pupils to justify their points of view however radical: to the untrained eye she could have been accused of teasing them but in reality she was simply stretching their intellect, and I will vouch for the fact that the Philosophy and Ethics course has been the making of many of our sixth form students.

This year Sue has been the Head of Department. Her fulfilment of this role has of course been characterised by hard work and efficiency. As someone who stands very much for tradition and continuity the management of the RS department has not changed...well not much.This year for the first time in the 23 years of my experience at St Peter's there was no third form churches visit day. Sue's legacy to us then, a group of unchurched pupils - how will they survive and will we ever survive them?

Sue has also been one our outstanding pastoral leaders in the school. Her years of experience of boarding in the Rise and then as House Mistress of both Temple and Hope have placed her at the forefront of pastoral care at school, for both pupils and colleagues. Sue has been both a giant in terms of the discipline she has exercised over her charges but has also handled the troubled with great sensitivity. Sue does not suffer fools gladly and she has been remorseless in her dealings with those naughty and ill-disciplined pupils amongst the student body and to very good effect. To the ill and those in need of gentleness she has been comforter and guide. There are stories of get well cards or good luck cards being sent to those in need even in the holidays.

Sue had the great fortune to open the sixth day house at the school and in 2008 she had as close to a hand-picked group of pupils in the house as you could ask for: the pupils were given the opportunity to choose to move to Hope knowing that Mrs Watkinson was the new House Mistress. Sue has created a wonderful pastoral unit in Hope house and in the words of her current Head of House 'Hope House has become an enjoyable, happy, hardworking and thriving environment for all her "Hopefuls'".

Sue's pastoral strengths lie also in her ability to offer care and guidance to her colleagues. Many a House Master and Mistress has come under Sue's mentorship. Paul Taylor's experience as a pupil might have made him wary of Sue becoming an assistant in Clifton at the time when Peter Taylor was unwell, but the reality was, of course, quite the opposite. As those of us in pastoral care know, however experienced you get, you always need someone for advice and for Paul Sue was always that go-to person. Often the study door would close and Sue would talk him through the options. Jo Lunardi shadowed her with her tutor group and in her role as assistant to Paul before Jo took over the role. Then, when Jo made it to House Mistress, Sue was always supportive in her advice and a good confidante if she had a particular concern or query. Jo also says that she learnt her best 'glaring at students in disapproval' techniques from her! On a personal note the support she offered Claire during our tenure in Dronfield was always invaluable.

Sue will leave not just a gap in the teaching and pastoral areas of the school. Sue has been a high profile colleague. She and David ran many, many ski trips. Sue has frequently stood on the rugby touchline, the hockey side line and the cricket boundary - we have even seen her at rounders and netball although not quite so willingly. She has attended countless drama productions, music concerts and services in the chapel at many of which she has read, and she has sung with the Choral Society. Her presence at these occasions has been a source of comfort and encouragement to both pupils and their parents alike.

Sue will be missed at St Peter's but we wish her a very happy and well-deserved retirement.

MJC

Tim Coker

Tim came to St. Peter's on the crest of a dramatic wave. The subject, very much new academic kid on the block, was in its infancy and the department was a department of one. Imagine the meetings! He leaves with full cohorts in every year group, with over forty pupils opting for the subject last year at CCSE level , a thriving round of plays, performances, workshops and projects, two more staff and the knowledge that drama is a truly academic discipline - whilst also being a medium through which we learn to understand ourselves that little bit better.

Steadfastly holding out against popular taste, Tim eschewed more traditional approaches to musical theatre by directing a rather dark, disturbing vision of manipulation and control with My Fair Lady - more of an homage to Bernard Shaw than Lerner and Loewe, perhaps. A magnificent version of Moliere's L'avare , complete with images of miserly hands endlessly caressing coins on a huge screen at the beginning was supported by lectures by visiting academics and a comedy workshop run by Martin Barrass. Through the medieval spectacle of Mystery Plays, to Shakespeare and Ceorg Buchner, to Beckett and Pinter (stopping by Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy and Morecambe and Wise on the way), Tim has challenged us with theatre which has often been provocative and frustrating, strange or surreal, unexpected and fragmentary but beautiful, intelligent and demanding for both actors and audience. Although post-show discussions were not for the faint-hearted, they provided our pupils with an understanding of the impact their performances had as opposed to what they had intended. Therefore, under Tim's regime, performance was about learning, not about being on stage.

In the past year, one of the most notable features of Tim's work has been with former pupils who are now drama students. These students returned to work with new fourth formers on aspects of physical theatre and visual media; the results were stunning - and all the more so by being kept within an experimental framework which was encouraging and motivational for pupils just starting out on their GCSE course. Endless possibilities are what the drama department has been about under Tim's watchful eye. We wish him much success and happiness now he has embarked on his journey back south and hope he carries with him pleasant memories of his sojourn in the north.

Matthew Adams

Matthew joined the school as Head of Classics in 2004. He arrived after the sad death of Peter Taylor, and so it was a somewhat lost and chaotic department which Matthew had the job of restoring to health. There was some urgency to this task since the school was faced with an inspection during his first year, but Matthew managed to navigate these challenges with his own brand of determination and inexhaustible energy. The book stores were sorted, filing cabinets rationalised, and better staffing of the department established. Under his care, the Classics department has thrived. Numbers for A Level Latin have increased from one pupil to 12 in the incoming L6; Classical Civilisation too has expanded to two sets in the 6th form, and Greek is regularly taught on and off timetable and due to his inspiration and involvement will be a permanent fixture alongside 4th Form Latin from September. Matthew was also responsible for implementing the first year of ISSP Latin at St Peter's, and has taken great delight in teaching 18 state school pupils Latin from scratch.

It is great testament to Matthew's love of the subject and his delivery of it that so many pupils have embraced Classics. His nononsense attitude means there is little ambiguity in his expectations of his classes and tutees, both in terms of their academic work and their behaviour and courtesy. His hard work in creating new opportunities for both students and colleagues to shine has continued throughout his time here. He has always been super organised and incredibly supportive of his Classics colleagues, keen to share ideas and resources as well as work through concerns and worries. Matthew is an impressive teacher whose passion for encouraging pupils to think more widely for themselves has created a department which challenges and encourages those who pass through its doors, and exposes them to skills which will serve them through further education and employment.

Matthew has also contributed widely to school life outside the classroom. From refereeing unruly rugby matches with aggressive players and coaches, to being a tutor to various age groups of Manor boys, he has never swerved away from a challenge. It was Matthew's idea for the three of us to enter the Athens Marathon, through which we raised over £1000 for charity. Early on in his time here, he took over leadership of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award when pupils only achieved Bronze level. Over the years he has built this up successfully to accommodate the full spectrum of honours, with 10 groups taking Silver and 3 groups the Gold Award this year. For those members of staff who have accompanied Matthew on the practice and qualifying expeditions

it has been a pleasure, since they have benefited from the hours he has spent organising maps and imparting expertise to the pupils.

Matthew's personal interests have been a huge influence on many over the years. His own passion for fell walking and exploration led to a qualification in Mountain Leadership and the return of the Mountaineering Club to school, with annual trips traversing many mountain ranges of the United Kingdom. He has travelled with the department too, organising trips to Greece, Italy and Sicily and the Expedition Day jaunt to Hadrian's Wall; during these trips pupils have been treated to slices of Matthew's extensive classical, archaeological, ornithological and horticultural knowledge.

He has encouraged pupils to explore academia, and his classes have visited the library to delve into Classics and poetry outside of the curriculum. A task set for his L6 Latin class, to choose and learn a poem with a Classical theme, has expanded to see the first Classical Poetry Recital Competition take place. His love of words has led to many a third form pupil talking about mastication, but never a 6th former indulging in floccinaucinihilipilification.

It is on account of his passion for exploration and learning that Matthew is leaving us. During his time at St Peter's he has acquired an MA, and now we say vale so that he can pursue a PhD at York University, following 5 weeks in Namibia with the British Schools Exploration Society during which he will be a staff leader on a scientific expedition monitoring plant and wildlife. One thing he has said he will miss at St Peter's are the people, but he is looking forward to spending more time with his wife, Jenny, and children Anna and Mikey. For us, Matthew has been the essence of the Classics department and we are both truly grateful for the confidence and trust he has put in us, and as well as the support, guidance and friendship he has given over the last 2 years. It is with great affection that we wish him well in his adventures and studies, and hope for the occasional report on his progress.

JT Connor and KSE Barker

Michelle D'Vali

Michelle joined the school in September 2011 as an NQT. In the year that she has been with us she has spent an enormous amount of time planning her lessons, producing creative power point slides and has brought with her lots of new ideas. Her lessons are interactive and full of interesting demonstrations and practicals; she has been liked and well respected by all of her classes and has quickly established herself as a most valued member of our team. in her element at CPS's Space Day last January, giving presentations in the Cosmodome non-stop all day and on into the evening at our Star Gazing event, together with demonstrating the solar telescope and giving guided tours of the night sky. She was also brilliant at the recent Physics Olympics Competition, looking after the air rocket event that saw a card rocket made by some of her sixth form helpers travel from the top bank by the cricket nets onto the roof of the swimming pool. She has a captivating way with children and had them under her spell, when she produced a 1m high scale model of one of the Saturn space rockets and went on to explain that its full size was 10 times higher than the science block.

Michelle has had a difficult journey each day from the other side of Leeds and it was only a matter of time before this became too much for her. Unluckily for us a vacancy came up at the Grammar School at Leeds, where Michelle did her teaching placement, and this was too good an opportunity for her to miss.

We are extremely sad to be losing her, but wish her and her family all the very best in Leeds and hope that she will keep in touch with us.

David Morris

Pauline Garbutt

Pauline Carbutt, the longest serving member of the History Department, has decided to leave St Peter's to become Head of History at the Gateways School in Leeds.

Pauline was universally known by the pupils as the 'Princess' - a term coined out of a great and genuine affection for her. In part this reflected the fairy tale nature of her classroom: her desk was dominated by mountains of bright pink and purple stationery; to the left of the desk was a kettle, mugs and plenty of tea, coffee and hot chocolate to be enjoyed alongside the cake provided by the pupils; finally by the computer was the make up mirror and hairbrush!

However, Pauline was also known as the 'Princess' because the pupils knew that she cared for them and would do her utmost to ensure their success. Indeed, Pauline had a real gift for inspiring and motivating all pupils: she was a committed and effective teacher. Despite the dominance of pink and purple, her classes often achieved some of the highest exam marks in the Department. She was a very popular teacher who will be greatly missed by her pupils.

every bit as happy and successful in her new job as she has been here. We wish her well.

Richard Trevett

Ailsa Huysamen

Ailsa joined St Peter's as our artist in residence in 2002, the same year that I took the post of Head of Art. Her year in residence was highly successful both for her and us and we were disappointed that she left the school so much so that we offered her a full time teaching position in the department. The following three years saw Ailsa adding a PGCE to her already long list of qualifications and taking up a position teaching art in a London comprehensive school.

In due course a position in The Art School became available and our thoughts turned to Ailsa. She was a known quantity and in short was exactly what we were looking for. Once offered the position Ailsa was only too happy to return to St Peter's and spent the next five years extending her already excellent reputation as a teacher who was able to get the very best from her pupils regardless of their abilities. Ailsa's was a specialist ceramicist although she was able to turn her hand to other disciplines within the art curriculum. She could always be relied upon to meet any challenge, was liked and respected by her pupils and was uncompromising in her insistence on excellence.

Ailsa's fantastic contribution to our examination results and the reputation of the department can not be understated.

In addition to her teaching responsibilities Ailsa made a full contribution to other areas of school life. These included being an Assistant Housemistress on Dronfield and Grove, a valued member of the Community in Action team, a staff presence on various school trips abroad and a guiding light on the Leavers ball Committee.

When Ailsa met Rudi, our South African hockey coach, friendship soon blossomed into love and marriage. Ailsa leaves us to live in South Africa where Rudi is studying for a teaching qualification. We wish them both the very best of good fortune in their lives together and we hope to see them both again when they return to the UK in the not so distant future.

John Darmody

Chris Belsom

I simply could not imagine how things would have run so smoothly in the M a t h e m a t i c s Department over the last three academic years if Chris had not been prepared to step in at the last minute and keep stepping in.

I realised it was not going to be easy to find a high calibre maths teacher, experienced enough to hit the ground running, and flexible enough to take on a spread out part time timetable. I felt all my Christmases had come at once when Chris agreed to join us, having just retired as Head of Mathematics at Ampleforth School.

Chris has undoubtedly benefitted not only the smooth running of the maths department, but he has ensured continuity for pupils who would otherwise have had too many changes in teacher.

As an ex Head of Department himself, Chris knows only too well just what it has meant to be able to call on someone with such experience and professionalism.

David Spencer

Gareth Callan

When appointing a teacher of chemistry for September 2011, we wanted someone with a passion for the subject but equally someone with a sense of humour. Gareth took on this challenge having relocated his family from Leamington Spa.

Gareth made a late career change into the world of education having previously worked with Mars and Pepsi Cola, his first teaching post being at Abingdon School.

St Peter's was very fortunate to recruit Gareth: his enthusiasm for the subject was infectious and there is no doubt that many of the students he taught in his short time here, responded to his desire to impart his knowledge and understanding to them.